easiest cinnamon rolls – smitten kitchen

Make dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Whisk in yeast and let it rest for one minute before continuing. Add 4 1/2 cups (585 grams) of the flour and mix with a spoon or dough whisk (I have this one) until all flour is moistened. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warmish spot to rise for 1 hour, or until doubled.

While dough rises, get everything else ready: Cut butter or margarine into cubes and place on a plate so it’s softened by the time the dough has risen. Combine dark brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl and set aside. Prepare your baking pan(s), either one 9×13-inch pan, 2 9-inch round cake pans, or 2 8-inch square cake pans by coating the sides and corners with butter or nonstick spray. Line the bottom of each pan with a piece of parchment.

Assemble rolls: Once dough has doubled, stir in remaining 1/2 cup (65 grams) flour and turn dough out onto a well-floured counter. Flour the top of the dough and roll into a large rectangle, about 20 inches wide (the side in front of you) and as deep as you can comfortably stretch it, keeping it about 1/2-inch thick.

Spread dough with softened butter. Sprinkle evenly with brown sugar mixture. Roll the dough away from you into a tight coil. I find that the dough always stretches longer as I roll it but if yours hasn’t, you can gently stretch it closer to a 24″ log.

Cut log into 12 or 16 even segments. 12 will make classic, generously-sized buns, as shown here. 16 will make more of a muffin-sized bun, and for some reason, smaller pans always look better to me with 8 buns in each.

If you’re baking the buns now: Let buns rest at room temperature for 30 minutes to finish proofing. Heat oven to 350°F.

If you’re baking the buns tomorrow morning: Lightly coat a piece (or pieces) of plastic with nonstick spray, cover your pan(s), and transfer them to the fridge to chill overnight. You can bake them directly from the fridge in the morning.

Bake the buns: For 25 minutes, or until golden at edges and a toothpick inserted into the center of a few buns will come out with cinnamon goo on it, but not stretchy, uncooked dough.

While the buns bake, make your glaze: In a large bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth.

Finish and eat: When buns come out of the oven, cool on a rack for 5 minutes, then spoon cream cheese glaze on each. Eat right away, which I hope nobody was waiting for my permission to do.