Cinnamon Rolls—Easy To Create and Enjoy!

Cinnamon rolls have a reputation of possibly being finicky and hard to make. I honestly believe this is false!! I find cinnamon rolls simple and delightful to make, and even better to enjoy.

First, find a recipe that you want to try. My favorite recipe is a take on an old Amish style one, basic, no frills, and makes a lot to feed a large family or share with others. I don’t do a lot of worrying about exact measurements, rise times, and so on. As you’ll learn, there’s many variables with each batch that isn’t necessarily mentioned in a recipe, but makes a difference each batch.

My first step is sourcing flour. I don’t worry about the kind of flour. Any kind of white flour works for the purpose. If you want to experiment with various flours, go for it! You will have possibly different textures and rising times, but have fun with it! I personally use plain AP flour from where ever is the best price. We don’t have the big membership box stores, so whatever is at the local grocery store or the bulk Amish/Mennonite store works just fine. Make sure you have plenty of whatever flour or flour blend you prefer.

Yeast is an essential here. I buy my yeast in bulk, and this I store in the freezer. This keeps the yeast fresh. I bring out some yeast that I plan on using and let it warm up a bit on the counter top. I use Red Star but am also known to buy bulk yeast of other brands. It all works for the same purpose, so I’m not picky.

Angie’s Cinnamon Roll Recipe:

1 1/2 Cups milk/buttermilk/water

1/4 Cup honey or molasses

Pinch of salt

1/4 C. shortening or oil of choice

2/3 Cup Warm Water

3-4 Tablespoons Yeast of choice (3-4 envelopes if using those)

6-8 Cups Flour of Choice

1/2 Cup Butter

2 Cups Brown Sugar

1 Cup Sugar

1/4 Cup Cinnamon

In a small bowl, pour in warm water (I use tap water warmed to as hot as my tap goes), yeast, and honey, stir this a little with a fork or spoon and put aside. Do keep an eye on it.

In a saucepan, warm the milk, salt, shortening, do not boil. Stir and dissolve until shortening is liquified. If using oil do the same just to warm it up and combine with the milk. Turn off the heat and let sit a few minutes to cool, then add in the bowl of yeast/water, honey and stir together until well combined.

Pour the liquid mixture into a sturdy mixing bowl, then stir in 3 to 4 cups of flour to start. If using a stand mixer, beat until elastic. If kneading by hand, combine well. Add in 2 to 3 more cups of flour, (if the dough is too dry add a teaspoon of water at a time until dough is no longer dry) until a good ball is formed, and then pour out onto a floured dough board or clean floured countertop. Knead lightly, approximately 5 minutes, and place in a greased bowl, grease the top of the dough, and cover with a bit of plastic wrap or a tea towel. Let double in bulk.

Turn out back onto the dough board or counter top, cut a section of the dough and roll out into an approximate 9x13 rectangle.

Melt butter, brush over the rectangle. Combine sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon together in a bowl, and springle over rectangle. Roll the rectangle tightly, cut into approximately 1/2 inch slices. Place in greased pan and let rise until doubled. Do this until all dough has been used. If desired, pour a small amount of milk or heavy cream over rolls during this second rise, and continue as usual.

Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes.

I do not worry about rise times. So much can change from batch to batch that can change how long it takes to get a rise on either rise times. Humidity in the kitchen, temperature in the kitchen, barometric pressure, etc are just a few of the variables. If it takes a little longer to rise, just go with the flow. Work on your clean up or another batch or whatever you choose to pursue.

A tip I do occasionally, especially in winter, is to boil water on the stove top and create humidity in the kitchen. I also place a pan of water in the oven to achieve the same and encourage a taller, poofy roll.

For my sale rolls, I use parchment paper in the bottom of the pans when adding the individual rolls to rise the last time. I find this is nicer, has less caramelizing and burning on the bottom, I buy these in bulk off Amazon, but a roll from your local store works just as nicely.

I’ve discovered that pouring milk or heavy cream over the rolls after placing in the pans makes a beautifully fluffy roll. The hydration makes a difference, and is well worth the try. I’ve come to prefer this route, but also enjoy the traditional way as well. You choose what you enjoy the most and run with it!

Icings for these are super simple. I use a bag of powdered sugar, a tablespoon of vanilla, and a drizzle of water or milk, just enough to make a glaze to spoon over the rolls. When done warm, this melts right in to the rolls. I melt all this together in a pot, with a stick blender, but you can achieve this in any number of ways. Once can also use sweetened condensed milk as a base and add in the powdered sugar, vanilla, or any other flavor you choose. Thin to the consistency you prefer.

Flavor changes are super simple, just change up the vanilla with other extracts/flavors and enjoy!