Light and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls

I have hesitated to share my cinnamon roll recipe for a long time.  Mainly because it wasn’t mine, it is my moms.  But over the past couple weeks with all the baking we have been doing, I asked her if I could share it, and she was emphatic that YES I share it!  So you lucky ducks are getting my absolute favorite roll recipe.

This recipe is not only great for cinnamon rolls but it makes the most amazing crescent rolls.  This cinnamon roll dough is not too sweet which is why it can be used to make crescent rolls as well.  It is a very sticky dough and often times this can be misleading and you may think that it needs extra flour.  It does not.  But we will talk about that more later!

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Watching my mom make cinnamon rolls growing up was one of my most favorite things to do.  It was right up there with getting to eat those cinnamon rolls when they were done! However, she often was making them for other people, always making them for friends, or for some event.

I find myself making them for similar reasons now, and think my kids must hate when I make them and they don’t actually get any. So, I try hard once in a while to make them for them.  

This cinnamon roll dough can seem like a very tricky dough.  It is a very sticky dough.  Some of my friends have mentioned that it seems as if it needs more flour, but I want to emphasize that it does not. It is a sticky dough in nature and this is what makes these cinnamon rolls so light and fluffy.

The cinnamon roll dough also should raise twice.  This gives the cinnamon rolls more internal structure.  It also gives the dough more flavor.  You can make these with only one raise, but I like to get two raises from the dough before making the cinnamon rolls.  This also helps to firm up the dough a bit so that it doesn’t seem as sticky.

So, lets talk about how to make this cinnamon roll dough recipe:

This dough starts out with warm/hot water.  You do not want it boiling. if your water is too hot, it will kill the yeast.  This is common with any recipe you use yeast in.  The yeast needs warm water, and some kind of sugar to be fed. 

You want to put the warm water, sugar, salt, powdered milk, and 2-3 cups of flour in a mixer.  Mix until all is well combined.  

Add the eggs, one at a time.  

Once they are mixed in with the dough, add one more cup of flour.

Mix that in, and then add the yeast, add it slowly and make sure it mixes in well.

Once the yeast is mixed in, you can finish adding the rest of the flour.  I like to add it slowly.  

You want this dough to be sticky.  If you stick a knife in it and it pulls away easily and stretches, it is ready.

You want to knead the dough for about 4-5 minutes until the gluten is developed.

Transfer the dough into a large bowl or keep it in your mixing bowl if it is large enough for the dough to double in size.  I like to pour a small amount of vegetable oil on the dough, scrape it from the sides and create one neat ball.  Cover with plastic wrap and set someplace warm to rise.  Once it has risen punch it down, cover it with the wrap again and let rise again.

After the second rise, its time to roll out your cinnamon rolls.

I roll my dough out into a large rectangle. You want to roll it out until it is about 1/4- 1/2 inch thick. It depends on how thin you want your layers.  I like mine a bit thicker.

You are going to roll the long end, so you will want to roll out a rectangle wide enough to roll up and create that swirl~

Once you have a nice rectangle, melt 3 tbsp butter.  Brush it all over the dough with a pastry brush.  Leave a very small amount of butter to use to seal the cinnamon rolls.

Take 1 cup of brown sugar and 1/2 tbsp (or more if you like  cinnamon and make a layer over the entire rectangle, all the way to the edges.  

Take the long end of your dough and begin to roll it, over itself, until you reach the end of your dough.  Take the small amount of butter and brush it on the end of the dough and then wrap the end of the dough to seal it.  I then roll it over so that the seam is on the bottom.

I use a piece of thread to cut my rolls.  Slide the piece of string under the end of the dough and bring it up and cross it and pull. It will cleanly and neatly cut the dough without smashing the roll like a knife would do.

Lay them out on a greased jelly roll pan or large baking sheet pan.  You can get 24 on the pan.  I can get 24 rolls out of the long rolled dough.

Bake them for about 30 minutes. But check them at 20 minutes and every couple minutes after that.  They should be light golden brown on top.

Once they come out of the oven, make the frosting, I use my cream cheese frosting for my cinnamon rolls.

Want more delicious bread recipes?

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The Easiest 2 Ingredient Flatbread Recipe You Will Ever Make!

How to Make Wheat Bread That is Easy and Delicious

 

I hope you will try this cinnamon roll recipe out!  Its one of my kids most favorite treats.  I don’t make them often, but when I do, they are thrilled and they don’t last very long!

The ooey gooey frosting, the soft, light and fluffy bread, and the sweet and spicy cinnamon and brown sugar caramelized in the swirled bread.  Its an amazing combination.

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