Cinnamon Rolls

These are an absolute fan favourite! I make this cinnamon version often but from time to time I like to switch up the filling with gianduja (or Nutella) and toasted hazelnuts. Either way these are so satisfying and loved by both adults and children alike.

I leave the addition of icing up to you! A light glaze of powdered sugar mixed with cream OR a thick icing of powered sugar mixed with cream cheese and vanilla can of course be added to the warm rolls once out of the oven.

The recipe itself is quite simple but a little planning is required as the dough requires an overnight rest in the fridge. There are two options for this step, both versions work well:

Option One - once your dough has had its first rise, punch it down then re-cover and place in the fridge to rest overnight. In the morning continue with the remaining steps and bake.

Option Two - After the first rise, immediately continue on with the rolling, filling and cutting steps. Place the cut rolls into your baking pan, cover and place in the fridge to rest overnight. In the morning, remove from the fridge and leave to warm up for a 25-30 minutes then bake as directed.

Option two is a little nicer if you want to alleviate extra work in the morning and just wake up, pop the rolls in the oven and start enjoying them faster!

This recipe makes about 16 rolls. You can certainly halve the recipe or make the whole batch and freeze a portion of the rolls to bake off at another time.

INGREDIENTS

For the Starter

2 tsp fresh or instant yeast

1 tbsp white sugar

1/2 cup warm water

*combine in the bowl of an electric mixer and leave to proof for 5 minutes before adding the following ingredients for the dough

For the Dough

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tsp fine salt

1/2 lb soft unsalted butter

1 tsp good vanilla or vanilla bean paste

1 cup cream

4 large eggs

5 1/2 cups all purpose flour

*Add these ingredients to the yeast and mix on medium speed with the dough hook for 6-8 minutes until smooth and elastic

For the Filling

1/2 lb soft unsalted butter

1 tsp fine salt

2 tbsp ground cinnamon

2 cups dark brown sugar

METHOD (photo tutorial)

For the filling, combine the butter, salt, cinnamon and brown sugar in the bowl of a mixer and beat on high speed with the paddle attachment for 5-6 minutes until smooth and spreadable.

Cut your dough into two even pieces, place one piece to the side and roll out the other to approximately 1/4 inch thick. Spread half of the cinnamon filling evenly over top, leaving a small boarder.

Gently roll up and use a sharp knife to cut the rolls into 2 1/2 inch wide portions.

Place the rolls in a pan of your choice, big enough to snuggly fit. Repeat with the second half of dough and leave to proof for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 and bake the buns for 25-30 minutes until golden.