Cinnamon bread rolls are delectable treats that you can eat during coffee breaks, at parties and on other special occasions. You can tear off pieces to share with with family and friends or savor a whole roll just for yourself. #youdoyou
The good thing about making a cinnamon bread roll recipe is that the dough can be filled, shaped, mixed and frozen. You can make more and just thaw these before serving. These can be prepared in just a few minutes, perfect for breakfast, dessert, or quick snack.
Cinnamon Bread Roll Ingredients
- 1 cup of warm milk (heated about 1 minute in microwave)
- 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup of warm water about 110 degrees F
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 cup of butter
- 2 beaten eggs
- 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
- 5 cups of bread flour
- 3 teaspoons of active dry yeast
For Filling:
- 2/3 cup dark (or light) brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup butter, softened
For the Icing:
- 3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 1/3 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Cinnamon Bread Roll Instructions
Step 1: Using a stand mixer, mix together milk and active dry yeast. Once you see bubbles forming, you’re ready to add more ingredients. Add in sugar, egg, and room temperature melted butter, cinnamon and mix those well.
Step 2: Using a dough hook, slowly mix in flour and salt, adding it 1 cup at a time until you form a soft dough. Turn the dough onto a lightly oiled surface (we like to use non-stick cooking spray). Knead the dough until it becomes elastic for about 10 minutes. Place your dough in a bowl and cover using plastic wrap then allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Step 3: Check the dough. Make sure that it forms a solid but elastic ball. If the dough is too moist, you may add more flour, one tablespoon at a time. If the dough is gnarly and dry, you may add warm water, one tablespoon at a time. You can also stick your finger into the dough and if it feels tacky, it’s ready.
Step 4: It’s forming time! Remove your dough and place on a flat surface. Roll it out into a rough 14″x9″ rectangular shape. Spread softened butter over the surface of dough.
Step 5: In a medium bowl, mix together butter and cinnamon. Then, sprinkle and spread the mixture over the buttered side of the dough.
Step 6: It’s rolling time! Start with the long edge of the dough, roll it up into a log. Pinch the seams to seal. Rolling to log very tightly will cause the cinnamon rolls with the centers popping up higher than the rest as these bake.
Step 7: Using a knife, lightly mark the roll into 1 1/2 inch sections. Use a sharp knife or slide a 12-inch piece of heavy thread or dental floss below. Bring the ends of the floss up and criss-cross these over every mark. You can cut right through the roll by pulling the strings in opposite directions. Place the cut side up in a ready cookie sheet lined with parchment, then flatten slightly. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 40min or until they have doubled in size. After the rolls rise, these should be touching each other as well as the sides of the pan.
Baking Tip: The unbaked cinnamon rolls must not touch each other before these rise and bake. Do not pack the cinnamon bread rolls together.
Step 8: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F for regular oven or 325 degrees F for convection oven.
Step 9: Bake inside a regular oven for about 20 to 25 minutes (15 to 20 minutes for convection ovens) until you see a light golden brown color.
Step 10: Once baked, remove the cinnamon rolls out of the oven and allow to cool slightly.
Step 11: To make the icing, combine icing ingredients with a whisk until smooth.
Step 12: Once slightly cooled, spread the icing onto the rolls (and other condiments like crushed nuts if you want to texture it up). Feel free to add condiments as you like. Cinnamon filling and butter frosting can also be added at room temperature.
Cinnamon bread rolls are very easy and fun to make. You can use different tools and equipment to prepare the ingredients. You can also add the different flavors and spices to give it more uniqueness and creativity. You will find that there are several variations that you can develop over time. You can also practice making your own recipes of butter frosting and cinnamon fillings. Here are some more tips for the experts.
How to Store or Freeze Cinnamon rolls
You can now cover the cinnamon rolls in plastic wrap then refrigerate it overnight. You can also leave it frozen for a month. Before you bake, let the rolls thaw completely, then rise in a warm place if frozen. You may need to take out the unbaked rolls out of the freezer 10 to 12 hours before baking. Place the frozen cinnamon rolls on the counter overnight to prepare.
If you are using refrigerated rolls, you can let these bake once you take them out of the refrigerator or let them go down to room temperature. The rolls may slowly rise overnight. You do not need to let the rolls come to room temperature before you bake. If the rolls are not rising high enough after refrigeration, the yeast must be tested. Let these rise while being left on the counter, until you reach the ideal height.