CINNAMON ROLLS

Is there anything better than waking up to the smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls and a big cup of coffee? These made from scratch cinnamon rolls are a family favorite.

I make these the night before, place them in the refrigerator and bake them the next morning.

To a measuring cup or medium bowl, add the warm water, yeast, egg, oil, and sugar. Stir and allow it to sit for 10 minutes to activate the yeast. You can tell when it is ready by the foam on top.

Transfer the yeast mixture to a large bowl and stir in 3 cups of the flour. It will be a wet, sticky mess at this point. Add the salt and stir. Begin adding more flour, a little at a time, until it becomes difficult to stir with a wooden spoon and forms a ball. Sprinkle flour on your work surface, place the dough in the flour, and begin kneading the dough. To knead, simply fold the dough in half and press the dough away from you using the palm of your hand. Rotate the dough a half turn and repeat. If it is still too sticky to work with, add another tablespoon or so of flour. I usually just add the flour to my hands. You don’t want to add too much flour as you will end up with a dry dough.

After kneading 10-15 minutes, the dough will become smooth and elastic. When you press it in with your finger, it will spring back. You might also see a few large bubbles in the dough…this is a good thing!

When you are finished kneading the dough, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, flipping over once to coat the dough. This will prevent the dough from drying out. Cover with a kitchen towel and let it rise until doubled. The time it takes will vary depending on the temperature of your home. It can be as little as 45 minutes (warm room) or 2 hours (colder room). Patience rules!

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness.

Rub the surface of the dough with the butter and spoon the sugar mixture evenly over the butter.

Roll the dough tightly into a roll. Cut into one-inch slices and place on a baking sheet.

 

At this point, I wrap the tray in plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator overnight. If you want to bake them now, let them rise again for about 30 minutes. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 30-35 minutes until golden brown.

 

 

Drizzle the topping over the warm rolls. Refrain from eating the entire pan in one sitting.