"The Absolute Best Cinnamon Rolls in the World"

That was the title of one of the cinnamon roll recipes that I ran across on the interweb. How could I not choose that one?

So, I've made this recipe a number of times, with a couple variations. I will begin with the base recipe, which is pretty good.

1 Packet Dry Yeast
1c. Warm Milk
1/2c. Sugar
1/3c. Melted Butter
1t. Salt
2 Eggs
4c. AP or Bread Flour
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1c. Brown Sugar
3T. Cinnamon
1/3c. Softened Butter
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1/2c. Softened Butter
3oz. Creme Cheese
1.5c. XXX Sugar
1/2t. Vanilla
Pinch Salt


So, as you can see, the recipe has 3 parts. The dough, the filling, and the frosting. Here's the basic method.

1. Bloom yeast in warm milk, sugar, butter, eggs
2. Mix remaining dry together
3. After yeast is bloomed, combine with Dry. Mix well, knead for a couple minutes.
4. Rise to 2x size.
5. Roll out dough to ~1/4"
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6. Preheat oven to 400 F.
7. Spread butter onto dough
8. Spread the Brown sugar and cinamon (mixed together) over the butter
9. Roll this monstrosity up, cut it into ~12 rolls and place into greased pan. I like either a cake dish, glass. Or round cake pans. So 3x4 or a 2xcircles of 5 with one in the center.
10. I havent' decided if I like letting them proof for a bit in the pan. I Think I do, but only for 15-20m.
11. Bake for ~20m.
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12. Mix all this stuff together to get your cream cheese frosting. Mix until smooooooth.
13. Once your rolls are finished baking, spoon the frosting over them, then allow them to cool so you won't burn yourself.

Now, there are a number of acceptable variation. First, a better cream cheese frosting. I like mine cheesier, and a little less frosting than what you get with the above recipe.

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3oz. Cream Cheese
2T. Softened Butter
1c. XXX Sugar
1/2t. Vanilla
Pinch Salt
(1oz. Ammaretto)
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Something that I do like doing is, after putting the sugar-cinnamon mixture down, but before rolling, sprinkling about a cup of crushed nuts in the roll. I like doing this in the roll, not on top, so you get nuts with every bite.


Substituting Whole Wheat flour for the white flour is fine too. It gives a wheat-y taste (obviously) and makes the texture a bit heavier, but it's tasty. It requires a bit more kneading to encourage a fine texture, and I would definitely allow the rolls to proof in the pan. I generally sub in:

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3.5c Whole Wheat Flour
1/2c. Wheat Gluten
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Last but not least, I'll randomly sub in molasses for some of the white sugar, just because. Try:

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1/4c. Molasses
1/3c. Sugar
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Anyway, there ya go.