Ingredients
Dough
- 4 egg yolks room temperature
- 1 whole egg room temperature
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 6 oz buttermilk room temperature
- 20 oz flour 20 oz = approx 4 cups
- 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
- 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Filling
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 2 tbsp cinnamon
- 1 pinch salt
Icing
- 4 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
Buns
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
Servings: buns
Instructions
Dough
- For the dough: in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, butter, and buttermilk. Add approximately 2 cups of the flour along with the yeast and salt; whisk until moistened and combined. Remove the whisk attachment and replace with a dough hook. Add all but 3/4 cup of the remaining flour and knead on low speed for 5 minutes. Check the consistency of the dough, add more flour if necessary; the dough should feel soft and moist but not sticky. Knead on low speed 5 minutes more or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead by hand about 30 seconds. Lightly oil a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl, lightly oil the top of the dough, cover and let double in volume, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
Filling
- For the filling: Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Mix until well incorporated. Set aside until ready to use.
Icing
- For the icing: Combine cream cheese, icing sugar, butter, and vanilla in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat until smooth. Spread glaze on rolls. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Buns
- Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently shape the dough into a rectangle with the long side nearest you. Roll into an 18 by 12-inch rectangle. Spread butter over dough, leaving 1/2-inch border along the top edge. Sprinkle the filling mixture over the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch border along the top edge; gently press the filling into the dough. Beginning with the long edge nearest you, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Firmly pinch the seam to seal and roll the cylinder seam side down. Very gently squeeze the cylinder to create even thickness. Using a serrated knife, slice the cylinder into 1 1/2-inch rolls; yielding 12 rolls. Arrange rolls cut side down in the baking dish; cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight or up to 16 hours.
- (For mini buns, divide the dough in two and roll each half into an 18 by 6-inch rectangle. Fill and roll as per large buns and cut each cylinder into 12, making a total of 24 buns which can all be fit into a 9 by 13-inch baking dish.)
- Remove the rolls from the refrigerator and place in an oven that is turned off. Fill a shallow pan 2/3-full of boiling water and set on the rack below the rolls. Close the oven door and let the rolls rise until they look slightly puffy; approximately 30 minutes. Remove the rolls and the shallow pan of water from the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- When the oven is ready, place the rolls on the middle rack and bake until golden brown, or until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, approximately 30 minutes. (Do not alter baking time for mini buns.) Remove from oven and invert immediately onto rack. Cool 10 minutes. Turn rolls right side up.
Recipe Notes
Source: Alton Brown, Smitten Kitchen
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/overnight-cinnamon-rolls-recipe/index.html and http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/04/cinnamon-swirl-buns-so-much-news/