Old Fashioned Cinnamon Rolls

Nothing is better than waking up to the smell of fresh cinnamon rolls baking in the oven, all that aroma of cinnamon lingering through the house. A while back I found a recipe at How To Cook Like Your Grandmother for homemade cinnamon rolls. A couple weeks back I got an itch to make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls. They can be a lot of work, but in the end they are so worth it. 

What I loved about this recipes is that you could prepare the cinnamon roll dough the night before, and and place it in the refrigerator. In the morning just slice, rise and bake. This was such a huge time saver. I still does take a bit of time to slice the rolls and allow them to do a second rising, but most of the hard work is done the night before. Really it's just a waiting game in the morning. 

Trust me it is so worth the wait these cinnamon rolls were out of this world good all that vanilla glaze dripping off those warm rolls. This was the first time I have used brown sugar in the filling and to me it really made the difference. Don't you have someone special you want to bake these wonderful cinnamon rolls for?

In a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat, bring the milk nearly to a boil. When a film starts to form on the top, turn off the heat and skim it off with a spoon. Add the sugar, salt, and the first half-stick of butter and stir until the sugar and butter are both melted. Set the milk/butter mixture aside to cool to room temperature.

In a separate bowl, combine the yeast and warm water and stir quickly.


Stir in the egg.

Add the milk/butter mixture. (Make sure it's cooled down to room temperature or you'll kill the yeast.)


Add the flour and stir until the flour is all incorporated and the dough comes together in a soft, loose ball.


Add a couple of tablespoons of oil, I used extra virgin olive to a clean bowl. Roll the dough around until it is oiled all over,


then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a wet dish towel. This will keep the dough from drying out and forming a skin, which would keep it from rising. Put the bowl someplace warm, not hot -- inside the stove, turned off but with the light turned on is about perfect.


until the dough has doubled in volume, about an hour-and-a-half.


Once the dough has risen, punch it down to deflate it. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for a few minutes, until the dough is smooth and satiny.

Roll the dough out into a rectangle about an eighth-inch thick. Soften the butter, but don't melt it. Spread it evenly onto the dough.

Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread the cinnamon evenly over the dough and roll it up.

I start rolling from one side and then fold over as I go until I have the first part rolled up. Then I take the whole thing and start rolling and rolling. Thank you Carson for helping mommy take pictures.


all rolled up and ready to cut. At this point I did the night preparation.

So, wrap the roll in plastic wrap, to keep it from drying out


then in aluminum foil, to help keep the shape. Put the wrapped roll in the fridge overnight. The next morning, the cold dough will be firmer and much easier to cut. In the morning remove the dough from the fridge don't be surprised if the roll has risen just a bit. Some of the dough might of popped through the plastic wrap but that is ok. Just unroll and proceed to cutting.

I start by making even cuts across the dough where i want to cut the cinnamon rolls.

cut into rolls using a knife, fishing line or dental floss then oil a baking sheet and arrange the rolls with room in between. Place the baking sheet in the oven -- turned off but with the light on again

until the dough warms up and the rolls double in size.
(See Doubled in Size in ready to bake)

Turn the oven to 00 degrees and bake for 10-15 minutes, until they are golden brown on top.

Arrange the rolls on your serving dish, and prepare the glaze.

Pour it over the rolls.

Serve!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh so yummy!



Old Fashioned Cinnamon Rolls

1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup sugar
2 teaspoons yeast (one package)
1/4 cup warm water (105°-115°)
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
3-1/2 cups bread flour

Filling:
1/4 cup butter
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
(optional) raisins

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Start by scalding the milk. Scalding breaks down a protein in the whey that can keep the dough from rising as much. In a heavy-bottomed pan over medium heat, bring the milk nearly to a boil. When a film starts to form on the top, turn off the heat and skim it off with a spoon.

Add the sugar, salt, and the first half-stick of butter and stir until the sugar and butter are both melted. Set the milk/butter mixture aside to cool to room temperature. In a separate bowl, combine the yeast and warm water and stir quickly.

Stir in the egg. When the milk/butter mixture is completely cool add the yeast, egg mixture.  If you don't cool the milk down it will kill the yeast if you add it too soon. Add the flour and stir until the flour is all incorporated and the dough comes together in a soft, loose ball. Add a couple of tablespoons of oil (I always use extra virgin olive) to a clean bowl.

Roll the dough around until it is oiled all over, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a wet dish towel. This will keep the dough from drying out and forming a skin, which would keep it from rising.

Put the bowl someplace warm, not hot -- inside the stove, turned off but with the light turned on is about perfect -- until the dough has doubled in volume, about an hour-and-a-half. Once the dough has risen, punch it down to deflate it.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead for a few minutes, until the dough is smooth and satiny. Roll the dough out into a rectangle about an eighth-inch thick. Soften the butter, but don't melt it. Spread it evenly onto the dough.

Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread the cinnamon mixture evenly over the dough and roll it up. cut into rolls and oil a baking sheet and arrange the rolls with room in between.

Place the baking sheet in the oven -- turned off but with the light on again -- until the dough warms up and the rolls double in size. Then turn the oven temperature to 400° and bake for 10-15 minutes, until they are golden brown on top. Arrange the rolls on your serving dish, and prepare the glaze. Pour it over the rolls.

Night Before Assembly:

Wrap the roll in plastic wrap, to keep it from drying out, and then aluminum foil, to help keep the shape. Put the wrapped roll in the fridge overnight. The next morning, the cold dough will be firmer and much easier to cut. Use a knife, fishing line or dental floss, once they're all cut, oil a baking sheet and arrange the rolls with room in between.

Place the baking sheet in the oven -- turned off but with the light on again -- until the dough warms up and the rolls double in size. (This could take 2-3 hours so plan accordingly) Then bake at 400° for 10-15 minutes, until they are golden brown on top. Arrange the rolls on your serving dish, and prepare the glaze. Pour it over the rolls.