Ingredients:
For the bread dough:
3 cups of all-purpose flour or bread flour
3/4 cup of milk (warm)
1/4 cup of unsalted butter
1 and 1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of yeast
For the filling:
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/4 cup of unsalted butter
2 teaspoons of cinnamon powder
For the cream cheese frosting:
2/3 cup of cream cheese
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1 cup of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder
pinch of salt
Instructions:
Step 1:
In a bowl, add the milk, 1 room temperature egg, sugar, salt, softened unsalted butter, and yeast. Mix everything together. Next, add the flour and mix using a wooden spoon until it becomes a shaggy dough. Transfer to your work surface and start kneading the dough just until well combined until you get a soft and smooth dough. You don’t have to knead it for a long time. The texture will be sticky at first but do not add flour just continue to knead for 2 to 3 minutes.
Note: If it’s still too sticky after kneading after 4 to 5 minutes, add some more flour. If the dough is tough, add more water or milk, 1 teaspoon at a time to get a soft dough. To have soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls, the final dough must be very soft and tacky to the touch with an elastic feel.
Flatten the top of the dough a bit and let it sit for 5 minutes. While waiting for the dough, mix the cinnamon powder and sugar in a bowl. Set aside.
Step 2:
Take the flat dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle with some more flour on the dough. Roll the dough into a rectangle with a 1/4 inch thickness. Apply the softened unsalted butter on top of the sheet. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top evenly. Roll the dough. Grease the baking dish with butter or line with parchment paper. Divide and cut the dough into equal pieces. Place the rolls in the baking dish.
Step 3:
Proof the rolls for about 50 to 60 minutes. Let them sit and rise in a warm environment.
Step 4:
Bake the cinnamon rolls at 350 degrees F for about 18 to 20 minutes or until golden brown on the top. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients for the cream cheese frosting using a spatula. Lastly, add the frosting to the rolls while they are still warm.
