One-Hour Cinnamon Rolls

Fond childhood memories of fresh baked bread is one reason that bread is my go-to comfort food. One-Hour Cinnamon Rolls are one of my favorites because they are ooey... gooey... cinnamon-y... and sweet... plus they are ready in an hour. You have to try these! I was skeptical too, but believe me... these delicious cinnamon rolls won't disappoint.

Narrowing my decision to just one type of bread was difficult, but I think you’d agree that this recipe is a keeper. The smell, taste, and even the thought of this bread triggers my salivary glands. Like Pavlov’s dog, my mouth begins to water just thinking about these sweet and gooey cinnamon rolls.

Over the years, I’ve tried several cinnamon roll recipes. This recipe has the perfect amount of cinnamon-y goodness, the dough is soft and tender, and the bonus is that it only takes an hour to make. Additionally, it uses all basic ingredients that most people have on hand. Win...Win! Am I right? Of course I am!

My curiosity with yeast bread began at an early age. One afternoon when I was five or six my mom tried to explain what made the dough rise, but my little brain just couldn't understand. It wasn’t until a few years later that I realized that a chemical reaction occurs every time yeast bread is made. The short explanation is that yeast feeds off simple sugar breaking the sugar down into carbon dioxide. That’s the fermentation process. As the dough rises, carbon dioxide is formed which makes the bread rise or increase in volume. For more information, the Kitchn blog does a great job explaining “The Science behind yeast and how it makes bread rise.” https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.thekitchn.com/th...

Many serious bread makers might scoff at a “quick” yeast bread… after all, it takes time to develop the flavors in yeast dough…right? Well... I urge you to give it a try. I played with this recipe a bit, tweaking a few things like the type of fat and the amount of flour, sugar and yeast. After several attempts, I finally nailed it! By letting the dough rest for 10 minutes before rolling it out, this allows the gluten to relax enough to easily roll out the dough into the desired rectangle shape. The dough will be soft and a bit sticky, but it shouldn't totally stick to your hands. If it seems a little too sticky, that's okay. Don't be tempted to add additional flour. After the dough rests, simply sprinkle a little flour on the counter and a little onto the dough and roll it out. Alright already… let’s get down to business and make some cinnamon rolls!

CINNAMON ROLLS (Yield: 12)

Dough

• 1 cup milk, scalded
• ¼ cup warm water (105⁰-115⁰)
• 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 ½ - 4 cups flour

Filling

• ½ cup Butter, softened (not melted)
• ¾ cup Brown Sugar
• 2 ½ tsp Cinnamon

Glaze

• 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 TBS Melted Butter
• ½ tsp Vanilla
• 1 TBS milk

Step 1: Mis En Place

Gather the ingredients, equipment and tools that you will need.

FYI: Mis en place is a French term that means "everything in its place."

INGREDIENTS:

For the dough

• 1 cup milk, scalded
• ¼ cup warm water (105⁰-115⁰)
• 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 ½ - 4 cups flour

For the filling

• ½ cup Butter, softened (not melted)
• ¾ cup Brown Sugar
• 2 ½ tsp Cinnamon

For the icing

• 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 TBS Melted Butter
• ½ tsp Vanilla
• 1 TBS milk

TOOLS & EQUIPMENT:

• Stand mixer with dough hook & paddle attachments (you can mix by hand too)
• Mixing bowls
• Liquid measuring cups
• Dry measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Rubber spatula
• Straight edge spatula (a rubber spatula will work too)
• 9 x 13 pan plus shortening for greasing the pan

Step 2: Scald the Milk & Hydrate the Yeast

• 1 cup milk, scalded
• ¼ cup warm water (105⁰-115⁰)
• 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast

1. Heat (scald) milk in large glass measuring cup for 1 minute 30 seconds in the microwave (or in small pot on stovetop)– set aside and allow to cool to about 120 degrees.
2. In a small glass measuring cup, dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir and set aside for about 5 minutes until bubbly.

Step 3: Combine Ingredients

• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 tsp salt

1. In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the egg, sugar, oil, and salt and stir with a fork until combined.
2. While beating with a fork, stir in warm milk (not hot) a little at a time until milk is combined with egg mixture.
3. Add the yeast mixture and stir just to combine.

Step 4: Add the Flour and Mix the Dough

• 3 ½ - 4 cups flour

1. Add 3 ½ cups flour to the liquid ingredients. Using the dough hook, mix on low until flour is absorbed and dough begins to form. Add more flour a little at a time if needed and mix on medium high speed for about 3 minutes until dough is smooth.
2. Turn dough out onto a clean, lightly floured surface and knead a few times (if dough is really sticky, knead in a little more flour - remember, you want it to be a little sticky.

*Note: You can use a large mixing bowl and wooden spoon to mix by hand. You will want to knead the dough by hand for 6 to 10 minutes until the dough is smooth.

Step 5: Rest the Dough

1. Place dough in a large greased bowl (use a little oil) turning dough once to coat the surface of the dough. Let dough rest for 10 minutes.

*Note: If you want to let the dough sit longer than 10 minutes that is okay. Just cover the bowl with a piece of plastic wrap.

Step 6: Make the Filling

Filling

• ½ cup Butter, softened (not melted)
• ¾ cup Brown Sugar
• 2 ½ tsp Cinnamon

1. Use your kitchen aid bowl with the paddle attachment and cream all ingredients until thoroughly mixed.

*Note: You want it spreading consistency but not hard or melted.

Step 7: Preheat Oven and Prepare the Pan

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease your 9 x 13 pan with shortening, butter, or cooking spray and set aside.

Step 8: Roll Out, Cut and Bake the Cinnamon Rolls

1. Punch the dough down (if it has risen). Place dough onto a lightly floured surface.
2. Pat and dough into a rectangle shape and roll with a rolling pin into a 12” x 16” rectangle and about ½ inch thick.
3. Spread the filling over the dough, leaving filling about an inch from all the edges.
4. Roll tightly from the long side and seal the seam by pinching dough together.
5. Mark the dough with the fishing line by lightly tapping the fishing line on top of the dough to ensure even pieces.
6. Using fishing line or floss, slide the line under the roll to the desired size, cross the lines on top of the roll and pull to cut. Cut into 12 pieces.
7. Place in a greased 9 x 13 pan about 1 inch apart (it’s okay if they are closer).
8. Place in the center of the preheated oven and bake at 350 degrees for about 20 – 25 minutes or until done and just starting to turn light brown.

*Note: I shape the dough with my hands to get it into a rectangle shape, then while rolling it out, I stop to pull, stretch, and re-shape as needed).

Step 9: Glaze Your Cinnamon Rolls and Enjoy!

Glaze

• 1 Cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 TBS Melted Butter
• ½ tsp Vanilla
• 1 TBS milk (more if needed)

1. In a glass microwave safe bowl, melt the butter in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Add powdered sugar, milk and vanilla and stir vigorously with a spoon until smooth. It will be thick. Melt again in 20 second intervals, stirring each time. Add a little more milk to get desired consistency.
2. Remove the cinnamon rolls from the oven and let them rest for a few minutes.
3. Ice the tops of the warm cinnamon rolls and eat warm (I always make extra glaze... I have a sweet tooth).
4. ENJOY!