My cousin Larry and his wife Lydia recently welcome their first baby (a little girl named Stella!), and I've been enjoying spending time my with adorable little niece and dropping off baked goods for the new parents. When Lydia mentioned cinnamon rolls, I jumped at the opportunity to try Stella Parks' "Homemade Cinnamon Rolls" from BraveTart. I have resisted making these for my office because the recipe says that the rolls should be eaten immediately ("Serve immediately, and leave no survivors; life's too short for day-old cinnamon rolls.") and I didn't want to give my colleagues cinnamon rolls that had been baked the night before. But for Larry and Lydia, I could make these a weekend project.
To make the dough, you mix all-purpose flour, sugar, instant dry yeast, salt, and baking soda; add a mixture of melted butter, milk, and plain Greek yogurt that has been heated to 80 degrees; stir to combine; and knead with a dough hook for 20 minutes. You let the dough rise until puffy and doubled in bulk, and then roll it out into a 13-inch square. Then you spread on a filling made from softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; sprinkle on chopped pecans; roll up the dough; slice the dough into twelve rolls; and place the rolls in a parchment-lined 9-inch by 13-inch pan. After an overnight chill in the refrigerator, you bake the rolls for 45 minutes covered with foil, and then for another 15 minutes uncovered. After taking the rolls out of the oven, you spread on a frosting made from cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar.
My cinnamon rolls were quite dark around the edges -- there were were a few spots that probably crossed into "burned" territory. I eagerly bit into a warm cinnamon roll and it was... fine. I mean, it tasted good and I loved the cinnamon flavor and the crunch of the pecans and the creamy sweet frosting. But I thought the texture was pretty average for a cinnamon roll and I was expecting something very light and fluffy and exceptional.
Don't get me wrong, this is a good cinnamon roll recipe. But Stella is right that these rolls don't have a long shelf life. I re-heated one about 12 hours after baking and it had declined noticeably in quality. Fortunately, Larry and Lydia live close by, so I was able to get them a tray of cinnamon rolls when they were still warm and at their peak. The ability to make the rolls (and filling and frosting) ahead of time are also a big plus, so I can see why Stella recommends this recipe for the holidays when bakers are often busy and need to feed a lot of guests. No one is going to complain it you offer them one of these warm cinnamon rolls!
Recipe: "Homemade Cinnamon Rolls" from BraveTart by Stella Parks, recipe available here at Serious Eats.
To make the dough, you mix all-purpose flour, sugar, instant dry yeast, salt, and baking soda; add a mixture of melted butter, milk, and plain Greek yogurt that has been heated to 80 degrees; stir to combine; and knead with a dough hook for 20 minutes. You let the dough rise until puffy and doubled in bulk, and then roll it out into a 13-inch square. Then you spread on a filling made from softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; sprinkle on chopped pecans; roll up the dough; slice the dough into twelve rolls; and place the rolls in a parchment-lined 9-inch by 13-inch pan. After an overnight chill in the refrigerator, you bake the rolls for 45 minutes covered with foil, and then for another 15 minutes uncovered. After taking the rolls out of the oven, you spread on a frosting made from cream cheese, vanilla, and powdered sugar.
Don't get me wrong, this is a good cinnamon roll recipe. But Stella is right that these rolls don't have a long shelf life. I re-heated one about 12 hours after baking and it had declined noticeably in quality. Fortunately, Larry and Lydia live close by, so I was able to get them a tray of cinnamon rolls when they were still warm and at their peak. The ability to make the rolls (and filling and frosting) ahead of time are also a big plus, so I can see why Stella recommends this recipe for the holidays when bakers are often busy and need to feed a lot of guests. No one is going to complain it you offer them one of these warm cinnamon rolls!
Recipe: "Homemade Cinnamon Rolls" from BraveTart by Stella Parks, recipe available here at Serious Eats.
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