Cinnamon Rolls
The softest cinnamon rolls you'll ever have. The filling is so deliciously gooey and the rolls are topped with a luscious cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
- 1 - large egg (room temp)
- ¼ cup - sugar (50g)
- ⅓ cup - butter, melted (74g)
- 1½ cup - buttermilk*1 - 354mL (warmed- 100℉)
- 2¼ teaspoon - instant yeast
- 4 cups - all-purpose flour (552g)
- ¾ teaspoon - salt
Filling
- 1 cup - brown sugar 200g
- 2½ tablespoon - ground cinnamon powder
- ⅛ teaspoon - salt
- 3-4 tablespoon - butter, softened (42-56g)
- About ¾ cup - heavy cream, warmed (for later)
Frosting
- 4 oz - cream cheese, softened
- 2 tbsp - butter, softened (28g)
- ¾ cup - powdered sugar (104g)
- 1-2 tablespoon - milk, warmed
- - lemon zest (optional)
Instructions
Make the Dough
- Warm up the buttermilk to 100-105℉. Sprinkle in ½ teaspoon of sugar and the yeast and mix well. Let rest for 5-10 minutes until the mixture is foamy and bubbly.
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the sugar and egg. Mix in the melted butter.
- Once yeast mixture is foamy, pour it into the mixing bowl along with the rest of the ingredients. Mix until combined
- Add the flour and salt and knead until a smooth, tacky dough forms. It will stick to your hands when you touch it but when you pull your fingers away, it'll come off clean, wont stay. This will take 10-20 minutes by hand and 4-6 minutes with a stand mixture. But don't use time as a reference. Take a piece of the dough and stretch it out until its thin enough to see light through it without breaking. If it breaks, knead it for a few more minutes until it passes this window pane test.
- Once kneaded, place the dough in an oiled bowl and cover. Let it rest in a warm place until it rises, about double in size. Depending on your climate and temperature, it can take anywhere from an hour to two hours.
Filling
- In a medium bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt.
- Once the dough as risen, punch it down and turn it out onto a floured surface. Roll out the dough into a large rectangle, about ⅜" thick.
- Smear the butter all over the dough using a spatula. It should be a pretty even layer. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar all over the buttered surface and spread evenly with your hands. I like to use a rolling pin to press the sugar into the dough by rolling it in.
- Roll up the dough on the long side, into a long log and pinch the bottom edge to seal it. Using a serrated knife/unflavoured dental floss/sewing thread, cut the log into 12 even pieces.
- Butter or line a 9x13 inch pan and place the rolls in it, evenly spaced. Cover the pan and leave it to rest until the rolls are doubled and touching each other- about 1-½ hours. (Preheat the oven to 345℉ when the rolls are almost done rising)
- Once the rolls have risen, warm up the heavy cream and pour all over evenly. Bake for 25-28 minutes. Take out and let them cool slightly.
Make the Frosting
- While the rolls are baking, make the cream cheese frosting.
- In a medium bowl, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar and beat until combined. Pour in a tablespoon of warm milk and mix together. It should be a slightly thick frosting. If you need some more milk, add some more
- Optional step- I like to add a little bit of lemon zest to brighten up the frosting. Mix thoroughly.
- Smear the frosting evenly all over the warm rolls and serve.
- Place the rolls in an airtight container for a couple days or up to a week in the fridge.
Notes
*1- Buttermilk: I usually don't have buttermilk on hand so my favourite way is to get the same amount of milk, take out 1.5 tablespoon of milk and warm it up to 100℉. Add in 1.5 tablespoon of vinegar and let it sit for a little bit and then mix in the yeast. It'll be lumpy but don't worry, that's what you need.
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