What separates a good cinnamon roll from the BEST?? The secret is in the name — cinnamon, LOTS of cinnamon!!!
- 4 cups warm milk or prepared powdered milk (4 cups warm water + powder)
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup shortening.
- 3 Tbsp. Yeast
Mix all together and let sit for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is bubbly.
Add 3 eggs and mix, then add 5 cups of bread flour and 1 Tbsp. salt. Mix well.
Add 5-6 more cups of flour add 1-2 cups at a time. The mixture will be sticky but should clean the sides of the mixing bowl.
Put into another bowl that has been sprayed with cooking spray, and cover lightly. Let rise until double, about 1 hour.
Roll out into a long rectangle that is about 1/2 inch thick (approximately 12×30). Spread ½ cup softened butter over the top. Sprinkle generously with sugar and cinnamon. (See notes!). Leave a small edge with no sugar on it to pinch the dough together in the next step.
Rollup from the long side. You’ll want to roll it up tight. When you get to the end pinch the loose end into the dough to form a long log.
Slice off the first 1 inch of the end and discard – this piece usually doesn’t have enough cinnamon and sugar filling. Then with the remainder, slice into 1- 1 ½ inch slices with a string and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Cover and let rise for about 20 minutes.
Bake at 375 for 12-15 minutes.
Cool slightly, then frost. My favorite is cream cheese frosting!
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 8 oz. package cream cheese at room temperature
- ½ cup butter at room temperature
Beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Then add 5-6 cups powdered sugar and blend well, then add 1-2 Tbsp. heavy cream and beat for about 2 minutes, then add 2 tsp. vanilla.
Spread over cooled rolls.
Notes:
- You can use white sugar, brown sugar, or a combination of both! White sugar gives the rolls a lighter sugar taste. Brown sugar gives them a delicious caramelized flavor. Try both and see which is your favorite! I personally like a combination of both!
- Cinnamon. The secret to a great cinnamon roll is lots of cinnamon! For this reason, I do not combine the sugar and cinnamon prior to sprinkling on the dough. If, after sprinkling the cinnamon, no dough or sugar is visible, then I have enough!
