What’s better than a cinnamon roll, warm and fragrant, soft and buttery, sweet and spicy, slathered in silky smooth cream cheese icing?
And, I’m sorry to say this, but what’s worse than a cinnamon roll that’s heavy and dry, or drowned in a frosting that’s chalky and flavorless? I’ve been let down by lots of bakery treats in my time – you know, the ones that look like masterpieces sitting on their doilies in their fancy glass cases, but turn out to be stale or chemical-tasting or too sweet, or just wrong in any number of ways. Cinnamon rolls have the power to hurt more than almost any other, because, just look at them. So tempting, and so often a letdown.
You know where I’m going with this, right? If you love cinnamon rolls, take control and make your own. Follow this recipe and my tips for getting cinnamon rolls just right, and you’ll never have to settle for those pretty-but-really-sorry ones in the bakery cases ever again.
The first thing you will have noticed about these cinnamon rolls is that they’re not baked in a solid block in a rectangular pan. It seems to be traditional to bake cinnamon rolls that way, and I know a 9×13-inch pan is something every baker has on hand, but I don’t use one for these. My issue with cinnamon rolls baked in a block – smushing into each other as they rise so that each roll ends up square and melded with the ones adjacent to it – is that the instant you separate them from each other they begin to dry out and turn stale. Think of a loaf of bread: uncut, it’s sealed tight and protected by its crust and the interior stays soft and fresh. As soon as you cut it, the cut surfaces start to lose moisture and freshness, no matter how carefully you store it.
A cinnamon roll that’s baked in a block essentially has cut surfaces on all sides as soon as it’s separated from its neighbors. Whereas a cinnamon roll baked in its own individual cup will have a tightly sealed crust all the way around, just like that loaf of bread.
So what do I use instead? I have two of these hamburger bun pans from King Arthur Flour. Each pan has six shallow, 4-inch diameter cups that are the perfect size for these rolls (also clutch for Sticky Buns). And – bonus – they’re nonstick, so the rolls will pop right out without sticking, and the bits of gooey cinnamon filling that drip down as they bake will wipe right off with no scrubbing. (I’m not an ambassador for KAF or anything, not earning a commission for saying that, I just love these pans). If you don’t have these pans you can use jumbo muffin tins, individual baking cups such as Pyrex custard cups, or porcelain ramekins, . Or cut the rolls a little smaller and use standard muffin tins. This recipe has a larger yield than most recipes for cinnamon rolls, so if you’re using standard muffin tins you’ll need two; cut the log of dough into 16 slices rather than 12.
OK, so now that we’ve covered the options and recommendations for baking pans, let’s talk about the recipe itself. The dough for these cinnamon rolls is based on the dough my grandmother used for the Sticky Buns that were the stuff of legend in my family for generations. When I took over the sticky bun baking responsibilities I had the temerity to tweak her recipe a bit, making the buns even softer, pudgier, more buttery and decadent than ever. For this recipe for Cinnamon Rolls, I use the same basic dough, but I’ve switched out the sticky caramel and pecan topping for a smooth, thick, cream cheese icing. How thickly it clings to the rolls simply depends on how hot they are when you apply it: when they’re piping hot the icing will melt to a thin glaze, but wait until they’re starting to cool and the icing goes on as a thick and luxurious frosting.
Making cinnamon rolls ahead, and what to do with leftovers:
Pay attention to this part, because it’s important: these rolls are at their very best the day they’re baked – but I completely understand that if you want to enjoy these for breakfast, you’re going to bake them the day before. (Because I don’t get up at 4 a.m. to bake rolls for breakfast, and I don’t expect you do, either.)
On the day they’re baked, you can enjoy the rolls warm (best) or at room temperature (still amazing). After the first day, I highly recommend rewarming the rolls to bring back the buttery softness of day one. But once the rolls are frosted, it’s impossible to wrap them well without smudging the icing, and it’s difficult to reheat them without melting the icing away. Therefore, if you’re not eating the rolls the day they’re baked, ideally you shouldn’t frost them until the day of serving. Here’s what to do:
- If you are going to enjoy these on the day they’re baked, frost them while they’re warm. Apply the icing five minutes after they come out of the oven for a thin glaze, or wait 10 to 15 minutes and the icing will stay thick like a frosting. Eat them warm (for the best experience), or at room temperature later the same day. Don’t wrap them, and do not reheat them after the icing is applied.
- If you’re not going to eat them all the first day, it’s best not to frost the ones you’re not going to eat. To store the leftover rolls, wrap each roll individually in a piece of plastic wrap, then pack multiple rolls in gallon-sized zip-lock bags. Unfrosted rolls will keep for 2 or 3 days at room temperature. Wait until the day of serving to make the icing – or, if you’ve already made the icing to top some of the rolls on the first day, store the remaining icing in a covered container in the fridge.
- On the day of serving, reheat the rolls in the microwave until warm. If you’ve prepared the icing in advance, loosen it if needed by stirring in a small amount of whole milk. Frost the warm rolls and enjoy.
- Unfrosted leftover cinnamon rolls also make fantastic Cinnamon Roll French Toast – make sure to save a few leftover rolls for this, you’ll be glad you did.
- If you want to keep the rolls for longer than a couple of days, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and then in freezer-safe zip-lock bags and freeze (unfrosted) for up to a couple of months.
