Classic Cinnamon Rolls

These are the classic version of cinnamon rolls, but in a larger size! If you love cinnamon buns, you won't be disappointed. They are easy to make and can be made the night before. The also freeze very well so you can have homemade cinnamon rolls for weeks.

Prepare: 20

Bake: 25

Rest Time: 2 30

Total Time: 3 15

Servings: 12 rolls

Ingredients

For the Dough

3 ⅔ cups (550g) flour
1 cup (240mL) milk
2 large (100g) eggs
¼ cup (56g) butter or margarine
¼ cup (50g) sugar
2 tsp (7g) yeast
1 tsp (5g) salt

For the Filling

½ cup (113g) brown sugar
¼ cup (57g) melted butter or margarine
1 tbs (9g) flour
2 tsp (4g) cinnamon

For the Topping

1 cup (250g) powdered sugar
3 tbs (45mL) milk
¼ tsp (1.25mL) vanilla extract

Instructions

For the Dough

Heat milk and butter until butter melts or temperature is 100°F (38C.) Add yeast and stir well. Let sit 5 - 10 minutes or until bubbles begin to form.
Add eggs, flour, salt and sugar into a bowl with the heated milk mixture. Stir until shaggy dough forms. Turn dough out onto a clean work surface.
Knead 8-10 minutes or until the dough is smooth and is easily stretched without tearing.
Cover and let rest for 1 - 2 hours or until double in size.
Turn dough out onto a clean surface and roll into a 12×18" (30×45 cm) rectangle.

For the Filling

Evenly coat the dough with melted butter, leaving a 1/2" (1.25cm) space on one of the 12" (30cm) edges free of butter.
In a small bowl, stir together sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle the filling on top of the butter.
Starting from the 12" (30cm) side with butter and filling, roll into a log. Cut into 12 slices.
Generously grease a 9×13" (23×33 cm) baking dish with cooking oil, spray or butter.
Place slices into pan, about 1" apart (2.5 cm.)
Cover and allow to rest 60 minutes.
When there is 15 minutes left in the rise, preheat oven to 375°F (190°C.)
Bake 20 – 25 minutes or until rolls are golden brown and center reaches 190°F (88C.)

For the Topping

In a measuring cup or small bowl, pour in powdered sugar and vanilla. Add milk 1 teaspoon at time until desired consistency.
Drizzle over the top of the cinnamon buns after they have cooled 10 minutes.

Notes

If you are using a thin or dark colored baking dish, you may wish to reduce the temperature to 350°F (180°C) to prevent over browning. If rolls are browning too quickly, you may wish to tent the bread the last 5-10 minutes of baking by placing aluminum foil loosely on top of the bread.

Temperature that reaches above 120°F(49°C) begins to damage yeast which leads to a poor rise in the dough. The yeast will die off at 138°F (59°C) and your dough will fail to rise. If you get the milk too hot, simply cool it several minutes before adding the yeast. Failure to do so will prevent dough from rising.

If desired, after shaping you can cover and refrigerate these overnight. Bring to room temperature 1/2 hour and let rise until nearly double in size before baking.

An important note on dry yeast: Instant dry and active dry yeasts are not the same. If using active dry yeast, you must activate the yeast according to the manufacturer's instructions in order for the dough to rise properly. You typically need to activate or "bloom" the yeast by adding it to warmed liquid for several minutes.

Instant dry yeast can be added to the dry ingredients and typically does not need to be activated prior to use. However, some brands of dry yeasts still require adding warm liquids, so be sure to read the label. Rapid, quick and fast acting dry yeasts will rise much faster than instant and active dry yeasts. For best results, always read and follow the instructions provided on the packet as the rising time varies widely between manufacturers.

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