Cinnamon Rolls

Today in class we learned about fermentation - why it is important, what happens, under what conditions it happens, and when it occurs. To reinforce this lesson, we baked cinnamon rolls in lab. When I was younger cinnamon rolls were a common thing in my household. Instead of making them from scratch though I remember them coming from a vacuum sealed tube that you pop, unroll, break apart, and bake. 

Pretty different from what I did today:

Recipe:
Cinnamon Rolls
2 T sugar
1 T active dry yeast
2 T oil
1 t salt
4 C bread flour
1/4 C cinnamon sugar (1:4 ration of cinnamon:sugar)
Cooking Spray


Powdered Sugar Glaze
1.5 C powdered sugar
1.5 T milk (add additional milk/water as needed)


Preparation:
Cinnamon Rolls
1. Combine sugar and 1 C of warm water in a large measuring cup or small bowl. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add yeast and mix until dispersed. 
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, oil, and salt. Add yeast mixture. 
3. Add 3 C of flour to the liquid mixture, stirring to combine. The dough will be wet. Sprinkle a clean work surface with 1/4 C of the remaining flour. Turn dough out onto flour.
4. Sprinkle dough with 1/4 C of the remaining flour and knead until dough is smooth and elastic. To determine if dough has been kneaded enough, press dough with a finger. Adequately kneaded dough will spring back. Let dough rest for 5 minutes.
5. Roll dough into a 1/4 inch think rectangle. Lightly moisten surface of the dough with water and sprinkle thoroughly with cinnamon sugar mixture. Beginning with the long side, roll dough tightly, forming spirals. Moisten the leading edge with water and crimp to seal. 

6. Cut the dough log into 1 inch increments. Place on a well-greased baking sheet and allow to rise in a proofing box or oven heated with moist air (85-95 degrees F) for 15 minutes.
7. Bake at 375 degrees F for 18-22 minutes or until golden brown.


Powdered Sugar Glaze
1. Stir together sugar and milk until smooth. 
2. Spoon icing into a zip-top plastic bag.
3. Snip 1 corner of the bag and drizzle icing onto warm rolls.

Delicious! I took a few home for breakfast! Yummmm.