Sundays are great for catching up on some much needed sleep, reading the paper and having breakfast in bed…well, if you’re lucky enough to have a thoughtful significant other prepare it for you. If you are extra lucky, that breakfast in bed may also include warm cinnamon rolls straight out of the oven.
When I make yeast based bakery items, I prefer the results I get with fresh yeast instead of dry. I know that dry yeast is much more practical, but the final result achieved from using fresh yeast is unmistakable. I had a little bit of fresh yeast leftover and decided that today was the day to make my delicious cinnamon rolls. I have a few tried and true recipes that I use for different applications, and one of them is the tender brioche-like dough I use for my jam filled rolls. There is no need to have different recipes for everything…you can just tweak a recipe that you enjoy making into other fantastic products. It makes life so much easier….
Today, I decided that cinnamon rolls and sweet cream cheese icing was going to be the star on my breakfast table, and they were truly amazing in every way. A gooey, buttery center loaded with an excellent spicy korintje (pronounced ko-rin-je) cinnamon that is so fragrant it perfumes the whole house during the baking process. I have included a cinnamon filling recipe that is delicious and very easy to work with…just make sure to be generous with it because it really makes a difference in the final product.
Cinnamon Rolls
500g flour
1 teaspoon salt
50g sugar
20g fresh yeast
200ml warm whole milk
¼ teaspoon lemon zest (or 1 teaspoon vanilla)
3 eggs, room temperature
100g butter, room temp
1½ tablespoons canola oil
1 egg plus 2 tablespoons water (egg wash)
Cinnamon Roll Filling
1 stick softened butter
1 cup light brown sugar
¼ cup dark brown sugar
8 teaspoons ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg
pinch of ground cloves
** ½ cup chopped roasted pecans (optional)
** ½ cup precooked bacon pieces (optional)
Cream Cheese Topping
12 oz cream cheese, softened
8 oz unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
Up to 2 ½ cups powdered sugar (do not use granulated) **adjust to your taste
Put the canola oil into the bowl that will hold the dough, and with your hands or with a paper towel, coat the entire inside of the bowl well with the oil. Crumble the yeast in a small bowl, pour in the warm milk and dissolve with a whisk. Crack eggs and set them aside. Put all of the dry ingredients together in the bowl of your stand mixer and use either a paddle or a dough hook to begin mixing your ingredients. With your paddle in motion add your milk and yeast mixture all at once then slowly begin to add your eggs until all are incorporated. Next add in your zest and mix again. At this point, take a look at your dough. Does it look too wet? If so, add a small teaspoon of flour and help the dough pull away from the sides into a ball. Does it look too dry? Add a few drops more of milk. Let this beat for a few minutes, and then add the butter a little at a time until it is all mixed in. Turn this out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it is no longer sticky. Put this dough into the previously greased bowl and turn the dough around the bowl to make sure it is all coated with a little oil. Cover with plastic and 2 towels and allow it to double in size, about 90 minutes. After the first proof, gently deflate and re-knead the dough to redistribute the yeast.
At this point, use a rolling pin to roll out your dough into a large rectangle. With a brush or gently with your fingers, add the softened butter to the dough and then add all of the sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up the dough carefully from the edge that is closes to you until you have a long roll.
The best way to slice this without destroying the shape is to use a long piece of thread, which will slice quickly and cleanly through the dough. Each roll should be between 1 -1 ½ thick. Place these into a lightly greased baking pan about half inch apart…you have to remember that they are going to rise again for another 60 minutes before you bake them.
Once the dough has proofed for a second time, brush them generously with the egg wash and bake the rolls in a preheated 350°F oven for 20-30 minutes until golden brown.
When they have finished baking, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool slightly before adding the cream cheese frosting. Slather this on generously and enjoy!
While the cinnamon rolls are in the oven, make your cream cheese topping so that it is the perfect consistency for the soft rolls. Add the cream cheese to the bowl of your stand mixer and using the paddle attachment, cream the cheese and then slowly add the softened butter. Next add the vanilla and lastly add the powdered sugar a little at a time. Make sure to add a little at a time so that you can adjust this to the level of sweetness you prefer. When the rolls have cooled slightly, gently top each one with the cream cheese.
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