Awesome Cinnamon Rolls
Submitted by russman
Awesome cinnamon rolls built on a soft, sponge-started yeast dough, rolled tight with cinnamon sugar and baked over a brown-sugar-and-butter layer that turns into a sticky caramel bottom. A big-batch bakery classic, made from scratch.
YIELD
72 servingsPREP
35 minCOOK
25 minREADY
2½ hrsThese are pull-apart, melt-in-your-mouth cinnamon rolls made the patient, old-fashioned way, and the payoff rewards every rise.
The dough starts as a sponge: yeast, water, and a little flour beaten together and left to go bubbly before the rest joins in. That head start is what gives the rolls their light, airy, tender crumb.
Don’t skip the pan prep, because it’s the secret to the gooey bottom. Greasing the pans, then sprinkling brown sugar and dotting butter, creates a layer that melts and caramelizes as the rolls bake, so they come out sticky and sweet underneath.
When you roll, stretch the dough gently as you go. That keeps the spiral tight, giving you defined, cinnamon-swirled layers instead of a loose, gappy roll.
Set the cut rolls just touching but not crowded, give them a final rise, and bake until golden. The smell alone will fill the house.
Pro Tips
- Use warm, not hot, water for the yeast; too hot kills it and the dough won’t rise.
- Sprinkle the brown-sugar pan lightly with water to keep the sugar from scorching and sticking.
- Stretch the dough as you roll for a tight spiral, and slice with unflavored dental floss or a sharp serrated knife so you don’t squash the rolls.
Variations
- Scatter raisins, chopped pecans, or walnuts into the cinnamon-sugar filling.
- Drizzle with a simple powdered sugar glaze or cream cheese icing once cool.
- Freeze the unbaked, sliced rolls and bake from a slow overnight rise in the fridge.
Ingredients
Directions
Sprinkle yeast in 3 cups of warm water with 1 tablespoon. sugar, mix and let sit 10 min.
Add 3 cups of flour and beat well with beater.
Let rise until spongy. Beat 3 eggs really well, 5 minutes.
Soften margarine and add 1 cup sugar and beat really, really well until very creamy.
Add to eggs and beat until very well blended and add salt.
Add egg mixture to sponge mixture.
Add approximately four to 5 cups flour and beat with a beater really well until smooth.
Continue adding flour until smooth to stir put the rest of the flour on a board and put the dough in the middle and knead.
Put the dough in a warm oven and cover with a damp cloth.
Let rise until doubled (about 1 hour.)
Fix pans for Rolls.
Grease 2 large rectangular baking pans with margarine.
Sprinkle liberally with brown sugar and dot liberally withbutter. Sprinkle very lightly with water to keep the sugar from burning and sticking.
Punch down dough and let rise ½ hour more.
Turn out and take ½ of the dough and roll out to ½ inch thick rectangle.
Spread with soft butter (over all of rectangle) and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon.
Roll up jelly roll style, pulling to stretch dough while rolling.
Cut roll into 1 inch thick slices.
Place in pan-just touching (don’t crowd) let rise (covered with a damp cloth) until above the pans.
Bake at 350℉ (180℃). for 20 to 25 min.
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