Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon rolls are certainly amongst the contestants for the food that best goes with a hot cup of tea or coffee, whether it be first thing in the morning or after a long afternoon walk. They are soft and doughy and without a doubt taste best served straight from the oven (ok, not straight but definitely while still warm).

Like any enriched dough, these rolls require a bit of effort in the form of kneading and a bit of patience while they prove. It will most certainly be worth the wait, I promise! These rolls work beautifully if paired with apples; peel and chop 3 apples into 1cm chunks and soften in the microwave for 2 minutes. Then combine with your cinnamon and sugar filling mixture.

If you're not a cream cheese fan then you can simply replace with the equivalent amount of butter. And if you're not a buttercream (of sorts) fan then make icing using icing sugar, water and vanilla extract and drizzle over.

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Recipe

Prep time: 4-5 hours

Cook time: 20-25 minutes

Makes: 9-10 rolls

Ingredients:

For the dough:

180ml Milk

1 sachet Yeast (7g)

50g Granulated Sugar

1 Egg + 1 Egg Yolk

55g Butter

390g Strong White Bread Flour

3/4 tsp Salt

For the filling:

135g Light/Dark Brown Sugar

1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon

55g Softened Butter

For the glaze:

115g Cream Cheese

40g Softened Butter

95g Icing Sugar

1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Method:

1. Place the butter and milk in a saucepan and heat until the butter has melted. Transfer to a large mixing bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Leave to rest for a few minutes.

2. Add the sugar, egg yolk and egg and mix. Then sift in the flour and salt and combine either with a stand mixer or a spoon. Knead in the mixer for 5-6 minutes followed by 2 minutes by hand, or 8 minutes total by hand.

3. Place in an oiled bowl, cover with cling film and let prove in a warm place* for 1hr 15mins or until doubled in size.

4. Roll out the dough to a 35x23cm rectangle and spread the softened butter over it. Combine the cinnamon and sugar and spread over the butter, pressing it in.

5. Tightly roll up the dough lengthways and then slice into 2.5cm rounds. Place the rolls in a greased and lined tin, leaving some space in between them to allow them to expand in size. Prove at room temperature for 2hrs 15mins.

6. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Bake the rolls for 20 minutes. Make the glaze by combining all of the ingredients in a bowl. Allow the rolls to cool slightly before drizzling over the top.