perfect puffy cinnamon rolls

I began baking cinnamon rolls when I became the lead baker at a cafe in my hometown, soon after graduating college. The first batch I made utilized a Mennonite recipe that had been passed down in the bakery owner’s family. Of course, I made countless mistakes. While delicious, the rolls turned out over-proofed and misshapen. As I sampled the bruised fruits of my labor, I swore to myself that I would create my own cinnamon roll recipe, one I could pass down my family tree. That very day, I began researching what makes a perfect puffy cinnamon roll.

When I think of good cinnamon rolls, I picture balance. A soft, sweet, yeasted bun, swirled with sugar and spice in every bite. I cringe at the thought of most grocery store rolls, but that may be because each one I’ve tried has been slightly stale and salty, skimping on the brown sugar and cinnamon. I knew that to avoid my cinnamon rolls from falling to this fate, I would need to be generous with the eggs and sugar in my dough, alongside the ingredients for the filling.

Because I first created this recipe to make 24 large rolls, I halved my original recipe to be more manageable for a home kitchen. Feel free to double it to make as many cinnamon rolls as I initially intended, but be warned it is a great deal of dough to manage. Additionally, the dough for this recipe is extremely versatile, and I use it for many different pastries, so if you want to experiment with new flavors, please feel free to! I love using this dough with fruits, nuts, and chocolate. It also pairs well with matcha.

Perfect Puffy Cinnamon Rolls

makes large 12 rolls or 24 small rolls.

supplies needed: electric stand mixer, offset spatula, ruler or similar measuring tool, sharp kitchen knife, cookie sheet.

Dough:

• 1 1/4 cups warm milk (whole milk preferred) heated to 110 to 120 degrees Fahrenheit

• 1 tablespoon active yeast

• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 3 eggs

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

• 6 cups all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur, but have tested other brands with great success)

• 1 teaspoon salt

Filling:

• 1 1/3 cup dark brown sugar (if you only have light brown sugar, try adding an extra teaspoon of molasses to achieve a richer flavor)

• 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, melted

• optional: 1/2 teaspoon maple extract OR 1 teaspoon ground cardamom

Frosting:

• 1 8 oz package of cream cheese, softened

• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened

• 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted to remove clumps

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 pinch of salt

Method:

Combine milk, yeast, and sugar in the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Allow yeast to develop for 7 minutes. Add eggs and butter, then slowly add half of your flour and mix for thirty seconds. Add remaining flour and salt to the mixing bowl, then kneed dough in a stand mixer until smooth. Transfer to a greased bowl. Let proof for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the dough has doubled in size (I like to take a picture of my dough and check often, to prevent over-proofing. On a hot day, your dough may rise in less than 40 minutes).

While proofing, make the filling by combining all ingredients (do this close to the end of proofing time to ensure the filling is smooth and spreadable). Once the dough has doubled, place dough on a smooth, clean surface and roll to approximately 15 by 20 inches in size. If you’re making 24 smaller rolls, aim to roll your dough into a rectangle 12 by 24 inches in size.

Using an offset spatula, spread the cinnamon filling on the dough, and roll the long side in towards you. Crimp the dough together into a log to seal in the filling. Roll the log so the crimped side of the log is down, facing the countertop. Using a ruler or similar measuring tool, carefully measure equal rolls from the log, culling them apart using a sharp knife. If making 12 rolls, each one should be about 2 inches long when cut from the log. When making 24 smaller rolls, keep in mind that the gluten in the dough may cause your rolls to shrink slightly when cut, which will be more apparent than when making 12 large rolls.

Transfer the rolls to a parchment-lined cookie sheet. Allow rolls to rise for an additional 30 minutes until they are noticeably puffy and the filling seems to be pulling apart slightly. 

During the second proof, make your frosting by creaming the cream cheese and the butter in the electric stand mixer on medium. Slowly add the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until smooth, then add vanilla extract and salt. whip on high speed until light and fluffy.

Bake rolls at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until rolls are slightly golden. Let cool 15 to 30 minutes before frosting.