Cinnamon Rolls
Warm cinnamon rolls are available at every airport, every mall, and many fast-food outlets. So why make your own? Because YOU control what's in them, using your own butter, sugar, flour, cinnamon, and other natural (not chemical-laden) ingredients. And besides, there's nothing like pulling warm rolls right out of your own oven!
Our guarantee: These buns will be soft right out of the oven, and will firm up as they cool. Moderately scented with cinnamon, they'll rise to about 2" high.
Dough
- 1 packet "highly active" active dry yeast; or 2 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast; or 2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 7/8 to 1 1/8 cups lukewarm water*
- 3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 cup nonfat dry milk
- 1/2 cup instant mashed potato flakes
- *Use the lesser amount in summer (or in a humid environment), the greater amount in winter (or in a dry climate), and somewhere in between the rest of the year, or if your house is climate controlled.
Cinnamon Filling
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons milk, to brush on dough
Vanilla Glaze
- 1 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 to 5 tablespoons heavy cream or 2 to 3 tablespoons milk, enough to make a soft, spreadable icing
Directions
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1) First, make the dough. If you're using active dry yeast, dissolve it with a pinch of sugar in 2 tablespoons in the lukewarm water. Let the yeast and water sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, until the mixture has bubbled and expanded. If you're using instant yeast, you can skip this step. |
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3) Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl. Cover the bowl, and allow the dough to rise, at room temperature, till it's nearly doubled in bulk, about 1 to 2 hours. Rising may take longer, especially if you've kneaded by hand. Give it enough time to become quite puffy. |
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4) While the dough is rising, lightly grease two 9" round cake pans. |
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5) Transfer the risen dough to a lightly greased work surface, and pat or roll it into a 16" x 12" rectangle. It’s a nice, soft dough, and pats out easily. |
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6) To make the filling, whisk together the sugar, cinnamon, and flour. |
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7) Brush the dough lightly with milk. |
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8) Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough, covering the entire surface. |
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10) Using a serrated knife, slice the log into 16 slices. In order to cut down on drag, it helps to rinse the blade in hot water, and wipe it off, between slices. |
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13) While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 375°F. |
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14) Bake the rolls till they're brown around the edges and beginning to turn golden brown across the center, about 20 minutes. |
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15) If you're going to serve the rolls immediately, make the icing while the rolls are baking. Combine the sugar, vanilla, and enough cream or milk to make a spreadable icing. If you're not serving the rolls immediately, don't make the icing yet. |
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17) To serve the rolls later, allow them to cool completely, then wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Fifteen minutes before you're ready to serve, preheat the oven to 350°F. Unwrap the rolls, place them on an ungreased baking sheet, and tent lightly with aluminum foil. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, until they're nicely warmed. |
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18) While the rolls are reheating, make the icing. |
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19) Remove the rolls from the oven, and spread with the icing. Serve immediately. |
Recipe summary
- Hands-on time:
- 25 mins.
- Baking time:
- 20 mins.
- Total time:
- 3 hrs 45 mins.
- Yield:
- 16 cinnamon rolls
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- Recipe comments (30) »
Tips from our bakers
- Why do you brush the dough with milk before spreading on the cinnamon-sugar? The protein in the milk acts like glue as the rolls bake, keeping the filling from oozing out.
- When making anything with yeast, including these rolls, let the dough rise to the point the recipe says it should, e.g., "Let the dough rise till it's doubled in bulk." Rising times are only a guide; there are so many variables in yeast baking (how you knead the dough; what kind of yeast you use) that it's impossible to say that bread dough will ALWAYS double in bulk in a specific amount of time.
| Nutrition Facts | |
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Serving Size 1 roll (64g)
Servings Per Batch 16 |
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| Amount Per Serving | |
| Calories 200 | Calories from Fat 50 |
| Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat | 6g |
| Saturated Fat | 3.5g |
| Trans Fat | 0g |
| Cholesterol | 15mg |
| Sodium | 190mg |
| Total Carbohydrate | 34g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1g |
| Sugars | 16g |
| Protein | 4g |
| * The nutrition information provided for each recipe is determined by the ESHA Genesis R&D software program. Substituting any ingredients may change the posted nutrition information. | |
Reviews
01/28/2010
I love this recipe! I have made it countless times over the last year and each time the rolls come out great! I want to make these for our local Farmer's Market and was wondering how to adjust the recipe to get bigger rolls. If I made eight rolls instead of 16, how should I adjust the cooking time?
