Delish Corner: Fluffy Cinnamon Roll Recipe That Will Make You Drool

Hi Readers!

My name is Laura Squires and I have been baking and cooking for more years than I care to admit. I made my first solo batch of cookies when I was 9-years old (that was back in the early 70’s) and I have been baking ever since!  

For my inaugural recipe, I have chosen a recipe that I have made hundreds and hundreds (I’m not even kidding) of times!  If you ask my husband or any of our four sons what their all-time favorite recipe is that they can’t live without, it is this cinnamon roll recipe!

The recipe is one I combined with several other recipes to make it my own. This recipe is fluffy, delicious cinnamon rolls.  I know, I know, you have seen countless cinnamon roll recipes on varies social sites and in many cookbooks but trust me on this one.  This recipe is the BEST!

It wouldn’t be the same traditional Christmas celebration in our home without these cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning (as well as Easter morning, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint General Conference morning, Father’s Day morning as well as many mornings in between).

Many cinnamon roll recipes (and I have tried them all) don’t turn out near as fluffy and soft as these do.  Most recipes call for too much sugar in the dough which causes the dough to be more dense and heavy.

So, if you want your cinnamon rolls to be spoken of with reverence and if you want to be known for the best cinnamon rolls in the neighborhood, just try this recipe!  You will be so glad you did! 

 LAURA’S FLUFFY CINNAMON ROLLS 

Ingredients:

For the dough:
2 cups very warm water (from the tap)
2/3 cup dry milk powder
2 Tablespoons active dry yeast
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 egg, beaten
5 to 5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (I prefer unbleached) 

For the filling:
Brown Sugar
1/2 to 3/4 cup butter, softened
Cinnamon 

For the glaze:
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
A couple of Tablespoons of milk 

Directions:

1) In a large bowl of an electric mixer, combine water and dry milk powder.  Whisk until mix is dissolved.  Whisk in dry yeast.  Sprinkle sugar over mixture and let sit for 5 minutes.  

2) Attach dough hook to mixer.  Into the yeast mixture, add salt, softened butter and egg.  Mix in 2 cups of the flour.  Mix on medium low speed until dough mixture is smooth.  Continue to add flour 1/2 cup at a time until dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl and is soft but not overly sticky.  

3) Scrape dough off of the sides of bowl and coat sides with a Tablespoon of vegetable oil turning over the dough so it is coated with oil on all sides.  Cover bowl with plastic and put in a warm place to rise until doubled in size (45 minutes to 1 hour).   

4) Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Grease a jelly roll pan.   

5) After the dough has risen, punch the dough down and roll out into a rectangular shape.   

6) For the filling, spread the softened butter over the rolled-out dough.  Cover the butter with brown sugar and sprinkle cinnamon generously over the brown sugar.  Roll the dough tightly up pinching the sides to the dough.   

7) Using a sharp knife, cut the rolled-up dough into cinnamon rolls and place on a greased jelly roll pan leaving space between the rolls for rising.  Cover the rolls in plastic and allow them to rise until doubled in size (about 30 minutes).   

8) Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until cinnamon rolls are golden brown on the edges.  Allow rolls to cool while making the glaze. 

9) For the glaze, mix the butter and vanilla with a hand mixer until combined.  Slowly add the powdered sugar until all ingredients are combined.  Mix in the milk a Tablespoon at a time until you reach desired consistency.   

10) Spread glaze immediately over warm cinnamon rolls. 

11) For the best cinnamon roll experience, eat immediately but try to be nice and share with your family! 

NOTE: 

You can use the dough recipe to make regular rolls too!  Simply form the dough into roll shapes after the first rising.  Bake at the same temperature until golden brown and then brush with melted butter.  This makes delicious dinner rolls!!     

Delish Corner is a KDXU weekly feature written by local St. George culinary expert Laura Squires. Laura doesn't have a restaurant or bakery, but if you've ever tasted her food, you know that she is one of the best food artists in the world! Laura has been a resident of Southern Utah for  more than 30 years.