Cinnamon Roll Season

Nutella filled rolls with chocolate chips.

I love cinnamon rolls.  I love how they are one of the great foods that are loved by most people.  Cinnamon rolls are not healthy and I have to say I don't believe they should be.  A cinnamon roll should be drippy gooey and melt in your mouth buttery.  I have been asked before to make a healthy cinnamon roll and I have to say I always say "No".   If it's healthy it is not a cinnamon roll.  It's something else.  

My love of cinnamon rolls came from my mother, grand mother, and Aunt.  Although I have to say my moms really out did her mothers.  {Sorry Grannie}  My mothers were drippy goodness.  She always covered them with maple frosting to top of the buttery goodness.  

I remember once as a young man I was working in a local bakery.  I have to say his cinnamon rolls were dry,  they looked great, but they were really dry.  I, out of pure innocent goodness, one morning suggested to him how he could make them better.   Wow,  that was a mistake.  He was pretty mad.  And to this day his rolls are still dry.  

I try to listen and if someone makes a comment about my food, I listen and if it can be better I do something about it.  That is how my cinnamon rolls have revolved over the years.  Constantly listening and working on making them better.  

The trick my mother used and the baker would not do was my mother sprinkled water on her dough before rolling them up and cutting them up.  She also placed a small square of butter over the roll before baking.  It was great.  It makes them gooey good and buttery wonderful.  

A few years ago a friend wanted me to do cinnamon rolls for her daughters wedding reception.  I agreed, but was worried that my rolls were not good enough.   I called a good friend who is known for her rolls and asked her if I could attend her class.  It was great.  I love her rolls and we talked after and compared notes on what each of us did.  I learned from her and combined knowledge we created some amazing rolls.  Shauna used buttermilk in her dough and I used sour dough starter in mine.  We combined the two and wow,  amazing dough.  

It can always get better.  That is what I love about food.  There is always room for improvement.  It was not long after that I branched out from just cinnamon to filled rolls using the same dough.  From fig jam to nutella it is endless what you can do with a good dough recipe.  

It's that time of year when we love dripping goodness.  I wanted to share with you my recipe and I hope it brings joy to you.  If you feel it can be better let me know.  

Chef Brad~America's Grain Guy and Expert Cinnamon Roll Maker.   

Fresh baked goodness. 

These are topped with a heath bar cream cheese frosting. 

Nothing like a fresh baked warm roll. 

Lemon rolls topped with lemon glaze.

Cinnamon rolls

3 cups warm butter milk

1 cups Chef Brad’s sour dough starter

½  cup sugar

½ cube melted butter

1 tablespoons salt

3 eggs

5-8 cups Hi-Gluten White Flour (to begin with)

2 ½ tablespoons yeast

Place ingredients into your Wondermix with yeast on top of the flour.  Turn on the mixer, and add enough flour to clean the sides of the bowl. Mix for six minutes and than remove from bowl and place in oiled large bowl and let rise until double.  (Remember, a sticky dough makes the best rolls.)   Remove from bowl Divide into 4 equal pieces. placing one piece on rolling surface, roll dough out into a large semi circle..  Top with melted butter, than a cinnamon, and brown sugar mixture, sprinkle lightly with water.   Roll dough up starting from furthest away and roll towards you pulling the dough tight. When rolled tight, cut in half and than cut the halves in half and than cut each piece into 3 pieces.  You should end up with 12 rolls. Place rolls into pan sprayed with nonstick pan spray, leaving a small space in between each roll,  and let rise until double in size.  Bake at 400 degrees for 5 minutes, then at 325 degrees for 12-15 minutes.

Do not over bake, this dries out the rolls.  

yield: 4-5 dozen

prep/cooking time: 2 hours

Options 

Nutella Nut Rolls

In place of cinnamon and sugar spread nutella over the dough and sprinkle with nuts.  Rolls as directed and cut and bake.  

Apricot Fruit Rolls

Spread apricot jam over dough and sprinkle with freeze dried peaches or apricots, roll as directed and bake. 

Fig Rolls 

Spread fig jam over the dough and roll and cut as directed.  

Maple Frosting

4 tablespoons melted butter

1 eight oz. package cream cheese, room temp.

1 tablespoon maple extract

Enough heavy cream to smooth frosting

8 cups powdered sugar

Whisk together in food processor until smooth and than spread on warm rolls

Hazel Nut Frosting 

4 tablespoons melted butter

Hazel nut non dairy creamer

Powdered sugar

Place in a bowl an whisk until creamy.  Drizzle over rolls. 

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