They See Me Rolling, They Hating

(above) A Cinnamon Roll with Icing

Did you get the title reference? It's the first line of Chamillionare's "Ridin'". I was torn between using these lyrics and Wierd Al's parody (White & Nerdy), where the title would have been "They see me roll on my Segway!" Anyway, brownie points if you got the pun.

We're making cinnamon rolls! Exciting stuff. This recipe is perfect and the rolls are so soft and cinnamony. I'm going to stash some away in the freezer (un-iced, of course) for a rainy day.

(above) Proofing yeast.

Proofing yeast is just mixing yeast, sugar, and warm water together and leaving it for a while to allow the carbon dioxide to be released (the yeast makes your dough rise). It should look foamy and disgusting. If it doesn't foam up after 10 minutes, its not even worth your time - your dough will not rise and you'll end up with cinnamon spiraled hockey pucks. Get a new packet of yeast and start over.

(above) The first rise.

The picture above is of the dough before it rises. Bread dough is amazing and yeast is magical. Come back after an hour and you'll be shocked at how much it rises.

(above) Cinnamon sugar sprinkling time.

(above) Cinnamon rolls after the second rise.

After the dough was rolled up, I cut it using floss. Yes, dental floss. Just wrap it around the log, tie a knot, and pull at both ends. This creates round rolls. If you cut them with a knife, you'll get semicircle rolls - not attractive. Oh, from the photo above, can you tell I was beginning to run out of pans?

(above) Cinnamon rolls fresh out of the oven.


(above) A cinnamon roll with icing.

I'm still deciding between simple icing (icing sugar and milk) and cream cheese icing. It's a tough call! I'm pretty terrible at making decisions, so I compromised by adding just a little softened cream cheese to simple icing.

(above) Cinnamon rolls bagged and ready for the freezer!

Quick breads are supposed to freeze pretty well for 2-3 months. I think its a good idea to freeze a bunch for a quick breakfast or snack.

The recipe was adapted from Allrecipe's Ooey-Gooey Cinnamon Rolls

Cinnamon Rolls
Makes around 15 rolls

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon white sugar
0.2 ounces instant yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon (add a teaspoon more if you are crazy about cinnamon)
1/4 cup softened butter

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, dissolve 1 teaspoon sugar and yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy and foamy, about 10 minutes. Warm the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Mix in 1/4 cup sugar, 1/4 cup butter and salt; stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.

2. In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture, milk mixture, eggs and 1 1/2 cup flour; stir well to combine. Stir in the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Add a splash of milk if the dough seems too dry. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes.

3. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

4. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. Combine 3/4 cup brown sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

5. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface, roll into an 18x14 inch rectangle. Brush with 2 tablespoons softened butter, leaving 1/2 inch border uncovered; sprinkle with brown sugar cinnamon mixture. Starting at long side, tightly roll up, pinching seam to seal. Brush with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Using dental floss (tie around the log and pull to cut), cut into 15 pieces; place cut side down, in prepared pan. Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in volume. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

6. Bake in preheated oven for 12 - 17 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool in pan for 1 minute, then invert onto serving platter. Iced if desired.