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Easiest Actually Good Cinnamon Rolls

Name: Easiest Actually Good Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients: 115 g unsalted butter (1 stick); 225 g plain Greek yogurt (1c); 115 g milk (1/2c); 7 g instant yeast (1 packet); 450 g all-purpose flour (3 1/2c); 100 g sugar (½c); 2 g baking soda (1/4t); 8 g salt (1 3/4t); 115 g unsalted butter (softened, 1 stick); 150 g brown sugar (2/3c); 20 g cinnamon (2 1/2T); 1 g salt (¼t); 25 g cream cheese (2T); 75 g heavy cream (⅓c); 150 g powdered sugar (1 ¼c); 1 Pinch of salt; 10 g water (2t)

Cinnamon Rolls are truly one of life’s greatest pleasures, but they can be quite labor intensive. In this recipe, I show you how to get the best possible flavor and texture with minimal time and effort.

Ingredients

DOUGH:

115 g unsalted butter, 1 stick
225 g plain Greek yogurt, 1c
115 g milk, 1/2c
7 g instant yeast, 1 packet
450 g all-purpose flour, 3 1/2c
100 g sugar, ½c
2 g baking soda, 1/4t
8 g salt, 1 3/4t

FILLING:

115 g unsalted butter, softened, 1 stick
150 g brown sugar, 2/3c
20 g cinnamon, 2 1/2T
1 g salt, ¼t

ICING:

25 g cream cheese, 2T
75 g heavy cream, ⅓c
150 g powdered sugar, 1 ¼c
1 Pinch of salt
10 g water, 2t

Instructions

Prepare the Dough:

In a saucepan, melt butter over low heat, then remove from heat.
Stir in yogurt and milk, ensuring the mixture stays between 85-90°F.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter-yogurt-milk mixture with yeast and stir to hydrate
Add flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt to the wet ingredients.
Mix with a sturdy spoon until you can no longer stir, then switch to a wet hand and knead the dough in the bowl until it forms a cohesive mass (about 3 minutes).
Shape the dough into a ball, cover, and let rest for 15 minutes.

Knead and Rise:

After the dough has rested, knead it again for 3 more minutes to further develop the gluten.
Shape it back into a ball, cover, and let rise for 75 minutes until doubled in size.

Make the Filling:

In a bowl, mix softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until it looks like wet sand
Whip the mixture with a spoon for about 60 seconds to cream it together (or whip with a mixer)

Roll and Fill:

Preheat the oven to 375°F/190C
Turn the risen dough onto a floured surface, gently degas it, and roll it into a rectangle approximately 12″x16″ (30x40cm)
Spread the cinnamon-sugar filling evenly over the dough, using light, sweeping motions to avoid tearing the dough.

Roll the Dough:

Starting from one of the short ends, roll the dough tightly, using a tuck-and-pull motion to create tension in the roll.
Once rolled, cut off the uneven ends, then cut the log in half. Cut each half into 3 equal pieces for a total of 6 rolls.

Bake the Rolls:

Spray a 6-count jumbo muffin pan (or use an 8-9″ brownie pan and cut into 9 pieces for softer sides) with pan spray and place the rolls inside.
Bake at 375°F/190C for 40-55 minutes, or until golden brown and cooked through. If using a brownie pan, cover with foil for the first 35 minutes, then remove foil and bake an additional 10-15 minutes.

Make the Icing:

While the rolls cool, combine cream cheese and heavy cream in a bowl. Whisk until smooth.
Add powdered sugar and a pinch of salt. Whisk until combined, adding 10g water if needed to adjust the texture to a sauce-like consistency.