Sweet Rolls

I rarely make cinnamon rolls for one simple reason - I have a hard time resisting them. I'd feel OK about making them if I could just eat one...like that's going to happen.

But I made a batch because

• It was Easter Sunday and my girls were home, so there were more of us to eat a batch.
• I made challah dough from the Artisan Bread Book last Tuesday with Erin and Sarah
• And the said challah dough was still in the fridge and needed to be baked off.

So you see,

I HAD TO BAKE THESE ROLLS.  And yes, these were wonderful... fluffy and rich, buttery and crunchy sweet.   And yes, I ate more than one.

My favorite part of the cinnamon roll is not the creamy frosting with it's vanilla flavor profile, or the rich challah dough, or even the frosting that I made with real butter and cream.  My favorite part of the cinnamon roll is the crunchy bottom where the sugar has caramelized just below the pillowy pastry.  Maybe I should just cut off the bottom and eat that part.  As I said before, like that's going to happen.  

Challah Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:

1 ¾ cup lukewarm water

1 1/2 Tablespoons granulated yeast

1 ½ Tablespoons Kosher salt

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

½ cup honey

½ cup unsalted butter, melted

7 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

1/2 cup of butter, softened

½ cup of granulated sugar

½ cup of brown sugar

2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon

Frosting:

4 cups of confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar)

½ cup of butter, softened

1Tablespoon of real vanilla extract

Small amount of cream or milk

Mixing and storing the dough:

Mix the yeast, salt, eggs, honey, and melted butter (or oil) with water in a 6- quart bowl, or a lidded (not airtight) food container.

Using a spoon or a heavy duty stand mixer with a dough hook, mix the flour into the ingredients from step 1. without kneading. If you’re not using a machine, you may need to use wet hands to mix in the last bit of flour.

Cover (not air tight) and allow the dough to rest at room temperature until the dough rises and collapses (or flattens on top), about 2 hours.

The dough can be used immediately after the first rise, though it is easier to handle when cold. Refrigerate in a lidded container and use over the next 5 days. Beyond 5 days, freeze in 1-pound portions in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks. Defrost frozen dough overnight in the refrigerator before using. Allow the usual rest and rise time.

Rolling out the dough into rolls and baking them:

Roll out the dough into a 10” x 14” rectangle. Spread with softened butter. Sprinkle with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. Roll up jelly-roll style starting from the longest side of the rectangle. Pinch seam together. Cut into slices with dental floss. Set in a greased pan and cover. Let rise until double in size.

Preheat the oven to 375º F. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool.

For Frosting: Cream the butter until fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar. Add vanilla, pinch of salt, and cream or milk to achieve desired spreading consistency and fluffiness. Frost.