No doubt it’s become obvious that food is one of my favorite ways to remember and honor loved ones. Cinnamon rolls are one of those foods. I had a great aunt in Nebraska whose cinnamon rolls are a cherished memory.
Visiting Aunt Marie was like going to a great-grandmother’s house. My maternal great-grandmother died when my grandmother and her twin sister were five. There were a total of eight siblings in that family. Some of them were almost grown, and the youngest was 3. I never did hear the exact reason, but Uncle Ever (eever) and his wife Marie adopted the twins. They were treated as if they were born to their uncle and aunt. That good relationship was extended to my mom and later to me and my brother.
We weren’t able to visit every summer, but there were several trips from east Colorado to central Nebraska when I was growing up. My mom had many cousins she visited, and we often stayed with some of Grandma’s sisters. (All excellent cooks) Then we stayed at least a couple of nights with Uncle Ever and Aunt Marie. Being on our best behavior was a given when we were there. Uncle Ever always seemed like a crotchety gentleman, but he did come from a generation where children better mind their manners. (He was also a WWI vet. It may have had something to do with his seeming grumpiness.) Aunt Marie didn’t stand any nonsense either, but I really looked forward to staying at their house. She was a tiny, feisty lady who enjoyed telling family stories. And she made delicious things for breakfast, like Swedish pancakes and cinnamon rolls. Despite having arthritis for many years she made her dough from scratch. I was in middle school when mixing and kneading became too much for her hands, but she still managed to wield a rolling pin. At that point she concluded there was no shame in frozen bread dough, and she still made cinnamon rolls for our visits.
The following recipe probably isn’t exactly like Aunt Marie’s, but it should share the same characteristics. Sweet roll doughs are known as enriched, meaning they contain dairy and/or eggs. They also have more sugar than dough baked into loaves or sandwich rolls. I usually use this recipe for sandwich rolls and use sweet (reg.) milk, but it’s very versatile. It does contain less sugar and butter than many sweet roll doughs. However, I promise you won’t miss them. Bread flour and a smaller quantity of butter means a dough easily capable of doubling itself. And baking into light, fluffy rolls.
I don’t plan to make many product recommendations on this blog, but I highly recommend King Arthur’s Bread Flour. I’ve had the best luck with it when it comes to rising sky high. Using instant yeast is the best way to have a no-fail rise. I usually use SAF, but have to order it because I haven’t found it locally. I recently found Fleischmann’s instant yeast at Sam’s Club. Both brands come in one pound pkgs. At Sam’s you get 2 pkgs. sold together. It sounds like a lot of yeast, but instant yeast isn’t bothered by storage in the freezer. It can be used directly from the freezer, it works in recipes with lukewarm liquids and tolerates up to 130°. Buying the 1 lb. pkgs. is the most economical way to purchase yeast. If you try bread baking and do it regularly, I highly recommend buying the yeast measuring spoon from King Arthur Flour. It is the equivalent of a yeast packet and makes it easy to use your bulk yeast for any recipe calling for packets.
7 c. Bread Flour
½ c. Sugar
4 ½ tsp. Instant Yeast (2 pkgs. yeast)
1 tsp.Salt
2 c. Buttermilk
4 tbsp. Butter, melted
4 Egg yolks (room temp)
These directions are for a stand mixer, but at the point where the dough goes under the hook, it can be thoroughly mixed by hand with a sturdy wood spoon and turned onto a floured surface for hand kneading. Place 6 cups of flour and the next three ingredients in the mixing bowl. Gently stir them together. Measure the buttermilk into a glass measuring cup, add the butter and heat just enough to melt the butter. Use a thermometer to double check the liquid temp. Make sure it doesn’t exceed 130°. If using active dry yeast the temp. shouldn’t exceed 110 - 115° (check pkg. directions), and it will have be dissolved in a small amount of liquid and sugar before adding to the other ingredients.(proofing) If it isn’t getting foamy and bubbly, the yeast is dead. Add the milk/butter to the dry ingredients and stir until the dough starts looking a little shaggy. Add the egg yolks at this point. By now, the temp. of the liquid should be cool enough that the yolks won’t cook and become lumpy. It’s OK if it seems like you can’t reach the flour at the bottom of the bowl. After the rough mix by hand, let the dough sit about 5 min. so it has some time to hydrate.
For those with a stand mixer this is the point where you attach the bowl and let the dough hook finish mixing and kneading. As the hook first begins its work, you will see the dough start to wrap around it. If the dough suddenly collapses to the bottom of the bowl, you need more flour. Before adding any, turn off the mixer, lower the bowl or raise the hook, and use a bowl scraper or spatula to work your way to the bottom of the bowl. Make sure there isn’t any flour trapped at the bottom. Use the spatula to roughly work the flour into the dough. Restart the mixer and watch the dough. Once all the flour is incorporated, if the dough is still collapsing or a lot of it isn’t coming away from the mixing bowl, add more at ¼ cup each time. Make sure all additions are absorbed before adding more. When the magic quantity has been reached, the dough will “clean” the bowl. There will be small streaks of dough on the bowl, but you should be able to see the bottom. Leave the dough under the hook for at least 6 min. to knead. It should be firm and slightly sticky to the touch. Place the dough in a large, oiled bowl. Roll it around to coat with oil and cover with plastic wrap. Set aside to rise in a warm place. When it’s doubled in size, poke your finger in the middle. If the dough springs back, it’s not done rising. Check again in half an hour. (Want to spread your bread making out over a couple days? After kneading, put the dough in an oiled container with a tight lid, and place in the refrigerator. Use the dough within 4 days. That’s the beauty of using instant yeast. It takes any bread recipe and makes it compatible with the cold fermentation process. Just set out long enough to reach room temp. before using.)
Yields 24 rolls: To make cinnamon rolls, punch the dough down and form into a ball. Place it on a floured surface or silicone baking mat. Cut in half and place one piece back in the greased bowl, covered. Shape the first piece into a rectangle, then roll at least 12” wide. Roll it as long as necessary to get close to ¼” thickness. (You want as many layers as possible for cinnamon and sugar.) After rolling, spread soft or melted butter over the dough. Sprinkle liberally with brown sugar and cinnamon. To shape the dough into cinnamon rolls, make sure one of the short (12”) sides is facing you. Work up about a 1” deep strip and fold it over the filling. From one end to the other, keep working the dough over on its self until you have 12” long log with a spiral of filling in the middle. Cut the log in half, then cut in half again. Each quarter should yield (3) 1” rolls. Place rolls in a greased 9” x 13” baking pan, spirals of filling facing up – 3 rolls wide (9”), 4 rolls deep (12”). Coat surface with cooking spray and cover with a kitchen towel. (No terrycloth). They should be level with the top of the pan when done rising. Heat the oven to 375°. Bake for 20-25 min. They may need to be rotated halfway into the baking time to ensure even color. The tops of the rolls will be golden brown when done.
Use your favorite icing or cream cheese frosting. The rolls should cool some first, but it’s OK, and even desirable to frost them while warm. They’re at their yummy best when the topping melts a bit into all the crevices.
Now that I’m coming to the end of it, I see this has become a long post. I make bread rather than buying store-bought, so I have these steps down where I can make dough very quickly. Don’t let yourself be intimidated. Practice will eventually have you making from-scratch cinnamon rolls with a minimum of fuss. Just like anything homemade, they are so very worth the effort. You never know what kind of impression your rolls might make on someone.
The Project Queen
P.S. – Is there something on this blog you would like to see as video instruction, like bread making? Don’t be shy and let me know. Public speaking and making videos aren’t necessarily my best talents, but they might benefit from practice. = )
No comments:
Post a Comment