6tablespoons(85 g) unsalted butter,, melted and warm
1 ½teaspoonssalt
4to 4 ½ cups (500 g to 560 g) all purpose flour
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Filling
¾cup(150 g) packed light brown sugar
3tablespoonsground cinnamon
Pinchof salt
2tablespoonsunsalted butter, melted
Cream Cheese Icing
1cup(225 g) cream cheese, room temperature
1cup(120 g) confectioners’ sugar
2tablespoonsmilk
1teaspoonpure vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the dough
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, combine water, yeast, sugar, egg and egg yolks. Mix on low speed until incorporated.
With the mixer running, add the milk and butter followed by 2 cups of flour and salt. Increase speed to medium and mix for 1 minute until well combined. Switch to the dough hook. Add 2 more cups of flour and allow the dough hook to knead on medium speed for 10 minutes (you can also do this step by hand, but it will be quick the arm workout). The dough will start to pull away from the sides of the bowl and it will be slightly sticky. If after 8 minutes the dough is too sticky and sticking to the bottom and sides of the bowl, add more flour (I ended up using 2 additional tablespoons as I made these on a humid day).
Transfer dough onto a lightly floured surface and shape into a ball. Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise in a warm, draft-free spot for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until doubled in size.
Once the dough has risen, gently punch it down and transfer it to a floured surface. Use a rolling pin to shape the dough into a 16-inch by 12-inch rectangle.
Whisk the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt together in a bowl. Brush 2 tablespoons melted butter evenly across the dough rectangle. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch clear at the far, long side of the rectangle.
Roll the dough beginning with the long edge closest to you. Use your fingertips to pinch the dough as you roll. Dap the top 1/2-inch with water to seal the roll. Press on the ends of the cylinder if necessary to make a uniform roll.
Grease a 9-inch by 13-inch baking pan (or two 9-inch round cake pans) with butter. Use dental floss (or a sharp knife) to cut the roll in half and then into quarters. Cut each quarter into 3 equal pieces (you will have 12 rolls total about 1 ½ inches thick). Place rolls in prepared pan. Cover it with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and allow rolls to rise until doubled in size (about 1 to 1 ½ hours).
Cream Cheese Icing
While the rolls rise, prepare the icing. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese until light, fluffy and no clumps remain (about 2-3 minutes). Add confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla. Mix again until combined, about 1 minute. Store icing in the refrigerator while you bake the cinnamon rolls.
Bake the Rolls
Preheat oven to 350° F and adjust an oven rack to the middle position. Remove plastic wrap from the cinnamon roll dish. Bake cinnamon rolls for 25 to 30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown. Remove rolls from pan and let them cool slightly on a wire cooling rack (about 10 minutes). Use a knife to spread icing on top of cinnamon rolls and serve.
Notes
Yeast: If using dry active yeast, follow these steps: Whisk together warm water and dry active yeast. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes (it should foam up otherwise the yeast is dead). Add sugar, egg and egg yolks and mix on low speed. Follow remaining instructions.Overnight instructions: After rolling and cutting the cinnamon rolls, cover the baking pan with aluminum foil and store in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning remove the rolls from the refrigerator and allow to rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours (until rolls have visibly risen). Bake according to recipe.Storing cinnamon rolls: Store baked cinnamon rolls (without icing) in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days. Reheat rolls in the microwave or toaster oven then add icing before serving.Reheating cinnamon rolls: Preheat oven to 325 F. Reheat cinnamon rolls (without icing) in the oven for 10 minutes or until heated through.Freezing cinnamon rolls: After rolling the dough into a log, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to a month. Defrost in the refrigerator before bringing to room temperature and proceeding with the recipe.High altitude adjustments (Denver, CO; altitude 5,280 ft): Flour is drier at high altitude. Start with 3 1/2 cups flour and if necessary, add more flour one Tablespoon at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Rising times will be quicker (about 1 hour for the first rise and 45 minutes for the second rise).Suggested tools: