Cinnamon Rolls Like Cinnabon's

Avan Nisan 28, 2022

Cinnamon rolls have always been one of those items on my bucket list of things to bake. Originally, I had intended to make these two years ago, but just couldn't get up the time and energy to do it. However, I determined that this year (or rather last Christmas) would be THE time. Plus, a house full of people meant that there would be no trouble finding someone to eat them all up.

Thus, I became a man (ahem a woman) with a mission. I set my alarm and woke up early to start my dough. The recipe was originally made for a breadmaker. However, I haven't had the best of experiences with my breadmaker, so I decided to modify this recipe so it could be made by hand. Once my dough was set to rise, I promptly . . . went back to sleep for another hour. Yeah, like I said, it was early and with everyone in the house still asleep, what else was I going to do?

The rest of the process went off without a hitch, until I got to the point where I had to roll the dough up. In my naivete, I had rolled the dough out on a piece of wax paper believing all the while that it wouldn't stick. Oops. I guess I should have floured the paper a little more, or better still, used the countertop because that dough fought me for all it was worth. I was pretty much praying at that point, "Please don't let my dough tear. Please, just let it roll up all nice and pretty (or, forget pretty, just roll up NOW.)" Luckily, although it didn't roll up tightly enough that first time, I was able to re-roll each one after slicing it off and it all worked out fine.

They baked up beautifully, iced fantastically, and smelled heavenly. But, what would everyone think? That was the important thing. I watched like a hawk as the others took a bite. "These are exceptionally delicious," were the exact words of my sister's friend as he ate one and then another. I breathed a sigh of relief and joy, then gleefully went to cram a roll in my own mouth and sigh once again with pure sweet cinnamony pleasure.

Clone of a Cinnabon (adapted from Allrecipes)

1 c. warm milk (110F)
2 eggs
1/3 c. margarine, melted
4 1/2 c. bread flour
1 tsp. salt (I used less)
1/2 c. sugar
2 1/2 tsp. bread machine yeast

Filling:
1 c. brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon
1/3 c. butter, softened

Icing:
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar (I used 1 1/4 cup)
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/8 tsp. salt (I omitted this)

Add two teaspoons of sugar to the warm milk and stir to dissolve. Add the yeast to the milk, stir a little to prevent clumping of the yeast, and let sit 5-10 min. until foamy.

Beat the eggs with the melted margarine and add the milk mixture. Add two cups of bread flour with the salt to start and stir to combine. Gradually add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough no longer sticks to the bowl (I ended up using only about 3 1/2 cups of flour).

Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for several minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic (you can add a little more flour as necessary to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands and the surface). Place dough into an oiled bowl (I use a large measuring cup), cover with plastic wrap and a dishtowel, and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.

After the dough has doubled in size, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon.

Roll the dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread the dough with 1/3 c. butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar-cinnamon mixture. Roll the dough up and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 min. Preheat the oven to 400F.

Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together the cream cheese, 1/4 c. butter, and powdered sugar. Fold in the vanilla with a rubber spatula. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

Notes:

For the first rising of the dough, I prefer to use a large measuring cup with markings on the side. That way, I can simply look at the measurements to determine what my starting point is and what the "doubled" point should be.