Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Kirsten/ComfortablyDomestic

Yields 24 Cinnamon Rolls

Classic Cinnamon Rolls

Rich and decadent cinnamon rolls with gooey cream cheese icing is like getting a warm hug with every bite.

3 hr, 30 Prep Time

20 minCook Time

3 hr, 50 Total Time

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Ingredients

• For the Dough:
• 1 ½ C. 2% milk
• ½ C. half and half
• ½ C. granulated sugar
• ½ C. canola oil
• Empty hull from one vanilla bean (see filling)
• 4 ½ C. all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• ¼ tsp. baking soda
• 2 ¼ tsp. active dry yeast
• For the Filling:
• 1 C. unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ½ Tbs. ground cinnamon
• ¾ C. granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• For the Icing:
• 2 ½ C. (1 pound, weight) powdered sugar
• 3-5 Tbs. half and half (depending on desired icing texture)
• 3 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• Caviar from one vanilla bean (see dough)

Instructions

1. For the Dough:
2. Before applying heat—pour the milk, half and half, canola oil, and sugar into a Dutch oven, whisking to combine.
3. Slice a vanilla bean open lengthwise. Scrape the interior “caviar” from the vanilla bean and place it in an airtight container for later use in the icing. Take the now empty vanilla bean hull and float it in the milk mixture.
4. Heat the milk mixture over medium heat until it begins to simmer and bubble around the edges, whisking occasionally. (Do not allow the mixture to come to a rapid boil.)
5. Turn off the heat, remove the vanilla bean hull, and allow to cool to lukewarm (warm, but not hot to the touch.)
6. Once mixture has cooled to lukewarm, sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda over top. Sprinkle the yeast over everything, and stir with a wooden spoon until blended. Dough will be very sticky.
7. Cover the Dutch oven with a clean towel, and allow mixture to rise until it doubles in bulk--about 2 hours. After the initial rise, place a lid on the pot, and refrigerate 2 hours or overnight. The dough is quite sticky, and will be easier to work with after being refrigerated. Refrigeration also slows the yeast, still allowing the dough to rise. At this point, I usually take the butter for the filling, and the cream cheese for the icing out of the ‘fridge and set it on the counter so that it is ready to use in the morning. (You do what you are comfortable with.)
8. The next morning, take the dough out of the refrigerator, and allow it to stand at room temperature while you prepare the filling and icing.
9. For the Filling:
10. In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, ground cinnamon, granulated sugar, and salt with an electric mixer until thoroughly blended; set aside to prepare the icing.
11. For the Icing:
12. In a medium bowl, combine the powdered sugar, softened cream cheese, half and half, and melted butter until combined. Add the reserved caviar from the vanilla bean, and continue mixing until the bean flecks are distributed throughout. Add more half and half, as needed, until the icing is thick but still pourable.
13. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set it aside while assembling the cinnamon rolls.
14. To Assemble the Cinnamon Rolls:
15. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
16. Grease two 13x9x2 baking pans with butter or baking spray; set aside. (I normally use about a tablespoon of cold butter to grease both baking dishes. I, however, do not recommend using dark and/or nonstick pans as they cook the outside of the rolls too quickly, darkening/crisping the outsides before the centers are done.)
17. Turn the dough out onto a clean, well floured work surface. Have a bench scraper handy, if you have one. If not, a thin spatula will do.
18. Lightly flour the top of the dough, and roll it evenly into a 24” x 8” rectangle. Dough will be about ¼ inch thick. If at any time the dough sticks to the rolling pin, sprinkle the dough with a little more flour.
19. Use an offset spatula to spread the filling over the dough to within 1/2 inch of the edges.
20. Beginning with the long side farthest from you, tightly roll the dough over the filling towards yourself. Take your time to roll it tight—we don’t want any loosey-goosey cinnamon rolls! If at any point the dough is sticking to the work surface, gently run a thin bench scraper under it to loosen without tearing the dough.
21. Once the dough has been rolled, pinch the edges and seams together.
22. Use a sharp or serrated knife to cut the roll into 1 inch pieces. Place the pieces (cut side up) into the prepared pans, about an inch or so apart. I usually place 3 rolls in row, with 4 rows of rolls per baking dish.
23. Once all the rolls are cut and nestled in their pans, allow them to rest for about 10 minutes.
24. Bake the cinnamon rolls for 16-18 minutes, or until they are lightly golden brown around the edges, and the centers are set, but not very brown.
25. Remove cinnamon rolls from the oven to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
26. After 10 minutes, pour the icing over the cinnamon rolls—you will have more than enough icing to cover 24 rolls. Pouring the icing while the rolls are still warm will allow it to seep into the creases of the rolls. Use an offset spatula to spread the icing to cover every exposed area of the cinnamon rolls.
27. Allow rolls to cool for another 10 minutes, if you desire to serve them warm; or allow the rolls to cool completely before serving.
28. Store leftover cinnamon rolls tightly wrapped at room temperature for up to 2 days.

Notes