OMG! This is one of my absolute favorite baked goods!! Cinnamon, sugar, soft fluffy dough. What’s not to like? And if you eat them when they’re still warm….well, I can’t even put it into words.

When I was growing up, my mother baked every weekend. (No wonder I have such a big sweet tooth!) Cakes, pies, cookies…..all kinds of stuff, but one of her favorite things to make was yeast dough. And from that yeast dough, she would make sticky buns loaded with nuts or raisins, cinnamon buns, doughnuts and Moravian sugar cake. Oh, how she loved to bake. Guess that’s where I get it! I would bake everyday if I could (and if I had more people living here to eat the stuff).

Well, for many years, the idea of working with yeast dough scared me. I don’t know why. It just did. When I saw this recipe, I decided to give it a try. And you know what? It’s a keeper! Don’t let the number of steps scare you. It’s definitely one of those things to make as a weekend treat (when you’ve got some extra time)…but it’s not hard and you can even start the dough the night before and have them ready for a late breakfast on Sunday morning. Your family will be so impressed!

Cinnamon Rolls

Read the entire recipe before starting…all the way to the end!

First The Dough:

1/2 c. whole milk

1 (1/4 oz.) packet active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)

1/4 c. sugar

4 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled, plus more for brushing

1 large egg yolk

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

Warm 1/2 cup water and the milk in a saucepan over low heat until a thermometer registers 100F to 110F. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the yeast on top, then sprinkle with a pinch of the sugar; set aside, undisturbed, until foamy, about 5 minutes. Then whisk the melted butter, egg yolk and vanilla into the yeast mixture until combined.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, the remaining sugar, the salt and nutmeg. Make a well in the center, then add the yeast mixture and stir with a wooden spoon to make a thick and slightly sticky dough (1). Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until soft and elastic, about 6 minutes (2). You’ll definitely need to add more flour as you knead the dough. Just a little at a time, maybe a total of 1/4 cup. You don’t want the dough to be too dry, but it shouldn’t stick all over your hands, either. Shape into a ball. Brush a large bowl with butter. Add the dough, turning to coat lightly with butter. Cover with plastic wrap (3). Let rise at room temperature until the dough is doubled in size, about 1 hour, 15 minutes (4).

Turn the dough out of the bowl and knead briefly to release excess air; re-form into a ball and return to the bowl. Lightly butter a large piece of plastic wrap and lay it directly on the surface of the dough. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

Now The Cinnamon Roll Filling:

1 1/4 stick (10Tbs) unsalted butter, softened  (*leave it on the counter overnight) plus more for the pan

1/3 c. granulated sugar

2 Tbs. ground cinnamon

All-purpose flour for dusting

To make the rolls: Butter a 9×13 inch baking pan. Whisk the sugar and cinnamon in a bowl. On a floured surface, roll out the dough into a 10×18 inch rectangle. Spread the butter over the dough, leaving a 1 inch border on one of the long sides. Top with the cinnamon sugar. Brush the clean border with water. Tightly roll the dough into an 18 inch log, rolling toward the clean border. Pinch the seam to seal.

Slip a long taut piece of thread or unflavored dental floss under the roll, about 1 1/2 inches from the end. Lift the ends of the thread and cross over the roll, pulling tightly to cut off a piece. Repeat, cutting every 1 1/2 inches, to make 12 rolls. Place the rolls in the prepared baking pan.

Cover the rolls loosely with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour, 10 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Uncover the rolls and bake until they spring back when pressed, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes in the pan. (You can freeze the baked rolls for up to 2 weeks. Cool completely before freezing, then thaw, warm up and glaze before serving.)

The Glaze:

1 1/4 c. confectioners sugar

4 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted

3 Tbs. milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

Whisk the sugar, melted butter, milk, vanilla and salt in a bowl until smooth. Spread over the warm rolls. ENJOY!