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!
Jump to RecipeWatching 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.
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Light and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls
How to make amazing light and fluffy cinnamon rolls. This recipe makes the most amazing cinnamon rolls ever! With a full tutorial including a video instruction to help you to make the best cinnamon rolls you can!
Ingredients
- 6-7 cups flour
- 1/2 cup powdered milk
- 2 cups warm water
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp yeast
- 1/2 cup butter softened and room temperature (or 1 stick)
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
Instructions
Put your warm water, sugar, powdered milk, salt, 3/4 of the stick of butter, and 2-3 cups of flour in your mixer.
Mix with the paddle until all ingredients come together. I use my KitchenAid
Add your eggs, 1 at a time.
Mix well, then add 1 cup of flour.
Once that flour has been mixed in, add your yeast slowly.
Once the yeast is mixed in, add the rest of your flour slowly. This dough will be very sticky, but that is what you want!
I usually end up using 6 cups of flour. Yours may be different. But let me make something clear. Make sure you are not packing your flour down before using. I like to fluff mine up, or you can use a whisk to lighten it. Do not flatten and level off the measuring cup, this will give you an overage of flour. Keep the flour light and fluffy.
Once you have the rest of the flour mixed in, you want to let the dough need for3 or 4 minutes.
Next, you can transfer the dough into a large oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit and rise until it doubles in size. This could take 30 minutes to an hour.
Once it has risen to double its size, punch it down and let it rise one more time.
Once it has risen a second time, you are ready to roll out your dough to make your cinnamon rolls.
Making the cinnamon rolls is pretty easy. Roll the dough out into a large rectangle. You want your dough to be about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. I use my Roulpat to roll my doughs and bread out. It is an amazing kitchen essential.
Take the brown sugar and cinnamon and mix together in a bowl. Melt the other 1/4 stick of butter.
Brush the butter onto the dough. You may need a bit more depending on how much you want to use. I start with 1/4 of a stick and melt more if needed.
Spread an even layer of cinnamon and sugar on the entire dough rectangle.
starting at the long end of the dough, begin rolling it up. When you get to the end, brush a small amount of butter or water on the end of the dough. Take the end and stretch it over the roll all the way down the dough roll.
Use a piece of thread to cut the cinnamon roll. Take the thread and slide it under the roll, bring it up and across, twisting the thread, cutting the dough all the way through. This gives you a clean cut and does not smash the dough.
Place your cinnamon rolls on a greased sheet pan. I use the 12 by 18 size. This will gold 24 cinnamon rolls. 4 across, 6 down.
Once they are all cut and in place, cover the pan with plastic wrap while the oven preheats to 35p degrees. Let the dough rise for about 20 minutes.
Cook them in the oven for 20-30 minutes. Check them at 20 minutes. If you tap them and they feel squishy, they need more time.
You want them to be light brown on the top, and when you tap them they are soft but somewhat firm.
Take them out of the oven and let them cool for a bit while you make the frosting.
Use my cream cheese frosting for these cinnamon rolls. Its the perfect compliment.
Apply the cream cheese frosting while the cinnamon rolls are still warm. This allows the thick frosting to melt a bit into the cracks of the cinnamon rolls.
Eat them warm, eat the cold. They are amazing! You can freeze these and eat them whenever you want!
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.
Make sure to check out all my recipes and see what I am pinning on Pinterest!
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Teri says
Just to clarify, you add the dry yeast to the mixture? In the body of your post it says ” you want to “put the warm water, yeast… in a mixer”. Then several lines down after adding the flour and eggs you say add the yeast again. Could you double check? Am I missing something? I’ve been on a quest to find the best cinnamon roll recipe and would like to try this but I’ve never heard of adding the yeast as the last ingredient and also with the first ingredients.
Thank you
twelveonmain@gmail.com says
Yes sorry that was a typo. I have fixed it. Add the yeast after you mix the water, flour, butter, sugar, salt and eggs like it says in the recipe. I somehow had it written wrong.
DOLORES says
Hello.
When should I add pecans and raisins to the batter? During the 1st rise or the 2nd rise or just before I?
roll the dough?
Thank you for your attention to the aforementioned.
Dolores
twelveonmain@gmail.com says
Add them once you have it rolled out and ready to add the cinnamon and brown sugar. Then roll the dough up and you will have nice little swirls with nuts and raisins
MaryLee Thornton says
Quick question – what is a “cube” of butter? Do you mean a stick (1/4 pound) or some other measure?
twelveonmain@gmail.com says
1 Stick of 1/2 cup of butter
Nia Donovan says
By one cube of butter do you mean 1 TB or 1 stick?
twelveonmain@gmail.com says
I stick
Nia Donovan says
Sorry, second question: you don’t bloom the yeast first, you add the undissolved yeast to the flour mixture?
twelveonmain@gmail.com says
Yes I do not dissolve the yeast first. I use instant yeast, and it does not need to be bloomed.
Wanda says
I just took the cinnamon rolls out of the oven. I have made the cream cheese frosting also. I can’t wait to put the icing on the cinnamon rolls and try them!
twelveonmain@gmail.com says
Yay!!
Torrey Massey says
The recipe calls for a “cube” of butter. Is that supposed to be a cup? Is the butter melted or used cold?
Thank you!
twelveonmain@gmail.com says
It can be melted or just softened in the microwave.