Perfect Cinnamon Rolls with Fresh Milled Flour

There is something about these Cinnamon Rolls with Fresh Milled Flour that brings me great joy.  The cinnamon flavor along with the sweet and tender dough, and slightly tangy cream cheese frosting, come together in the most epically tasty timeless breakfast treat. These cinnamon rolls are, dare I say, P.E.R.F.E.C.T. 

Cinnamon rolls are a Mother’s Day tradition at our house.  How did it happen that a recipe that requires my effort is made by me on my day?  I still don’t know, but I think it involved some trickery from my husband.  Or maybe it’s the same reason some guys grill on Father’s Day. We all love delicious food!

Mother’s Day is the reason I use make ahead option 2, below, for these cinnamon rolls.  It requires little effort on Mother’s Day morning to have fresh baked rolls.  Also, my mom is usually visiting and it makes for some special mother-daughter bonding.

Make Ahead Option 1 – bake and frost, refrigerate or freeze

You can make these cinnamon rolls in one day all the way through.  Use this method if you don’t want any work for breakfast the next day, if you plan to freeze the cinnamon rolls or if you want to eat them that day.

Bake the cinnamon rolls, then cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Then cut into individual rolls and transfer to a cooling rack.  When the rolls are completely cool, frost each individually.  Transfer the rolls to a container and refrigerate or freeze.

To reheat from refrigerator:  Heat individually in microwave for 25-30 seconds.

To reheat from frozen:  Heat individually in microwave for 35-45 seconds.

When reheated, the frosting will melt down into and around the roll for a fresh from the oven experience.

Make Ahead Option 2 – Refrigerate after shaping, bake in the morning

This is the method I usually use. 

After you place the assembled rolls in a 9×13 inch pan, cover and refrigerator overnight.

In the morning:  Place cinnamon roll pan in a cold oven.  On the oven rack underneath the rolls, place a 9×9 inch pan (or larger) and carefully add 1 – 2 inches of boiling water, immediately shut the oven.  Let rise for 30-40 minutes until the rolls are puffy and just barely touching.  Remove cinnamon rolls and water pan from the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Bake cinnamon rolls for 25-30 minutes until the internal temperature is 190 degrees.

The steps for Cinnamon Rolls with Fresh Milled Flour

I am going to break down the steps because, I promise you, it’s not as hard as it looks.  Once you start making these from scratch, you won’t go back.  

Kneading and the 1st rise

• Melt the butter and milk together for 1 minute in the microwave. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer and let sit until it cools a little, 10 minutes.
• Add sugar, sour cream and vanilla and whisk by hand to combine. Then whisk in the egg.
• Add the flour and mix with the dough hook, on low, just until combined. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes (autolyse).

• After the autolyse, add the yeast and salt. Knead in the mixer on low for 11-13 minutes, until the dough forms a windowpane, shown below.
• Transfer the dough to a clear sided, lightly oiled, container and let rise until doubled.

Filling, rolling, then 2nd rise

• Prepare the filling: combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla, mix together with a fork.
• Lightly grease a 9×13 inch pan, set by your work area.
• Prepare your work area with a rolling pin, bench scraper with measurements, pizza cutter, offset spatula and something for a straight line (I used a skewer) or you can eyeball it.
• Roll the dough into a 12×18 inch rectangle. Spread the very soft butter over the dough, leaving 1/2 inch on one long side. Then sprinkle on the brown sugar and cinnamon filling mixture, leaving the same 1/2 inch without filling.
• On each long end, mark the dough every 1 1/2 inches. Using the skewer for a straight edge, cut 12 strips of dough, 1 1/2 inches wide with the pizza cutter. Roll each strip into a cinnamon roll, starting on the long side where the filling goes all the way to the edge. Once rolled, stretch and tuck the very end under the bottom of the roll. Place in prepared pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Time to bake and enjoy

• In the morning:  Remove the plastic wrap and place the pan of cinnamon rolls in a cold oven.  On the oven rack underneath, place a 9×9 inch pan (can be larger) and carefully add 1 – 2 inches of boiling water, and immediately shut the oven. 
• Let rise for 30-40 minutes until the rolls are puffy and just barely touching, as shown below.  Remove cinnamon rolls and water pan from the oven and preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
• Bake cinnamon rolls for 25-30 minutes until the internal temperature is 190 degrees.