Cinnamon Rolls

It was summers. We planned for a short road trip. And traveling with a baby is like one needs to have all the arrangements for some quick refreshments. And what better than having something home-made.

As soon as the plan got finalized, I started thinking of options as to what refreshments I could carry. I needed something which was healthy, filling, fresh, and home-made and yes, most importantly my boy’s favorite.

Cinnamon rolls! I thought would be the best option and so I started preparing them for our trip. You know what, all others on the trip loved them and wanted me to bake another batch for the when we returned.

Kids had rolls with their cup of milk and the elders with their tea or coffee.

Here is how I prepare them.

Cinnamon Rolls
Yield	15 rolls
Baking Temperature	160 degrees celsius
Baking time	15-20 mins
Dough
Ingredients	In cups	In ml
Water	1/4 cup	59.12 ml
Whole milk	1 cup	236.5 ml
Butter Unsalted	1/2 cup	113 gms
Egg Large	1 1/4
Vanilla flavoring (preferably alcohol free)/ vanilla bean
Salt	1/2 tsp
Sugar(preferably superfine granulated )	1/2 cup	101.47 gms
Unbleached white flour	4 1/2 cups	675 gms
Gluten	1 tbsp
Active dry yeast	7 gms

Filling
Light Brown sugar	1 cup	192 gms
Cinnamon	5 tbsp
Margarine	1/2 cup	113 gms
Cream Cheese Frosting
Cream Cheese		113 gms
Margarine/butter	1/2 cup	113 gms
Powdered Sugar	1 3/4 cup	226 gms
Vanilla flavor		1 tsp
Lemon Flavor		1/8 tsp
Caramel Sauce
Granulated Sugar	2 1/4 cups	455 gms
Water	1/3 cup	80 ml
Lemon Juice	1.2 tsp	2.5 ml
Light Corn syrup	2 tbsp	30 ml
Heavy Cream	1 1/2cups	360 ml
Unsalted Butter	1/4 cup	55 gms

Method

1. Bring the whole milk and eggs to room temperature. Split the vanilla bean into half (lengthwise) and scrape out the seeds and add the seeds to the milk.

2. Activate the active dry yeast by mixing with little warm water.

3. Pour the liquids into the bowl of a 5 quarts stand mixer. Add the flour, activated yeast, sugar, salt and lemon zest. Mix at low speed until the dough comes together. Scrape the dough down off the hook from time to time if necessary.

4. Soften the cold butter by hammering it with a rolling pin (placed in between two parchment sheets).
Increase the mixing speed to medium and slowly start adding the softened butter in stages making sure butter is fully incorporated.

5. Keep on mixing the dough till it is fully done and the gluten window pane test is done. Place the dough in a bowl sprinkled with flour and cover it to ferment for one and half hours until double in size.

6. After the fermentation, either start rolling it for making rolls else place in refrigerator for overnight fermentation which I always prefer to do for a better taste and elasticity of the dough.

Baking Day

1. Remove the dough from the refrigerator.

2. Mean time, prepare the filling. Mix all the brown sugar and cinnamon.

3. Roll it to 15″ by 24″ rectangle (38 cms by 61 cms) or as close to the size as you can. This will take some patience and practice.

4. Spread the room temperature margarine/butter with a spatula on to the dough leaving 1 ” edge on the wide dimension of the dough which should be kept clean.

5. Sprinkle the cinnamon and brown sugar filling on to the buttered dough. Use rolling pin to press the filling.

6. Start rolling out the dough like a roll from the closer end towards you and keep on rolling till you achieve a log shape . Make sure to brush 1″ edge with water to seal the log properly.

7. Cut the log in 1 1/2 inch sections with a knife or using a dental floss which works wonders and give sharp and neat cuts. Place the rolls in a baking tray leaving one inch gap in between and keep it in a warm place to proof.

8. After proofing, bake at slow heat @160 degrees Celsius for 15-20 minutes to get softer rolls until and unless you like your rolls with hard crust.

9. Prepare cream cheese frosting by mixing all the ingredients together with paddle attachment in a bowl of  stand mixer. Pour the frosting to a closed container and keep it refrigerated.

10. Take out the rolls from oven once baked , pour the room temperature cream cheese frosting on the very warm rolls. You can take out the frosting from the refrigerator when the rolls are in oven to bring it down to room temperature.

Serving

I prefer to eat my cinnamon rolls with loads of caramel sauce on top of it with generous sprinkling of roasted crushed pecans/walnuts. Follow my recipe below on how to prepare caramel sauce

Caramel sauce

Place sugar water and lemon juice in heavy bottomed small saucepan. Bring to boil. Brush down the sides of the pan with a clean brush dipped in water. Add the glucose/corn syrup and cook over medium heat until the syrup reached a golden amber color.
Meanwhile, when the syrup is boiling, pour your fresh cream into a bowl and mix it to remove any lumps.
Remove the pan from the heat once you have attained golden amber color and add heavy cream slowly and slowly. Be very careful while you pour cream to hot caramel. Stir it to mix the cream to hot caramel and put back to heat if the sauce is not smooth and stir it continuously to get rid of any lumps.
Take the pan off the heat and add the softened butter. Keep on stirring until the butter has melted
and sauce is smooth.

Reincarnating Raipur congratulates Sugar Blush on their success. We sincerely thank Ms. Niharika for sharing her story, her experience and her recipe with us.