Amazing Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

Have you been disappointed by dry, bready cinnamon rolls after thinking, “Oh my gosh, this looks amazing and can’t wait to eat it”? So have I. But today we’re going to solve this problem with the ultimate cinnamon-roll recipe. These are soft, pull apart into clouds of amazingness, and you’re going to fall in love with them, I promise.

The Dough

First off, we’re adding three and a half cups (420 g) of all-purpose flour into the bowl of our stand mixer. I’m using a scale because that is the most accurate and easy way to do it: one teaspoon of salt, a quarter cup of light-brown sugar, and a quarter cup of granulated sugar (that’s 50 g of each), one teaspoon of cinnamon, and I’m going to grate just a little bit of fresh nutmeg in here—so that’s kind of up to you. I say “a pinch” in the recipe, but my fingers can hold a lot. Last but very much not least, we have a package of instant yeast (that’s fast-acting instant yeast, not active yeast). It’s the same thing, really, but the difference is the granule size: the yeast are in smaller pieces here; active-dry yeast has bigger granules, so you have to dissolve them in water.

Give the ingredients a whisk. There are a lot of fun things in there—no bready dryness. Set it aside.

Wet Ingredients

In a medium bowl we’re going to add half a cup of sour cream, half a cup (120 ml) of milk, and a tablespoon of nice vanilla extract. Give this a really quick whisk. This is going to go into the microwave; if you have a thermometer, take it to 110 °F. If not, you want it to be hot when you put your finger in—scalding is too much. You want the yeast activated, not shut down by ice-cold liquid. Very important.

All right, just reached 110 °F—that was two 30-second bursts in the microwave. I’m going to whisk in one egg and 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter at room temperature. The butter will dissolve; if it doesn’t, give it a little more microwave time.

Mixing & Kneading

I’m all set up with my dry mixture back on the stand mixer with a dough hook attached. Add the wet mixture while the mixer is off, then run it on low until the dough comes together—about a minute.

Okay, this looks pretty good: it’s tacky but not sticking to my fingers, and it’s falling off the dough hook nice and slow. We really packed this dough with butter, milk, and sour cream, so it’s enriched and will take a little longer to rise than a lean dough.

Flour a clean surface. This is a hungry dough, so give it a well-floured landing. Knead until it springs back in the center and looks silky, not lumpy. Can you over-knead bread? Yeah, you can overdo anything, but once it’s silky and springy, you’re done.

Now it has to proof. Oil a clean bowl, drop the dough in, and find a warm spot—120 °F oven that’s then turned off, a warming drawer, or a towel-lined counter. Cover with plastic wrap, a damp towel, or a reusable bowl cover. Check back in about 90 minutes.

The Filling

For the filling, mix three tablespoons granulated sugar, three tablespoons light-brown sugar, and one tablespoon cinnamon. Break up any brown-sugar lumps; they’ll melt anyway. Set aside.

Shaping the Rolls

When the dough has doubled (this batch took almost three hours because it’s so enriched), punch it down, turn it out, and flour the top. Roll it into a rectangle—bigger rectangle, more rolls. Spread four tablespoons of very soft butter over the surface, then liberally sprinkle every last bit of the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Starting at one long edge, roll tightly. Pull back as you go so it doesn’t loosen. Once it’s a nice, even log, slice it every two inches with dental floss or a sharp knife. Grease an 8 × 8-inch baking dish and nestle the slices inside, leaving room to expand.

Final Proof

You can let them rise in a warm spot for 1–2 hours, or cover tightly with foil and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, set them in a warm place for an hour or so until puffy.

Baking

Bake at 350 °F for about 30 minutes. After 20 minutes, if the tops are browning, tent loosely with foil so the centers can finish baking without burning. Mine took 33 minutes total.

Cream-Cheese Glaze

While the rolls bake, whip up the glaze: in a food processor combine 2 tablespoons room-temperature butter, 4 oz cream cheese, a nice pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, 1 tablespoon vanilla, and ½–1 tablespoon milk. Blend smooth, then add ½ cup powdered sugar and pulse again. Add more milk for a pourable consistency.

Finishing

When the rolls come out, slather on a “little” glaze, let it seep in, then add a second drizzle once they’ve cooled slightly—molten sugar is no joke. Serve warm, and watch them disappear.