Cinnamon Rolls

I've been on the hunt for a really good cinnamon roll recipe for quite awhile.

I found it over at ChefTalk

Ooey, goey, and delicious

With frosting or...

without.

Double thumbs up from Ian.

Cinnamon Rolls
I like to start the rolls the day before and bake them in the morning.  Go through step 9 and cover the rolls with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.  In the morning pull your rolls out and let sit for 1 hour.  I like to heat my oven to 300 degrees and then shut it off.  Then I place my rolls in the warm oven for 1 hour.  Then proceed with the rest of the steps.

Rolls:

¾ cup unsalted butter

1 cup whole milk

¾ cup granulated sugar 

1 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon yeast 

½ cup, water, 100 degrees

1 teaspoon granulated sugar 

6 large eggs

9 cups bread  flour

½ tablespoon cinnamon

Filling:

5 cups light brown sugar 

1 ¼ cup unsalted butter 

3 Tablespoons cinnamon

Frosting:
1/2 cup whole milk
2 1/2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Rolls
1. Heat butter, milk, ¾ Cup sugar and salt over low heat until butter melts.
2. Set the butter mixture aside to cool. In a large mixing bowl, combine yeast, warm water, 1 teaspoon of sugar and set aside for about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter mixture into the yeast mixture.
3. Lightly beat the eggs and stir into the mixture.  Then add the flour and cinnamon.  Mix this until you have a stiff dough.

4.  Knead for 5 minutes with a dough hook on your mixer or 10 minutes on a floured surface.

5.  Place dough in a greased bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit in a warm spot for 1 hour.

6.  While the dough is resting make the filling.  Beat together the brown sugar, butter and cinnamon.
7.  After the dough has rested for 1 hour punch it down and turn it out onto a floured surface.  Roll it out into a 24" by 36" rectangle and spread the filling over the dough evenly with a rubber spatula.  Leave about a 2 inch border around the dough. Reserve 1/2 cup of the filling to spread around the bottom of your baking dish.
8.  Roll the dough tightly around the filling.  It should be about 40 inches.  Cut the dough into 2 inch pieces.  
9.   Spread the remaining butter mixture into the bottom of your baking dish and place the rolls inside.
10.  Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour.  Remove the plastic wrap and bake at 350 degrees for  25 - 30 minutes.
11.   Have a large sheet pan sitting out on your counter.  When the rolls are done baking, invert them onto the sheet pan.  Cool for about 10 minutes and then frost if desired.

Frosting
This frosting is one that I adapted from my Mom.  She makes a delicious red velvet cake with a whipped frosting.
1.  In a saucepan pour in the milk and add the flour.  Whisk the mixture until combined.
2. Place the saucepan over medium to low heat and whisk constantly until the mixture is thick. Remove from the heat and cool.
3. Add the vanilla to the cooled mixture, and stir until combined.
4. Place the brown sugar and butter into a bowl and whip until they are well combined.  Scrap the bowl a couple of  times to make sure everything is mixed together well.
5.   Add the cooled flour mixture (Make sure that it is cool or it will melt the butter sugar mixture) 1 tablespoon at a       time, beating after each addition.  
6.   Whip the mixture on medium to high speed after all the flour mixture has been added for about 2 minutes or until like whipped cream.

Source: ChefTalk for the rolls and Kay V. for the frosting
This recipe has been shared with: 
Buns in my oven
 Back for seconds
 Sugar and dots
DJ's Sugar Shack
Gooseberry patch