BIG BATCH Cinnamon Rolls

These are the most delicious cinnamon rolls I have ever tasted and I just put 7 pans in the freezer and kept out 3 for the weekend!

I found an extra jar of Vietnamese Cinnamon in my pantry the other day and have since had the notion to make Cinnamon Rolls.  I don't have to be frugal with it as there is plenty to last while I order more from King Arthur Flour Company as I like theirs the best of any I have tried. 

To date my favorite recipe was one I posted, "Cinnamon Rolls made with Cream Cheese Layers." on 4/15/12.  But, I have been anxious to adapt this new one made by REE Drummond, The Pioneer Woman on the food network.  She baked these and gave them as gifts during Christmas.  I loved that is is a huge recipe and that she flavored the frosting with Maple and black coffee.  Two of my favorite flavors together!  I know from past experience you can freeze the unbaked or partially baked yeast dough and pull them out and finish as needed.  Also her recipes, as are those of The Iowa Housewife,  (sisters Sue and Myrna) and Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa  always good and flexible enough to be adapted to my families preferences and my ways of doing things.

If I were to rave about results this one would be at the top of the list!   The dough is easy but very slack which results in a very soft roll.  The dough is easy to work with and rolled out perfectly.  They are most delicious, in fact they are the best cinnamon roll I have ever tasted!  Couple that with the flexibility of being able to either refrigerate the dough and use for up to three days or make one mess and have enough to stock the freezer with 10 pans of 7 each of yummy cinnamon rolls.  I already sent a text message to our out of town son promising to pull a couple pf pans from the freezer and let them thaw as I drive for my next trip to visit him and the twins.

Ingredients for Big Batch Cinnamon Rolls: 

1 quart of 2% milk
1 C. canola oil
1 C. sugar
4 1/2 t. instant yeast (or 2 pkg. active day)
9 C. flour + more for rolling on the work surface
2 t. baking powder
3/4  t. baking soda
1  T. salt

Ingredients for Cinnamon Filling:

2  1/4 C. melted butter
1/2 C. packed brown sugar
1/4 C. Vietnamese Cinnamon
1 1/2 C. sugar + more if needed

Ingredients for Maple Glaze:

2 pounds powdered sugar
3/4  C. 2% milk
6 T. melted butter
1 t. espresso powder (or instant coffee powder)
pinch of salt
2 t. maple flavoring

First to make the dough heat the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a sauce pan over medium or low heat until warmed and the sugar is dissolved.  Remove from the heat and cool to no more than 115 degrees F.    Meanwhile take a very large glass bowl or crock, something heavy that will hold the warmth, and set it in the sink.  Fill it to the top with very hot water from your tap and just leave it while you go to the next step.  Sprinkle the yeast atop the milk mixture and let it stand for a minute or so.

Empty the water from the bowl and thoroughly dry with a clean kitchen towel and measure 8 cups of the flour into this vessel.  Pour the 115 degree milk and yeast mixture into the flour ans stir with a wooden spoon until just combined.  Cover with a clean cloth towel and let sit in a warm place for 1 hour.

After an hour remove the towel and sprinkle in the baking powder, soda, salt, and last cup of flour then stir until thoroughly combined.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour or you can leave it for up to 3 days.  (I made the dough the night before.)  Occasionally check the dough and punch down when it rises to the top of the bowl.

When you are ready to form the rolls remove half of the dough from the bowl.  Flour a large work surface. (I used the enamel pull out top from an antique Hoosier cabinet.)  Flour the rolling pin and roll the dough into a very large rectangle, 30" x 10".  The dough will be VERY thin.

To make the filling, pour 3/4 C. of the melted butter onto the surface of the rolled dough and spread it evenly with a pastry brush or your fingers.  Stir together the cinnamon and sugars and sprinkle one half of it evenly over the melted butter leaving about 1/2" edge around the outside of the dough without sugar.  Add more butter or sugar as needed.......

Start with the longest (30") edge furthest from you and tightly roll the dough towards you using both hands.  I dust any excess flour that my be clinging to the underside of the roll away as I roll.  Try to keep the roll tight.  When you get to the end of the rolling pinch it together a bit and turn the dough seam side down.  Lift the end of the dough and slip a cutting board beneath the first section of the dough.  I find a serrated bread knife works best to slice the rolls. 

Before slicing drizzle a good 2 T. melted butter into 5,  8" disposable pans or other pans of your choosing.  If using larger pans increase the amount of melted butter accordingly.

Slice the rolls a little more than 1/2 " thick and place cut side down  7-8 rolls per pan, being careful NOT to crowd them. My 30ish" log yielded  5 pans of 7 rolls each.  (Remember this is only half of the dough!)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. and cover the pans of rolls for baking and leave them to rise on the counter for at least 20 minutes. ( I left mine 30-35 minutes.) 

I covered 2 pans after the raising period with heavy duty foil, labeled them, and tucked them away in the deep freeze for another day.

Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes until golden brown being careful NOT to over brown them.   While they bake prepare the icing.  Since I am baking only half of the rolls today I prepared only half a batch of frosting and used it today.  In a large bowl empty the sugar.  Microwave half of the milk in a small cup or bowl until just warm, about 30-40 seconds and stir in the espresso powder and stir until dissolved.  Add all of the remaining ingredients to the sugar and whisk until smooth.  The mixture should thicken but remain pourable.

Remove the rolls from the oven and immediately drizzle very generously with the frosting.  It will be somewhat absorbed and you will then need to repeat the drizzling.  Just drizzle away until you use all of the glaze.  Now get a fork, pull up a chair with your beverage of choice and be delighted.  We were!