There's a holiday tradition in our family that goes a little something like this: Block out one whole day for baking cinnamon rolls, spend entire 12-hours in kitchen, cover every surface with sticky cinnamon and sugar, and a scattering of flour for good measure, deliver all eleventy trillion rolls to friends and neighbors, collapse.
And with that rousing endorsement, I want to introduce you to our cinnamon rolls. They really are fantastic. And if you just make two dozen, it's not a big undertaking.
Please. Don't be afraid of the yeast. Working with yeast is not hard. It just takes a couple of steps.
Here's what you need and how you do it
3 teaspoons dry active yeast
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 cup warm (but not hot) water
4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon oil or cooking spray
1-2 cups sugar
3 Tablespoons cinnamon, adjusted to suit your taste
3 Tablespoons melted butter or margarine
Combine warm water and sugar in small bowl, add yeast and stir. Allow to proof for 10 minutes.
In heavy duty mixer with dough hook, or with a large spoon, combine yeast mixture with flour, nutmeg and salt. Knead with dough hook or turn out on board and knead until smooth and elastic. Transfer to oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm spot until double, about 1 hour.
Melt butter or margarine in bowl. Combine cinnamon and sugar in another bowl.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
When dough has risen, punch down and divide into strips about 4 inches long. Dip each strip in butter, then in cinnamon-sugar. Tie strip into a knot and place in greased baking dish (we use cake pans). Cover lightly with a dish cloth. Allow to rise 1/2 to 1 hour.
When risen, bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Serve warm. These reheat nicely in the microwave too.
For a printer-friendly version, click here. Updated: My half-assery has been put to shame by this great looking recipe for pan cinnamon buns that require only 15 minutes of rising time. Yum!