Cinnamon Rolls
Homemade cinnamon rolls are the perfect lazy Sunday morning breakfast treat.
Servings 18 rolls
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 2 packages active dry yeast or 4 teaspoons instant yeast
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs large
- 1/2 cup butter
- 4 1/2 to 5 cups all purpose flour
Filling
- 1/4 cup butter melted
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
Instructions
- In a large, microwave safe bowl, microwave the butter and milk until butter is melted. Add water and eggs to the mixture and stir. Feel the bowl, if it is only lukewarm, add the yeast. If the bowl feels hot to the touch, allow to cool for a few minutes before adding the yeast. Stir in the rest of ingredients in, taking care to use the flour sparingly. Knead for a few minutes and allow to rise until doubled.
- Once the first proof is over, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for a few minutes and then roll dough out into a rectangle.
- Melt some 1/4 cup butter. Brush melted butter onto the dough.
- Sprinkle the buttered dough generously with the cinnamon/sugar mixture. I use a mixture that is a little heavier on the sugar than cinnamon.
- Roll the dough up and slice into rolls of desired thickness. Honestly, these rolls are best a bit on the thin side. I have tried making them fat, but the ratio of dough to filling was not as tasty.
- Place the rolls on a 9x13" cake pan or 2 9x9" cake pans. Above I used a square cake pan, which makes the rolls nice an soft. My mother always used a cookie sheet, which is very good, but makes for crustier outsides.
- Allow rolls to rise for about an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the rolls for 25 minutes or so.
- Ice as desired. My mother’s icing was just a simple combination of powdered sugar, milk, and a teaspoon of vanilla. Use as much milk as you would like to make the icing as thin as you like.