Light and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls

These sweet cinnamon rolls are light and fluffy; they are the perfect breakfast.  Everyone will want your recipe for them!

 Did you watch the Super Bowl last night?  As I admitted the other day, I was really in it for the snacks and the commercials.  The food was amazing; we enjoyed chili, pizza sliders, buffalo chicken dip, pickle dip, strawberry cheesecake, and puppy chow.  And the commercials?  There were a few good ones but that puppy commercial was the most adorable thing I've ever seen!  Anyone else want to go out and adopt a puppy?

Now the game itself.... that was absolutely brutal to watch.  I feel bad for the Broncos, they got swept off the field.   But the Seahawks played well and they deserved to win.  Hey, they're the only team that really showed up to the game last night, right?

Anyway, these fluffy yeasted cinnamon rolls are the perfect post-game-day breakfast.  Perfect for Seahawks fans to celebrate their victory, and perfect for Broncos fans to drown their sorrows in an indulgent breakfast.  Because sometimes food does make things better!

I set out on a mission to find the best soft yeasty cinnamon rolls after going out for brunch with some of my friends.  We went to a local restaurant and had some of the best cinnamon rolls I've ever tasted.  They were light and fluffy and squished down when I cut into it with a fork.  If you ask me, that's the sign of a perfect cinnamon roll.  I've made my fair share of cinnamon rolls, like these, these, and these.  Each of those are delicious, but they are sturdier rolls and just not what I have been looking for.

This recipe was the first I tried, and was right on target.  Not quite a bulls eye, but certainly close!  They were too delicious not to share with you!  The dough was some of the easiest dough I have ever worked with.  It was incredibly smooth and fuss-free.  The dough is kneaded for an extended period of time, making the dough smooth and resulting in the light and fluffy rolls.  Instead of being baked in a 9x13" cake pan, the cinnamon rolls are baked on a cookie sheet.  The extra space allows the rolls to really rise and spread out.  Additionally, the rolls are placed in a cold oven and then baked.  Placing the rolls in a hot oven stops the yeast from working, but allowing the rolls to heat up with the oven gives the yeast a few extra minutes to work.  The extended kneading, extra space to rise, and cold oven all work together to create these light and fluffy cinnamon rolls. These rolls are time consuming to make, but I certainly think that the hard works pays off in the end!

Light and Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 18 rolls

Ingredients:
For the dough:
2 teaspoons yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 cup butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup milk
1-1/2 teaspoons salt
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
6-7 cups flour

For the filling:
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tablespoons cinnamon
3/4 cup butter, melted

For the icing:
2 cups powdered sugar
1 Tablespoon butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla
2-3 Tablespoons water

1.  Sprinkle yeast over warm water and set aside.

2.  In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.

3.  Switch to the dough hook and mix in the yeast mixture, milk, salt, vanilla, eggs, and 5 cups of flour.

4.  Continue mixing and add in additional flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough forms a ball.

5.  Knead the dough for 15 minutes.

6.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm area to rise until double, about 1-1/2 hours.

7.  While the dough is rising, prepare the filling.  In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon.

8.  Roll dough into a 12x18" rectangle.

9.  Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with the filling.

10.  Roll the dough up length-wise.

11.  Cut the dough into 1" slices using a sharp knife or dental floss.

12.  Place rolls at least 2" apart on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet.

13.  Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and place in a warm area to rise again, about 45 minutes.

14.  Place rolls in a cold oven. **Do not preheat!

15.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown.  (Check the rolls at 15 minutes, the time to bake may differ depending on how quickly your oven heats up.)

16.  While the rolls are baking, prepare the icing.  In a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, butter, and vanilla.  Add the water in until you reach your desired consistency.

17.  Cool rolls for about 5 minutes before drizzling the icing on top.

Store cooled cinnamon rolls in an airtight container.  Baked rolls may also be frozen in a freezer bag and then brought to room temperature before serving.

Source: Food.com