This is the end result of numerous iterations on a cinnamon bun recipe I received the first time I visited the US. I do hope you like it!
| Prep Time: | 30 mins |
| Cook Time: | 20 mins |
| Additional Time: | 1 hr 35 mins |
| Total Time: | 2 hrs 25 mins |
| Servings: | 12 |
| Yield: | 12 cinnamon rolls |
Ingredients
- 1 cup milk
- 1 tablespoon white sugar
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- ½ cup white sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, or more as needed
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 2 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Pour milk into a microwave-safe bowl and heat in the microwave until warm but not hot to the touch, 45 to 60 seconds. It should be about 105 degrees F (41 degrees C). Pour into the bowl of a standing mixer.
- Add 1 tablespoon sugar and yeast to the warm milk. Stir and let sit (proof) until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup sugar, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract; stir with a dough hook until combined.
- Add 4 cups flour, sea salt, and cinnamon; stir with the dough hook, starting on low speed and gradually increasing to high speed, until a large ball of smooth and slightly tacky dough is formed. Add 1 tablespoon flour at a time if dough seems too sticky, until a smooth ball is formed.
- Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead with your hands until smooth and elastic, 3 to 5 minutes. Form into a ball and place inside a greased bowl. Cover the bowl with a warm, damp towel and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- While the dough is rising, combine brown sugar, softened butter, and cinnamon for the filling in a small bowl until uniform throughout. Set aside.
- Gently press the gas out of the dough and transfer to a large, floured work surface. Roll the dough into a 24×12-inch rectangle, about 1/4-inch thick. Spread the filling over the dough with greased hands or a greased spatula. Roll up the dough and cut into 12 equally sized rolls, about 2-inches long.
- Line a 9×13-inch glass baking dish with lightly greased parchment paper. Place cinnamon rolls in the prepared baking dish in 4 rows of 3, evenly spaced. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Bake rolls in the preheated oven until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes.
- While the rolls are baking, beat together powdered sugar, cream cheese, softened butter, vanilla extract, and salt for frosting. Keep at room temperature while rolls bake.
- Spread frosting on warm rolls. Let cool before serving.
- Spreading the cinnamon-sugar filling can seem difficult but it gets easier as you spread it. Alternately, if you only combine the cinnamon and sugar, then you can use a pastry brush to spread the melted butter all over the dough. Then sprinkle the dough with cinnamon-sugar and pat it down gently to ensure it sticks.
Nutrition Facts
| Calories | 570 kcal |
| Carbohydrate | 83 g |
| Cholesterol | 94 mg |
| Dietary Fiber | 2 g |
| Protein | 8 g |
| Saturated Fat | 14 g |
| Sodium | 255 mg |
| Sugars | 49 g |
| Fat | 24 g |
| Unsaturated Fat | 0 g |