6 1/2 - 6 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, as needed to make a nice, soft dough
5tsp.instant yeast, I use quick rise
½cupunsalted butter, very softened
1-2Tbs.cinnamon
1cupdark brown sugar, or substitute 1/2 cup granulated sugar and 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
Creamy Cinnamon Roll Icing
3oz. cream cheese, softened
8Tbs. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
3-4Tbs.milk, as needed
3cups confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
Instructions
Cinnamon Rolls
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Combine milk, water, oil, sugar and salt in microwave safe bowl; heat 1-2 minutes, or until the temperature is to 120 - 130 degrees F. at the center.
While the liquids are heating, measure 3 cups of flour into the bowl of a stand mixer; add yeast, combining it with the flour.
Pour the heated liquids into the flour/yeast mixture. Using the whisk attachment, beat at medium speed for 30 seconds, then add the egg and beat one more minute.
Switch to the dough hook and add 3 cups of flour, kneading the dough until the flour is fully incorporated. At this point, the dough is likely to still be pretty sticky; add the remaining 1/2 cup of flour, a little at a time, only adding as much as needed, until the dough is soft and pliable, slightly tacky to the touch and no longer sticking to the sides of the bowl. Typically, when the dough has reached the perfect consistency (slightly tacky and still soft and tender), it will come all together on one side of your mixing bowl. As soon as this happens, STOP KNEADING! At this point, if you have time, which I usually don't, place the dough into a large greased mixing bowl and cover with a lightweight towel; let the dough raise until double in size, approx. 40-45 minutes. This extra first raise will make your cinnamon rolls extra tender. If you don't have time for this step, just proceed to the next step.
Remove the dough to a lightly floured work surface, allowing it to rest for 5 minutes. Punch the dough down, then allow it to rest for another 5 minutes.
Using your favorite rolling pin, roll the dough into a large rectangle, approx. 22"wide x 18" tall in size. If you begin rolling out the dough into the rectangle and the dough keeps pulling back each time, let the dough rest for an additional 5 minutes. Once the dough has fully relaxed, it will roll out easily. As you roll out the dough, make sure you roll from the center towards the edges so that the center of the dough isn't thicker than the rest. Also, try to be sure to roll out the dough into a RECTANGULAR sheet, not an oval sheet. These two steps really help you wind up with cinnamon rolls that are all uniform in size.
Spread the softened butter over the surface of dough; sprinkle the dough evenly with cinnamon first, and then the brown sugar. Using your palms, lightly press down over the brown sugar to kind of "adhere" it into the dough a bit.
Roll up the dough starting from the long edge closest to you, gently tucking and rolling the dough and the filling as you go.
Using a sharp serrated knife or a piece of dental floss, cut the log of dough evenly in half. Now place both halves horizontally before you on the work surface, one above the other on the counter, but not touching. Please see the photos below this recipe card to better see what I'm referring to here so you can understand this better - it's kind of confusing to just write it out without showing.
Make incisions on top of each log of dough at the same time, marking where you want to slice so that both logs of dough can be cut into equal pieces. Slice each one at the incisions you made on top of the rolls of dough, then place the cinnamon rolls onto a greased, rimmed baking sheet, 13" x 18" in size. You can slice 12 large cinnamon rolls from the dough, 16 medium cinnamon rolls, or 20 small cinnamon rolls.
Let the rolls raise in a warm, draft-free place for 15-20 minutes. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F. oven for approx. 14-15 minutes (20 small rolls) 16-18 minutes (16 rolls) 19-20 minutes (12 large rolls) or until lightly golden brown, taking care not to over bake. Let the cinnamon rolls cool slightly, 10-15 minutes, then frost with the cream cheese icing.
Creamy Cinnamon Roll Icing
Using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl until creamy. Beat in the vanilla and milk, then gradually mix in the confectioners' sugar and salt until the icing is smooth and fluffy. Spread over the cinnamon rolls while they are still slightly warm. Serve at once!
Notes
**Be sure to check the blog post for tips and tricks, specific instructions, recommended tools, and FAQ’s for making this recipe.My Top Tips for Making Homemade Cinnamon Rolls
Yep, a couple of things, actually. First, be careful you don’t add too much flour. The cinnamon roll dough should be pretty tacky to the touch when you get ready to pull the dough out of the mixing bowl.
TACKY to the touch is ok, but not STICKY. If your dough is sticky, you DO need more flour added, but only as needed, a little at a time. Also, if you have time, letting the dough raise BEFORE you make the cinnamon rolls makes the dough even more light and tender, but I rarely do this extra raise.
To also keep your dough light and tender, don’t over work the dough as this can make it tough, and be sure you don’t over bake the cinnamon rolls, as well.
How to freeze cinnamon rolls to raise and bake later
1. Double the amount of yeast this recipe calls for then proceed just as directed, cutting the dough into 16 cinnamon rolls.2. Place 5-6 rolls into a greased 10x12-inch aluminum pan (I use disposable pans since I give away a lot of cinnamon rolls), leaving enough room around each roll so they can freeze and raise. 3. Freeze the cinnamon rolls until ready to use, then place the pan into the fridge the night before you want to bake them (or 8-10 hours of fridge time). About an hour before you want to bake them, remove the rolls from the fridge and uncover on the counter, letting the rolls raise. 4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the cinnamon roll pan onto a baking sheet (doubling up like this helps the rolls to brown better on the bottom); bake for 15-18 minutes or until golden brown and done at the center. Let the cinnamon rolls cool for 15-20 minutes, then frost as directed in the recipe.