Few things hit the spot quite like cinnamon rolls on a winter weekend morning. The Culinary Institute of America gets it, which is why it’s sharing a recipe that comes together quickly and is sure to please everyone at the breakfast table. A word of warning: These are so delectable that it’s nearly impossible to stop at just one.
Cinnamon Rolls
Course: Breakfast, DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium12
rolls30
minutes30
minutes5
hoursThis recipe for cinnamon rolls is courtesy of the Culinary Institute of America.
Ingredients
½ cup sugar, divided
1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast
¾ cup milk warmed to 110°F
2 ½ cups bread flour
¼ cup butter, softened
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp salt
Egg wash of 1 egg whisked with 1 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp butter, melted
- Vanilla Glaze
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
2 Tbsp milk, plus more as needed
Directions
- To make cinnamon sugar, combine ¼ cup sugar with the cinnamon and set aside.
- Combine the yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer and stir until completely dissolved. Let yeast proof until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add the flour, the remaining ¼ cup sugar, ¼ cup butter, eggs, and salt to the yeast mixture.
- Mix the ingredients together on low speed using the dough hook just until dough begins to come together, it will look rather rough, about 2 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high and mix until the dough is smooth, another 5 minutes.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, knead once or twice and gather it into a smooth ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let the dough rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours. Fold the dough gently over on itself in three or four places. Cover once more and let dough rise a second time until doubled, about 1 hour.
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or spray them lightly with cooking spray.
- Dust the work surface and rolling pin lightly with flour. Roll the dough into a 10-x-20-inch rectangle that is about ¼-inch thick. Lightly brush a 1-inch-wide strip of egg wash along one long side of the dough. Brush the rest of the rectangle with the melted butter and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the butter. Roll the dough up to form a log, starting with the edge opposite the egg washed strip. Pinch the dough together to seal the seam. Slice dough into 20 even pieces. Arrange the rolls in even rows on the prepared baking sheets. Brush them with some of the remaining egg wash.
- Cover the rolls and let them rise in a warm place until they nearly double in size and spring back slowly to the touch without collapsing, about 1 hour.
- In a small bowl, mix together the confectioners’ sugar and the vanilla. Stir in the milk. If necessary, add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until glaze is smooth and fluid.
- Bake rolls until golden brown, about 25–30 minutes. While the rolls are still warm, drizzle the vanilla glaze over the buns. Cool before serving.
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