Hello!!
Today: cinnamon rolls. Very simple ones, I should add. I love these sweet little rolls, but I remember making a batch using this recipe, and it was quite… exhausting. I mean, they were okay, but it just seemed too much effort for an allright result.
Last Saturday, I tried again, going freestyle. And I loved the result (so did my husband; I think he ate five in a row). I kept it very simple: a sweet yeast dough, lots of butter and brown sugar, plenty of cinnamon, and a little anise. I’m not a huge fan of frosting, so I didn’t make any, but I’m sure a simple cream cheese frosting would totally work on these delicious buns.
Ingredients:
makes 8 in a round pan
for the dough
1 lb. flour (I used mostly all-purpose, and about a fifth whole wheat)
1 packet dry yeast (2 1/2 tsps.)
1 tsp. salt
approx. 1/2 cups warm (but not hot) milk
2 medium eggs
1/2 cup sugar
for the filling
1 1/2 sticks butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 tbsps. ground cinnamon
a large pinch of ground anise spice
pinch of salt
Directions:
In a bowl, mix flour, yeast, salt, and sugar. Add the eggs, and knead a little. Add half of the milk; keep kneading and adding liquid until you have a more or less smooth, homogenous dough. Take the dough out of the bowl, and knead it on a very lightly floured surface for maybe 5 more mins., until it holds together well and is not too sticky. Shape it into a smooth ball, and put it back into the bowl. You might need a little more flour or liquid; it depends on the size of the eggs, the temperature and humidity in the kitchen and who knows what else. In any case, the goal is a nice, warm, smooth ball of dough. Cover the bowl with a dishcloth and let the dough sit and rise for approx. 2 hours. It should then have at least doubled and be really fluffy, but still hold together. Give it more time if need be (and you’re not in a hurry).
In a small sauce pan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add cinnamon, brown sugar, and anise, and a pinch of salt. Stir and taste (carefully), and remove from heat; adjust seasoning, depending on how sweet/ cinnamon-y/ buttery you like it. It should be a sticky, spreadable, yummy mess. (Wait, was that a dirty joke? That’s what she said! Or something.)
Preheat the oven to 400° F.
Remove the dough carefully from the bowl, and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll it into a rectangle about the size of a baking sheet (I didn’t measure, sorry. That’s what she said! Okay, I’ll stop now.)
Spread the butter on the rectangle, and carefully roll it up. Cut the roll into eight pieces, and place them in a paper lined springform pan, not too close together. Mine looked like this before baking:
Bake for approx. 20 mins., until risen, lightly brown, and bubbly. Allow the rolls to cool 10 mins. or so before serving. Enjoy!
Aaaaah, baking… one of the best ways to spend a Saturday morning. And eating the results, of course.
xoxo, F.
SweetSmart 