Yum!!!
She has a bread machine, which I stubbornly refuse to purchase, in which she mixes her dough, but the shaping, of course, has to be done by hand. I figured the recipe would work just as well mixed in my Kitchenaid mixer, so I persuaded her to share it with me.
I haven't been disappointed yet. /licks fingers
I still make them infrequently, but they have been incorporated into our family traditions. Twice a year, when our church holds its general conference sessions in April and October, broadcast over the Internet, satellite, etc., I make them for Sunday morning breakfast.
(Ok, so I make them Saturday night, because I don't want to get up early in the morning for a yeast dough . . .)
So here is my sister's recipe:
Cinnamon Rolls
1 cup water
1 large egg
3 1/4 cups bread flour (I use all-purpose, but I can't tell you the exact quantity, because I use a mixer.)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. dry milk
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 tsp. active dry yeast (My brand of yeast starts to taste really "yeasty" if I put in as much as most recipes call for, so I only used 1 tsp. Get to know your yeast; it really makes a big difference.)
(You will need more butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon later on, so get them out, but ignore them for the time being.)
Her recipe tells me to add it to a bread machine (*ack*, *gag*) and select the dough cycle. My method is a little different . . .
As a side note, I've got to tell you about what ended up being the best bridal shower gift ever. Here it is:
Yes, that really is a composition notebook with contact paper on it. Inside were a few favorite family recipes from the sweet lady who prepared this book. Since that time, I have written or pasted myriad recipes on its pages, numbering the pages and noting in the back of the book where everything is by food category. Here is the page with the cinnamon rolls:
Obviously, there are some favorite recipes on those pages . . .
Anyway, gather the ingredients and prepare to begin . . .
Yes, I buy store brands whenever possible. Luckily for me, most breads I have made so far are not that picky. The canning jar contains my yeast, which I store in the freezer. In this way, I can be reasonably sure it is still good when I want to use it.
Success in bread recipes with yeast is all about temperature. If the water you use is too hot, it will kill your yeast, but if the water is too cold, you will be waiting forever for your dough to rise. (Long rising is actually used in some recipes, but not in this one.) The water should be lukewarm, just a touch over your body temperature, roughly 110 degrees Fahrenheit. If you take a dry finger and put it in the water, it should feel ever-so-slightly warm, but not bathwater warm.
Dissolve your yeast in the lukewarm water. This can be done either in a cup or in the mixer, such as I did this time.
After the yeast is dissolved, start adding the other ingredients, except the flour. If you intend to use the bread hook throughout the process, as I did, I highly suggest beating the egg before adding it.
Mix and start adding the flour. The first cup can pretty much be added all at once. After that . . . be a little more careful. The dough will progress to something like this:
As more flour is added, the dough will start to make more of a ball around the hook, while still sticking to the bottom of the bowl. At this point, keep adding flour, but only do it a little at a time--just enough to persuade the dough to stop sticking to the bottom of the bowl and clean up the sides a bit. Finally, you will end up with something like this:
At this stage, tap flour a little at a time to keep the ball of dough from sticking while you allow the dough to knead, roughly five minutes or so.
Turn the mixer to the lowest speed, drizzle a little vegetable oil down the inside of the bowl, and allow the ball of dough to move around the bowl one or two times. Stop the mixer, remove the bread hook from the machine, and scrape (with your fingers--it's easier that way) the dough down off the dough hook. Twirl the ball of dough to evenly spread the oil around and turn it upside down, so the greased side of the dough is up.
Time to rise:
Cover the bowl with paper towels or a very clean dishtowel, and walk away. Check back in about an hour, or if the room is warmer, perhaps a little sooner. You want the dough to about double in size.
After the dough has risen, prepare your working surface by sprinkling it with flour.
Now it's time for that more butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Melt the butter (I do it in the microwave) and mix 1/2 cup brown sugar with 1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon. (You can add more cinnamon if you want it more spicy.)
Turn your dough out on the floured board and roll it in a long rectangle (about 8-9 inches by 16-18 inches). Spread the melted butter on the dough and sprinkle on the cinnamon-brown sugar mixture.
Roll the dough from the long end.
(Obviously, I need a bigger board . . .)
Cut the rolled dough into 1 to 1 1/4 inch rolls.
Spray a large baking sheet with nonstick spray or grease it with shortening. Place the rolls on the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart.
Cover the tray lightly with a damp towel (or paper towels) and allow the rolls to rise in a warm place about 45 minutes or until they've doubled in size. (I rise them on the stove and turn on the oven to a low temperature, then preheat it as the rolls get closer to the end of their rising time. Just make sure the tray is not sitting on top of the unit which vents the oven. Bad idea.)
The rolls should be baked at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-13 minutes or until very lightly browned.
Here they are! After they have cooled, they can be iced, but I prefer to drizzle a simple glaze over them while they are still warm (but not hot). The glaze is made with 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 Tablespoons milk, and about a half teaspoon of vanilla. Simple--mix it up and drizzle over the rolls.
Yum, yum . . . The glaze adds just the right amount of sweetness. Sit back and watch the rolls disappear!
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