Bake the larger rolls until the center roll is 190 degrees. If the edges are browning too quickly cover with tin foil. Molly @ KAF
01/23/2010
I recommend this recipe for the bread part. While they were certainly easy to make and were very light and fluffy, there was definitely NOT enough cinnamon/sugar in the recipe and I even added 50% to the original. I am making another batch today and will use a lot more cinnamon/sugar.
01/22/2010
This is a very good and easy recipe. I have made these twice and both times they have turned out very well. However, I cannot seem to get the dough to rise. It certainly does not double and I let it sit at room temperature for 3 1/2 hours. Any suggestions other than letting it sit overnight? I used 1 1/8 cup of warm water.
There are several possibilities for solutions here! Specficially, we'd love to chat with you about yeast, flour and other yeast bread techniques. Call our Baker's Hotline directly at 802-649-3717 to speak with a baker - we're here to help! Irene @ KAF
01/17/2010
This is a great, basic recipe for small cinnamon rolls that turn out delicious. I have a very small household (2 people), and I like that this recipe yields 16 rolls, because I can put one pan in the freezer for later. I didn't make the rolls right away; after putting the cut rolls in the greased pan, I covered them with plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning I took them out about an hour and a half before baking, and they turned out very well.
01/08/2010
As a baker, this recipe is SO easy and so wonderful to make! I love this! I make it often for my family and co-workers. Sometimes I use cream cheese icing, sometimes I use a whipped buttercream!
01/01/2010
I used white wheat flour instead and I couldn't taste the difference at all! It turned out superb. I made the dough in my KitchenAid stand mixer and the consistency of the dough was awesome. The only other thing I did was used white icing from the supermarket instead of making my own as I didn't have the ingredients. I warmed it up and then drizzled it across the rolls and it turned out great. I will definitely try out the icing recipe here next time. The bread is so moist and it tastes just like you get at the mall but sooooo much healthier - especially when using the white wheat flour.
12/25/2009
Yeast and I often do not get along, but I thought I'd give this recipe a try for Christmas morning breakfast, based on the ratings. Wow, were they good! I'm so encouraged that I'm breaking out the KitchenAid to try some KAF rolls for Christmas dinner! Thanks for a GREAT cinnamon roll recipe. The dough seemed a little sticky, and I was a little worried, but they came out fine in the end. I will certainly make them again and maybe try slightly less sugar and half white whole wheat flour next time.
12/23/2009
I made these for a recent Chanuka party--and they were a HUGE hit. Everyone wanted the recipe--and no one believed that there were potato flakes in it! I substituted Rice Dream for the milk (for the nonfat dry milk too-just reduce water by 1/4 cup). I froze them, and before reheating them sprayed them w/water and sprinkled on more cinnamon and sugar, and then iced them when hot. Even w/a double recipe, they all dissappeared.
12/04/2009
I have made a lot of breads, and most I would not recommend for children. This recipe, however, was so simple that even my children can make it! The dough has a very tender, pliable texture, which makes mixing (wooden spoon) and kneading (by hand) a pleasure. I especially appreciated the note regarding water content and how much to add - being in the mountains in negative temperatures, this was perfect! Rising and baking all went according to the recipe without a glitch. Rolling on an oiled surface has always been my preference, and in this recipe it worked like a charm. End result (I added orange extract to the icing) was a double batch of delectable cinnamon rolls that were enjoyed by all!
12/01/2009
This is the best cinnamon roll I have ever tasted. I made the dough in my Zo bread machine and it was easy and so good. Everyone who ate them loved them, I wish I would have made more!
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