AmericanCinnamon rolls
Cinnamon rolls: soft, swirled yeast buns packed with buttery cinnamon sugar under cream cheese icing
Cinnamon rolls came to the American Midwest with Scandinavian and German settlers, and today they are the Christmas-morning and lazy-Sunday bake of the whole country, as well as the smell that pulls people into shopping-mall bakeries. A soft, rich yeast dough is rolled around brown sugar, butter and cinnamon, baked until golden and spread with tangy cream cheese icing while still warm, so it melts into every swirl. They contain wheat, milk and egg. The usual mistake is baking them until deep brown and firm: the centres turn dry. Take them out when golden on top and the middle roll feels soft and springy, or a thermometer in the centre reads about 88 °C. Chef's tip: cut the log with a length of unflavoured dental floss slid underneath and crossed over the top; it slices cleanly without squashing the spiral.
- Prep
- 40 min
- Cook
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Serves
- 12
- Per serving
- 370 kcal
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 cup milklukewarm
- 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar
- 1 egglarge
- 2 ⅛ oz unsalted buttersoftened
- 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flourplus extra for rolling
- 1 tsp salt
For the filling
- 2 ⅞ oz unsalted buttervery soft
- 5 ½ oz dark brown sugar
- 1 ½ tbsp ground cinnamon
For the icing
- 4 oz cream cheesesoftened
- 1 oz unsalted buttersoftened
- 4 oz icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
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Method
0/9 doneStep 1: Stir 1 cup milk, ¼ oz fast-action dried yeast and 2 ⅛ oz caster sugar in a large bowl. Beat in 1 egg and 2 ⅛ oz unsalted butter.
Step 2: Add 1 ⅛ lb strong white bread flour and 1 tsp salt and mix to a shaggy dough. Knead for 8–10 minutes by hand (5 in a mixer) until smooth, soft and springy.
10 minStep 3: Cover and leave somewhere warm for 1–1½ hours, until doubled in size.
75 minStep 4: Mash 2 ⅞ oz unsalted butter, 5 ½ oz dark brown sugar and 1 ½ tbsp ground cinnamon to a spreadable paste.
Step 5: Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface into a 40 × 30 cm rectangle. Spread the filling evenly to the edges, leaving a 1 cm strip bare along one long side.
Step 6: Roll up tightly from the long filled side, finishing seam-side down. Cut into 12 even slices with a sharp knife or floss.
Step 7: Arrange in a greased 23 × 33 cm baking dish, cover and leave to rise for 40–45 minutes, until puffy and touching. Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan) meanwhile.
45 minStep 8: Bake for 22–25 minutes, until golden on top and the centre roll is cooked through and springy.
24 minStep 9: Beat 4 oz cream cheese, 1 oz unsalted butter, 4 oz icing sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract until smooth. Spread over the rolls while they are still warm, and serve.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 370 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 56 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does cinnamon rolls take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of fast-action dried yeast?
- Fresh yeast, three times the weight.
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