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Amish Cinnamon Rolls


Course Breakfast
Cuisine American
Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 22 minutes
Proof Time 2 hours 15 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 22 minutes
Servings 12 people
Close up of iced cinnamon rolls on a pan.

This recipe for Homemade Cinnamon Rolls is made with instant potato flakes to create un ultra soft texture you won't be able to resist. Cream is poured over them for gooeyness and then a thick cream cheese icing makes them over the top yummy!

Ingredients  

Dough

  • cups bread flour 553g, spooned and leveled, plus extra if the dough is sticky
  • ¾ cup instant mashed potato flakes 60g, plain variety
  • ¼ cup powdered milk 35g
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar 56g
  • teaspoons instant yeast (one packet)
  • 1 teaspoon bread salt or salt
  • cups whole milk 420ml, room temperature
  • 2 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 additional large egg yolks room temperature
  • 6 tablespoons salted butter 84g, softened
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil for coating the proofing pan

Filling

Topping

Icing


Instructions

Dough

  • In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment, mix together 4¼ cups bread flour, ¾ cup instant mashed potato flakes, ¼ cup powdered milk, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast, and 1 teaspoon bread salt.
    Dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
  • Add in 1¾ cups whole milk, 2 large eggs, and 2 additional large egg yolks and mix for 15 seconds.
    Milk and eggs being added to dry ingredients to make cinnamon roll dough.
  • Mix in the melted 6 tablespoons salted butter until thoroughly combined and the mixture resembles sticky dough.
    Dough in a mixing bowl resting.
  • Cover the dough and let it rest in the bowl for 20 minutes.
  • After resting, knead for about 8 minutes at medium-high speed (speed 6 on a stand mixer) until smooth and elastic. Resist the urge to add additional flour until the end.
  • When the dough is ready, it should feel tacky (but not sticky) and pliable. Add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed, mixing for about 30 seconds after each addition.
  • Brush 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil on a 9x13-inch pan and turn your dough out into it (you can spray with a nonstick spray instead). Rotate the dough so it’s oiled on all sides, then cover it with cling wrap and let it rise somewhere warm. It should double in size within 45 to 60 minutes in a warm home or 75 to 90 minutes in air conditioning. Note that the dough will expand out in the pan instead of up a lot like it would in a bowl. Using a pan helps it form a square shape, which makes it easier to roll.
  • Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down in the center, then transfer it to a lightly floured surface.
    Dough being punched dough in a 9x13-inch baking pan.
  • Roll it out into a 16x18-inch rectangle measuring; it doesn’t have to be exact. This Pastry Mat and Pastry Wheel Cutter are really helpful for the roll and cutting process!
  • Line a large 12x17-inch rimmed baking pan with parchment paper. Set to the side.

Filling

  • Partially melt ½ cup salted butter in the microwave for 15 seconds, then use a pastry brush to stir and brush the butter all over the surface of the dough. Yes, we are partially melting already room temperature butter because this allows us to do a quick partial melt and stir the butter into a creamy paste-like consistency for brushing. You don't want to use all melted butter for this step because it's too thin and won't hold the filling in as well.
    Butter being brushed on dough.
  • In a medium bowl, stir together 1 cup dark brown sugar, 2 tablespoons corn starch, 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon salt with a fork until mixed.
    Cinnamon roll filling in a white bowl.
  • Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the butter, and leave a ½ to 1-inch border at one of the shorter ends. Then, use a rolling pin to roll over and press the sugar into the dough.
    A rolling pin roll over cinnamon roll filling.
  • Use a pizza or pastry cutter to cut the dough into 12 strips about 1⅓-inch wide, with the cuts starting from the shorter (16-inch) side of the dough.
    A pastry cutter rolling through cinnamon roll dough.
  • Roll up each strip of dough to create a pinwheel, starting with the fully sugared end, making sure it's fairly tight, then securing with the exposed buttered end without sugar on it. You can brush more butter onto the outside of the roll if needed to secure the end.
    Cinnamon roll strips being rolled up.
  • Place the rolls on the parchment-lined baking pan with a little space between.
    Overhead of a sheet pan of cinnamon rolls ready to rise.
  • Pour ¾ cup heavy cream over the top of the cinnamon rolls right before covering for their second rise, about 1 tablespoon over each roll. (You can skip this step if desired and carry on with the recipe with no additional changes).
    Heavy cream bring poured over cinnamon rolls.
  • Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and allow to rise for 20 to 30 minutes before baking, they won't quite double in size. Preheat the oven to 350ºF while the rolls do their second rise; this ensures the rolls can go straight into the oven when they are and will not overproof because they're waiting for the oven.
  • Bake the rolls on the lowest rack of the oven for 18 to 22 minutes or until golden brown. When done, the center of the rolls should read 190°F on an instant-read thermometer. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool.

Icing

  • Prepare the icing by creaming 4 ounces cream cheese in a medium bowl.
  • Then add the melted ¼ cup salted butter, 2 cup powdered sugar, ½ cup heavy cream, ½ tablespoon vanilla bean paste, and ⅛ teaspoon salt until smooth. You can add a little extra heavy cream if you want it thinner, but the heat from the rolls helps it soften and soak in.
    Cream cheese icing in a glass mixing bowl.
  • Use a rubber spatula or spoon to spread the icing over the top of the warm rolls. This is a lot of icing, but it should absorb down into the swirls of the rolls, making them extra gooey.
    Close up of iced cinnamon rolls on a pan.

Notes

  • Keep a close eye on the proofing and baking of these rolls; if they are over-proofed, they can puff up so much that they squeeze some of the cream/butter out over the rim of the pan while baking.

Nutrition

Calories: 553kcal | Carbohydrates: 72g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 98mg | Sodium: 264mg | Potassium: 203mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 889IU | Vitamin C: 0.4mg | Calcium: 126mg | Iron: 1mg

Find it online: www.sugarandsoul.co/amish-cinnamon-rolls/