These cinnamon rolls are buttery, flaky and delicious. If you’ve never tackled homemade cinnamon rolls before, now is the time! This recipe is simple and is packed full of cinnamon and sugar. Finish them off with a simple glaze or try my favorite cream cheese frosting and the end product is simply divine!
To be completely honest, I am not super confident working with yeast, which is required with this recipe. BUT my husband happens to be the seasoned bread-maker of our household, so we are not new to homemade cinnamon rolls.
We have created our favorite recipe by combining a few aspects of other cinnamon roll recipes that we have tried. The bread base comes from Bonnie Ohara’s book, “Bread Baking for Beginners”. If you are interested in trying homemade bread of any kind, I highly recommend this book!
We have swapped out her filling for a simple butter, cinnamon and sugar mixture. I used my favorite cream cheese frosting recipe for the topping this time, but a simple water glaze is also a delicious alternative. I have included both options in the recipe below.
To make these rolls, you will need to allow the dough to prove two separate times. Before the first prove, you will combine all of the ingredients and then let the dough sit for 20 minutes to allow the flour to absorb the water. Then you will knead the dough for 5-10 minutes. The dough will then be placed in a bowl and covered to allow it to prove for 2 hours.
After the first prove, you will roll out the dough on a well-floured surface (as shown below) into a 24 inch by 8 inch rectangle. Next you will add the filling by generously spreading the butter over the dough, then sprinkling cinnamon and sugar over the butter. Roll the dough up tight, pinch the seam and cut dough into 12 2-inch cinnamon rolls. Then place the rolls into a 9×13 inch pan lined with parchment paper.
Time for the second prove! Simply cover the dough with a towel and allow it to sit at room temperature for 2 hours (see below). Then bake the rolls for 35-40 minutes.
Lastly, coat with your choice of glaze or cream cheese frosting and you have these perfect homemade cinnamon rolls!
Tips for making this recipe:
- Use the oven to prove! This will provide a dark and warm environment for the dough. A warmer environment will speed up the yeast’s consumption of the sugars in the dough, which will allow it to rise faster. I recommend turning the oven on ~200 degrees for a few minutes, then turning it off before placing your dough inside. A cooler environment will slow the rise. Ensure your oven isn’t too warm, or the yeast could die.
- Though it’s not necessary, you can chill the dough after the first prove for a few hours (or overnight) to make it easier to roll it out. After chilling, the butter in the dough is a lot easier to work with.
- Don’t skimp on the filling! Spread a thick layer of butter and cinnamon sugar across all of the dough for the sweetest, most gooey rolls.
- Don’t be alarmed if your rolls seem to brown quickly when baking. The sugar in the dough caramelizes and creates the brown color – this doesn’t mean your rolls are burning.
- We have found that it is much easier to loosen the rolled dough from the counter surface by using this multi-purpose tool (linked here). A spatula could also be used!
The Best Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 5 eggs
- ⅔ cup whole milk
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons active dry yeast
- 14 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons salt
For the Filling
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- ½ cup granulated sugar
For Cream Cheese Frosting Topping
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For Traditional Glaze Topping
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tablespoons water
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
To make the dough
- Combine eggs, milk, sugar, yeast and butter in a medium sized bowl using a whisk or a fork.
- Add the flour and the salt and mix by hand to combine well. Dough should be sticky but smooth.
- Let the dough rest in the bowl for 20 minutes to allow the flour to absorb the liquid.
- Turn the dough out on to a well-floured surface and knead it for 5-10 minutes.
- Place the kneaded dough back into the bowl, cover it with a towel, and let it prove (or rest) for 2 hours at room temperature.
To make the filling
- While the dough is proving for the first time, you can prepare the filling by combining the cinnamon and sugar in a separate bowl. Set aside.
- Set out the butter that you will be using for the filling to ensure that it is soft.
To prepare the rolls
- Once the dough has proved for 2 hours, roll it out on a well-floured surface into 24 inch by 8 inch rectangle. Make sure that the long end is horizontal so that you can easily roll it (see photos above).
- Spread the softened butter that you have set aside for the filling over the dough, completely covering it.
- Evenly sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar filling mixture over the buttered dough.
- Tightly roll the dough, ensuring that the longer side is horizontal, creating a long tube. Pinch the seam of the dough closed to ensure that filling remains intact.
- Cut the dough into 12 2-inch rolls and place them in a 9×13-inch pan that is lined with parchment paper.
- Cover the dough and allow it to prove for another 2 hours at room temperature.
- After the second and final prove, bake the rolls at 375 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until golden brown. Let the rolls cool to room temperature before adding a topping.
To make the cream cheese topping
- Use a hand mixer to combine the softened cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl. Mix well.
- Add vanilla extract. Mix until combined.
- Add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Mix well in between each addition.
- Add additional powdered sugar if needed for desired taste and consistency.
To make the glaze topping
- Combine powdered sugar, water and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Mix until combined.
- Add additional water or powdered sugar if needed for desired consistency.
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