Cinnamon rolls

Cinnamon rolls

Fresh homemade cinnamon rolls - bake right away or freeze until you’re ready, with cream cheese frosting

Ingredients

Dough

  • 1.25 cups whole milk, at room temperature
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut up and at room temperature
  • 2.5 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups white whole wheat flour
  • 1.75 teaspoons salt
  • 0.5 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 tablespoon active dry yeast

Filling

  • 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup brown sugar, packed
  • 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground cloves

Icing (cream cheese)

  • 6 tablespoons (generous third cup) cream cheese, softened
  • 0.25 cup unsalted butter, softened
  • 1.5 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing (traditional)

  • 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2-3 tablespoons of buttermilk or toasted cream

Instructions

  1. Mix together and knead all of the dough ingredients — by hand, mixer, or bread machine — to make smooth, soft dough.
  2. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn to grease all sides, cover the bowl, and let the dough rise in a warm space in the kitchen for around 2 hours, or until it’s nearly doubled in bulk.
  3. Gently deflate the dough, and transfer it to a lightly floured work surface. Roll the dough into a 16” x 21” rectangle.
  4. Spread the dough with the 1/3 cup butter. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon, and sprinkle it evenly over the dough.
  5. Starting with a short end, roll the dough into a log and cut it into generous 1-inch slices.
  6. Place the buns in a lightly greased 9” x 13” pan. Cover the pan and let the buns rise in a warm part of the kitchen until they’re nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.
  7. While the buns are rising, preheat the oven to 400°F.
  8. Uncover the buns, and bake them until they’re golden brown, about 15 minutes. While the buns are baking, make the icing.
  9. In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter, sugar, and vanilla. Or for the traditional icing, mix together with a whisk until smooth.
  10. Remove buns from oven and frost while warm.

Notes

  • Yields about 12-ish large buns.
  • Keeps for a day or two after baking and frosting.
  • To freeze, place individual buns in a greased muffin pan.  After completely frozen, transfer to a plastic bag. They keep for about a few months. Don’t freeze the frosting.
  • To bake from frozen, bake at 350°F for 25 minutes in a muffin tray.
  • Adapted from King Arthur Baking for what’s working at about 6000’ elevation.
  • To make a single giant cinnamon roll, grease a large dutch oven or braiser. Cut the dough before rolling it, then roll each strip into a giant cinnamon roll inside the dish. Allow the dough to rise again in the dish with the lid on, about an hour. Bake uncovered at 350°F for 30-35 minutes.