Yield:
16 Rolls
Prep Time:
2 Hours 10 Minutes
Cook Time:
25 – 30 Minutes
Category
Desserts
ingredients
for the dough:
1 cup almond milk, warmed to 85 – 90°F
½ cup sugar
¾ oz active yeast
1 teaspoon pink food coloring
2 eggs, room temperature, whisked together in a small bowl
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 cups flour
for the filling:
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
for the icing:
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2 ounce cream cheese, room temperature
1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch kosher salt
unflavored dental floss
directions
Step 1:
In a bowl, combine almond milk and sugar – whisk together. Add in the yeast mix again and set aside. Once the milk, sugar and yeast mixture starts to bubble, add in the whisked eggs and food coloring and mix again.
Step 2:
Next, add in 1 of the cups of flour and mix with a whisk. Add more and when you start to get a pancake-like consistency of the dough, add in the butter and salt and whisk again.
Step 3:
At this point, switch to a rubber spatula and gradually add in the rest of the flour, mixing to combine until the dough becomes a cohesive mass with very little stickiness.
Step 4:
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead. Scraping the table periodically during the kneading will help against “hard” dough, caused by the incorporation of extra bits of excessively floury dough, such as those left on the table during kneading.
Step 5:
Knead the dough for about 8 - 10 minutes. Look for dough with a smooth surface. It should not be too sticky or too dry. When you think you have reached this stage, do a “windowpane” test. To do a windowpane test, break off a small piece of dough, and stretch it between your fingers in a square. Look for a thin membrane, similar to the glass of a window. If the dough stands up to this test, and doesn’t tear easily, it has been kneaded sufficiently.
Step 6:
Place dough in a well-sprayed bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit on the counter until it has almost doubled in size – about an hour or 2 depending on how warm your house is.
Step 7:
When the dough has doubled in size, roll out the dough to about 3/8” (which is right between ¼ and ½ ) rectangle shape about 12” by 24”.
Step 8:
Brush butter on top of the dough leaving a ½” border at the top. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture on top of the butter. Starting at the bottom left corner closest to you, start to roll up the dough tightly from left to right. When you reach the end without butter, pinch the dough along the seem to seal it. You will have a 24” log. Make small cuts across the log length at 1 ½” spaces. These will be the size of your cinnamon rolls.
Step 9:
Using the floss, slide it under the roll and cross both ends of the floss over top. Pull them through to create a cut. Cut off the two ends of the log and then cut the remainder into 12-16 pieces.
Step 10:
Place cut cinnamon rolls in a buttered 9 x 12" baking pan spacing out evenly. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes then place in oven and bake for about 20 - 30 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 200°F and they are slightly golden. They will expand while baking and fill the pan.
Step 11:
When the cinnamon rolls are done, let them cool for about 10 - 15 minutes. While they are still warm, spread the icing all over the tops of the cinnamon rolls. Cut, serve, and enjoy!
Jenn's Note:
Yeast can be affected by salt and extreme heat. Be sure the temperature of the almond milk is within the range stated above and do not add salt directly to the yeast.