I have a terrible confession to make. The very sight of a cinnabon-like cinnamon roll makes me cringe. I don’t know if this makes me close to an ax murderer but the very thought of the gloppy topping with cream cheese – no just no. On the other hand, the plain cinnamon roll minus the glop makes my heart sing. So there you go, my secret is out.

The problem with making these at home is to make them in a way that they don’t dry out. This has occupied an inordinate amount of my time since both DH and I (and the Mama as well) are all cinnamon people. I have plied these poor people with untold numbers of versions of the cinnamon roll, cobbling ideas from different places and I really believe I have found my ultimate recipe. It’s not difficult to make but it is yeast based so ya gotta give it the time and love. And guess what? It does NOT dry out. I did a reckless experiment and after baking it (at least one ring’s worth) I left it in a ziploc bag (air squeezed out) for 3, count ’em days. We ate some each day (my poor hubby kept saying, can’t I finish it off yet? and I wouldn’t let him, we must suffer for science) and it was delish for all 3 days. By day 4 (I know, I know, that was pushing it) it was kinda dryish but we ate it anyway. So I give you forthwith my cinnamon roll recipe and hope you will enjoy it as much as we did!

So begin with your dough which can be made either in a mixer or bread machine and gather your ingredients.

Now I used my bread machine for this this particular time but have also done this in my mixer as well, so whichever suits you and whatever machine you have! Melt your butter/marg in a microwaveable bowl in the milk/soy milk and set aside to let cool till when you stick a finger in it it is warm, not hot. (Or do this in a saucepan on the stovetop).

While this cools, place the dry ingredients into your mixer/machine. The yeast, flour, instant vanilla pudding powder (yes! do NOT skip this seemingly innocuous step. The vanilla pudding is part of what prevents the drying out so do not skip, no no.) sugar and the salt. Stir together. K.

Now add the warm milk/butter mixture and the eggs.

Good. Now in the mixer, first incorporate with the paddle and only then switch to the dough hook and let it knead for about 10 minutes or so or till dough is nicely pulled together. This way has worked beautifully for me without the aggro of the ingredients not properly incorporating. In the bread machine just turn on your dough cycle.

Continue the kneading till the dough has a smooth look to it. Now let both rise till doubled in bulk about an hour and a half depending on how warm your kitchen is. While the dough is rising, you can mix together your filling ingredients. A word here. The butter/marg does NOT get mixed into the filling, you are spreading it on the rolled out dough. K. So mix together in a bowl the brown sugar, cinnamon, flour (you need the flour so that the filling doesn’t dribble out) and vanilla extract. Set aside and make sure your butter/marg for spreading is sitting out and softening.

Good. Your dough has doubled in bulk so gently deflate it and lightly oil spray a silicone mat or parchment paper and divide the dough into two pieces and roll out your dough into a rectangle. If it ain’t perfect, no worries, yeast dough is forgiving and you can pat it into the right shape. Now brush it with the marg/butter. If your butter isn’t soft enough you can very briefly zap in micro but not till fully melted, just soft soft soft. And brush on the dough till the ends.

Take your filling and sprinkle evenly over the dough, leaving a small margin at the ends.

Now starting from the end nearest you, start rolling the dough and filling tightly as you can like a jelly roll, like so:

Now cut the roll in half and again halve each etc. till you end up with 9 more or less even slices of dough. (It is worth trying to make them even since then they bake evenly and “skinnier” pieces won’t dry out.

You will do the same with the other piece of dough. Now oil spray and place a piece of parchment paper in 2 9 inch round cake tins. Arrange the rolls in the two tins like so:

Let rise till rolls bulk up and double in size, depending on the heat in your kitchen, can take about 30 minute to an hour. While dough is rising, preheat oven to 350 F/180 C, and bake 15 minutes then cover rolls lightly with tin foil and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes. Peek at them and if they are medium brown, remove from oven and cool on wire racks. If still a bit pale, remove tin foil and bake about 5 more minutes and cool on racks. These freeze really well.

Cinnamon Roll Ring

Dough:
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast
3.5-4 cup flour 420-480 grams
3 tablespoons instant vanilla pudding powder
1/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (240 ml) milk or soy milk
90 grams or 3/8 cup or 6 and approximately 1/2 tablespoons butter/margarine
2 eggs

Filling:
1/2 cup butter/margarine (113 grams) for spreading
1 cup (200 grams) brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

Mix together in mixer or bread maker yeast, flour, white sugar, instant vanilla pudding and stir together. Then add salt. Stir. In microwaveable bowl (or saucepan on stovetop) melt butter/margarine in milk/soy milk and let cool till a finger in mixture is just warm. Add butter/milk mixture to flour mixture and add eggs. Combine in mixer with paddle and then switch to dough hook and knead till smooth or do on dough cycle in bread maker. Cover with damp towel or plastic cover and let rise till doubled approximately 1 1/2 hours (depending on warmth of kitchen). Deflate dough gently put on lightly oil sprayed silicone mat or parchment paper to rest about 10 minutes. Divide dough in half. Roll into rectangle. Spread 1/2 the butter/margarine from filling on dough and mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, flour and vanilla extract. Sprinkle 1/2 the mixture over dough leaving a border at the end without filling. (As you roll the dough, it pushes the filling forward). Pat edges to even and roll as tightly as you can jelly roll style. Cut roll in half and each half in half and again till you have 9 equal pieces. Do the same with the second piece of dough. Spray oil and line 2 9 inch round cake pans with parchment paper and gently lay the rolls in a circle near each other. They will rise and grow together. Let rise about an hour or till doubled.

Bake 350 F/180 C for 15 minutes, cover lightly with tin foil and bake another 10 minutes. Peek at them – if medium brown remove from oven if not remove foil and bake 5 more minutes. Remove and let cool on wire rack. When cooled store in tins or ziplock bags. Freezes beautifully.