Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Prep Tine: 2 hrs Cook Time: 14 Mins Total Time: 2 hrs 14 mins

Serving: 12 cinnamon rolls

Dough:

1 cup warm milk

1 Tbsp instant dry yeast

2 Tbsp white granulated sugar

1 tsp salt

3 Tbsp salted butter, softened

1 large egg

3 cups all-purpose flour

Filling:

½ cup salted butter, melted

1 cup brown sugar

2 Tbsp ground cinnamon

Glaze:

4 oz cream cheese, softened

¼ cup salted butter, softened

1 to 1 ½ cups powdered sugar

½ tsp vanilla extract

1 to 2 tbsp milk

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine warm milk, yeast, sugar, salt, butter, and eggs. Add in flour. Using a dough hook, turn the mixer on to a low speed.
2. Once the flour starts to incorporate into the dough, increase the speed to a medium range. Add more flour as necessary so that the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough mixture should be tacky, but not stick to your hands. It should be soft. Add more or less flour until the dough reaches the desired consistency. The amount of flour you add in bread making is always an approximation and you should go by feel.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased mixing bowl. Cover with a towel and let rise until double in size, about 1 hour.
4. Lightly grease a baking sheet. Punch down the dough and roll into a 12 inch by 18 inch rectangle.
5. Brush the dough with ½ cup melted butter. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle on top of the melted butter. Roll up tightly lengthwise so you have one long roll. Use plain dental floss or a sharp knife to cut the dough into 12 one-inch slices.
6. Place the slices onto a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Cover an let rise 30 to 45 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Bake the rolls for about 14 minutes, until just kissed with brown on top.
8. While the cinnamon rolls are baking, make the cream cheese glaze by using a hand mixer to whip together cream cheese and butter in a bowl until light and fluffy. Whip in powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Add enough milk to achieve a drizzle-like consistency.
9. Frost the rolls while still warm. Serve immediately or cool and store. Stays good for 4 to 5 days.

Notes:

Some have reported under cooked rolls. Cooking time is dependent on the size of your rolls. You should cook the rolls until they have just a kiss of brown on the top. If they don't have a kiss of brown, they probably aren't done. Cooking time may be upwards of 18-20 minutes.

Make Ahead instructions:

These cinnamon rolls can easily be make ahead. For best results, choose one of the following two methods.

Overnight Instructions: After you've rolled and cut your cinnamon rolls and placed them into your lightly greased baking pan, cover with plastic wrap and place in your refrigerator. The next day, remove them from the fridge and allow them to come to room temperature (about 45 minutes to an hour depending on the temperature of your house) before baking.

Freezer Instructions: Roll and cut your cinnamon rolls and place several inches apart on a baking sheet to freeze rolls individually. Once frozen, transfer to a resealable plastic freezer bag. When ready to bake, place in a lightly greased baking dish and allow to come to room temperature before baking.