Cinnamon Rolls
Some people like a croissant, or a pain au chocolat, or even a danish. But these are the sweet breakfast treat I always go for. They are soft and sweet and the cream cheese icing adds a great tang.
Method
Warm the milk in a microwave for 40 seconds until it is about 40ºC (like a comforting bath).
Put the warm milk into a mixing bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top.
Add in the granulated sugar, whole egg, egg yolk, and melted butter. Mix until well combined.
Stir in flour and salt with a wooden spoon until a dough begins to form.
Put the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes (or use a dough hook on your mixer on a low speed). The dough should form into a soft, smooth and slightly sticky ball.
Oil your mixing bowl and put the dough ball inside. Cover with cling film and allow the dough to rise for 60-90 minutes until it has doubled in size.
Use your fingers to gently knock back your dough and transfer onto a well floured surface. Roll out into a rectangle about 25cm by 35cm.
Spread the soft butter for the filling over dough, leaving a small gap around the sides.
In a small bowl, mix together soft brown sugar and cinnamon. Use your hands to sprinkle this mixture over the buttered dough, then pat the brown sugar mixture into the butter.
Tightly roll dough up, starting from the one of the short sides. As you get to the end, dampen the dough with water and finish seam side down making sure to seal the edges of the dough.
Trim each end to neaten them up and cut into about 1 inch sections. A serrated knife is perfect for this. You should get 9-10 large pieces.
Line a baking dish with baking parchment and place cinnamon rolls in coiled side up. Cover with cling film and let them rise again for 30-45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 180ºC. Remove the cling film and bake for 20-25 minutes or until just slightly golden brown on the top and edges. Allow them to cool for 5-10 minutes whilst you make the icing.
Icing
In a bowl combine all the ingredients and beat until smooth and fluffy. Transfer the rolls to a wire rack (they should come out in one piece) and thickly spread over with your icing and serve immediately.
Ingredients
Rolls
175ml milk
2 1/4 teaspoons active dried yeast
1 whole egg and 1 egg yolk
50g granulated sugar
60g butter, melted
400g strong, white bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
Filling
120g dark soft brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
60g softened butter
Icing
110g cream cheese
50g softened butter
90g icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Top Tips
Light soft brown sugar works well in this recipe too, or even Demerara sugar. But dark soft brown sugar gives such a great caramelised flavour.
I prefer these slightly undercooked to overcooked in order to keep them nice and soft, so if in doubt bring them out a little early.
You can pimp them up by adding in some raisins or sultanas soaked in a small amount of dark rum until they are plump!
You can substitute the active dried yeast for fresh yeast in this recipe. Just use 4 1/2 teaspoons instead.
These are best eaten fresh and still warm, but will keep in an airtight container for a couple of days.