- And if by chance you do have leftovers of frosted rolls, store them in a single layer in an airtight container. Either eat them at room temperature, or reheat them in the microwave and just be prepared for the icing to get runny. If you’ve kept any leftover icing you can add a little more once they’re warm.
Cinnamon Rolls
If you don’t plan to eat these cinnamon buns on the day they’re baked, it’s best not to add the icing until the day of serving. See the post for more on storing, and how to serve leftovers.
Ingredients
- 1 recipe of dough for Mamie’s Rolls (recipe follows)
- 17 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, preferably European-style, divided
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 cups (8 ounces/226 grams) confectioner’s sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of kosher salt
Directions
- Step 1 Prepare the dough for Mamie’s Rolls.
- Step 2 While the dough rises, make the smear. Put 11 tablespoons of the butter in a medium bowl with the brown sugar and the cinnamon and mash them together with the back of a spoon until the mixture is very smooth. The butter needs to be quite soft for this – the smear should be the consistency of peanut butter. Generously butter twelve large baking cups (such as 10-ounce Pyrex custard cups or ramekins, or two hamburger bun pans with six 4-inch cups each). If you’re using individual cups or ramekins, arrange them on two large baking sheets.
- Step 3 When the dough has finished rising, roll it out with a rolling pin on floured board to a large rectangle, approximately 18×14 inches, with an 18-inch edge closest to you. Use the back of a spoon or an offset spatula to spread the smear over the dough, extending all the way out to the front, left and right sides, but leaving a 1-inch border at the far edge. Starting with the edge closest to you, roll the dough away from you to form a tight log approximately 18 inches long. When you get to the far edge, pinch the 1 inch of bare dough into the side of the roll to seal it. Turn the roll seam side down on the board. Using a serrated bread knife, carefully cut the log into 12 slices. Saw gently across the roll, not pushing down but letting the teeth of the knife do the work. Lay the slices on their sides in the prepared baking cups. Cover the pans or cups with kitchen towels and let the dough rise for 45 to 60 minutes, until the dough is puffy and approximately doubled in size. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 325 degrees, with racks in the upper and lower thirds.
- Step 4 Bake the buns for 22 to 25 minutes or until the tops are light golden brown. Halfway through the baking time, switch the pans from the upper and lower racks, and rotate them back to front so they’ll brown evenly.
- Step 5 While the buns are baking, make the icing. Put the remaining 6 tablespoons of butter and the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed until combined and smooth. Add the vanilla, the confectioner’s sugar and a pinch of salt. Beat slowly at first so the sugar doesn’t fly out, increasing the speed to medium high and beating just until the frosting is fluffy and smooth with no lumps of sugar.
- Step 6 When the buns are done, remove the pans or the individual baking cups to two cooling racks and cool the buns in the pans for 5 minutes. Then use a knife to gently ease the buns out of the cups and directly onto the rack. For a thin glaze, frost the buns while they’re still hot. For a thicker frosting-like consistency to the icing, wait 10 minutes more until the buns are just warm. For a nice combo of the two, put some of the icing on right away and then top with a little more as the buns cool – whatever you like. Enjoy the buns warm or at room temperature.
Mamie's Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
- ½ cup hot water (105 to 120 degrees)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (preferably European-style), at room temperature, plus additional for the bowl and baking sheets
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or 1/2 teaspoon Morton's)
- 5½ to 6 cups (23 3/8 to 25½ ounces, or 660 to 720 grams) all-purpose flour, plus additional
- 2 large eggs
Directions
- Step 1 Scald the milk. (To scald milk, heat it in a small saucepan over medium heat until the surface forms a thin, wrinkled skin and tiny bubbles form along the edges. Do not allow the milk to come to a boil.)
- Step 2 Meanwhile, whisk the yeast and a pinch of the sugar into the hot water. Set this mixture aside while the milk scalds. Once the milk is scalded and the yeast mixture is thick and foamy, proceed.
- Step 3 Put the softened butter and the remainder of the sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Pour in the scalded milk and stir gently with the paddle – start slowly with pulses so the mixture doesn’t splatter – until the butter is melted.
- Step 4 Add the salt and 3 cups of the flour to the mixer. Start on slow speed, then increase the speed as the flour gets incorporated, beating until the mixture is combined. Add the yeast mixture and beat until smooth, then add the eggs and beat until smooth. Add 1 cup of flour. Beat the mixture on medium-high speed until it forms a smooth batter.
- Step 5 Switch to the dough hook and medium-low speed, and add ½ cup of flour and mix until the flour is mostly incorporated. Now start adding the flour more gradually, about 1 or 2 tablespoons at a time, beating constantly with the dough hook on medium-low speed, until the dough comes together in a loose ball that’s just starting to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Run the machine on medium-low speed for 1 minute without adding flour.
- Step 6 To finish, start adding flour again, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl again into a loose, sticky ball.
- Step 7 Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board and knead it briefly by hand. When you’re done, the dough should be very smooth, not loose or greasy, but soft and slightly sticky – this dough will not get springy like a classic bread dough.
- Step 8 Generously grease a large bowl with butter. Put the dough in the bowl, turn it to coat it with butter on all sides, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise for 1 hour. Proceed with the recipe above for Cinnamon Rolls.
