Classic Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Lazy winter holiday mornings call for breakfast treats, specifically in the form of classic homemade cinnamon rolls. These are prepped the night before and baked off in the morning, so you can start your day with warm and gooey decadence.

My childhood breakfast DREAMS and you’re looking right at ’em.

Although I think when we had cinnamon rolls back then, it was always as dessert instead of in the morning. (And always from a Pillsbury can, ahem.)

Now, as a mom, I completely get why. Who has the energy to be messing around with yeast at 6 in the morning?? BEFORE COFFEE, no less.

Nuh uh. Not happening.

But then I discovered Bravetart’s cinnamon rolls, which are prepped in ONE BOWL (frosting, cinnamon filling, and dough included) from the night before.

So all you have to do the morning of is pop the rolls out of the fridge, preheat your oven, and bake!

They’re basically the solution to all of my cinnamon roll problems. And they’re also freaking fabulous, so.

These are pillowy but also with a good chew to them and the perfect gooey centers.

You start with the frosting, which is just a classic mix of vanilla, cream cheese, and powdered sugar. Next comes the cinnamon filling, which is more like a cinnamon-sugar-butter spread. I’ve never seen cinnamon roll filling prepared this way before but it is amazing. Because the cinnamon sugar is whipped into the butter, it doesn’t spill out the sides and all over the place the way it does when you’re just sprinkling it on all willy nilly.

Next is the dough! This is a rich, but not EN-riched dough, if that makes sense. Enriched dough (at least the ones I’ve worked with) usually contain butter, eggs, and milk to make them super soft and tender. This dough leaves out the eggs, instead using a touch of baking soda and Greek yogurt to help the rise along. The dough gets proofed at warm room temperature, after which you form the rolls and allow them to do their second rise in the fridge overnight.

The end result is pure breakfast decadence, worthy of any holiday or weekend morning.

Classic Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

 

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Lazy winter holiday mornings call for breakfast treats, specifically in the form of classic homemade cinnamon rolls. These are prepped the night before and baked off in the morning, so you can start your day with warm and gooey decadence.

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

For the frosting

• 4 oz (1/2 cup) full fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 oz (1¼ cups) powdered sugar

For the cinnamon filling

• 4 oz (8 tbsp) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6 oz (3/4 cup) dark brown sugar
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• ½ tsp grated nutmeg
• ¼ tsp kosher salt

For the dough

• 16 oz (3½ cups) all purpose flour
• 3.5 oz (1/2 cup) sugar
• 2 tsp instant dry yeast
• 1¾ tsp kosher salt
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• 4 oz (8 tbsp) unsalted butter
• 4 oz (1/2 cup) milk
• 8 oz (1 cup) plain Greek yogurt

Instructions

For the frosting

1. Combine the cream cheese and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add half of the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until just moistened. Add the rest of the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until incorporated. Increase to medium speed and beat for 5 minutes. Transfer to a ziploc bag and store at room temperature for up to 24 hours.

For the cinnamon filling

1. In the same stand mixer bowl that you've just used to make the frosting, add the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Mix with the paddle on low speed until just combined. Increase to medium and beat for 5 minutes, or until creamy and light. Transfer to a ziploc bag and store at room temperature for up to 24 hours.

For the dough

1. Wipe the stand mixer bowl clean with a wet paper towel. Combine the flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and baking soda in the stand mixer bowl. Whisk to combine.
2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Stir in the milk and yogurt, and warm to 80F. Pour this into the stand mixer bowl with the flour mixture and stir by hand until it forms a rough, shaggy dough. Using the dough hook, mix on low speed until smooth, about 20 minutes.
3. Cover the stand mixer bowl with plastic wrap and allow to proof in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 90 minutes.
4. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough into a 13-inch square. Snip a corner from the bag with the cinnamon filling. Squeeze the cinnamon filling over the dough, spreading it into an even layer using an offset spatula. Roll into a log, ending seam side down.
5. Use some baker's twine or unflavored dental floss to cut the dough into 12 rolls. To do this, slide an 8-inch piece of string under the dough until it reaches the center. Cross the ends over the top and pull tightly and firmly to cut the dough log quickly into two pieces. Use this same method to cut each half of dough into 6 rolls. Place each roll, swirl side up, into a parchment-lined 9x13-inch baking pan. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
6. When ready to bake, remove the cinnamon rolls from the fridge and heat oven to 350F. Allow the cinnamon rolls to sit at room temperature while the oven preheats.
7. Place in the oven and bake, covered, for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven to a wire rack.
8. While still warm. snip a corner from the bag of frosting that you've prepared and squeeze it all over the rolls. Use an offset spatula to spread it into an even layer. Serve immediately.

Notes

Recipe from Bravetart

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