Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls

Fluffy, sweet, decadent, divine...all perfect adjectives to describe these delicious cinnamon rolls!

Is there every a wrong time for a cinnamon roll?  They can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snack!  Or ever a wrong occasion?  I used to think that homemade cinnamon rolls were only for special occasions--Christmas morning, Mother's Day, my birthday...but now I've decided that any day is good for cinnamon rolls!

I've made these cinnamon rolls dozens of times.  They're my go-to recipe and they always turn out delicious!  The cinnamon rolls are light and fluffy, but it's really the icing that puts them over the top.  I drizzle it on while the rolls are still warm and the bread soaks up the icing like a sponge.  The cinnamon rolls become gooey and absolutely divine!  They're best warm from the oven, but you could always re-heat in the microwave for a special snack.

Don't let the thought of baking with yeast scare you away from these rolls!  As long as you are using warm milk, you shouldn't have any problems.  This recipe makes a very large batch of cinnamon rolls, so prepare to stock your freezer or give some away.  Trust me, your friends will love you!

Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls

Makes approximately 5 dozen rolls

Ingredients:
1 quart whole milk
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 packages yeast (4.5 teaspoons)
9 cups flour, separated
1 heaping teaspoon baking powder
1 scant teaspoon baking soda
1 heaping Tablespoon salt
2 cups melted butter
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup (or more) cinnamon

1 pound powdered sugar
1/4 cup (or more) milk
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract

1.  Mix the milk, vegetable oil, and sugar in a large saucepan.  Heat until almost boiling (scald), stirring occasionally.  Then turn off the heat and let the mixture cool to lukewarm, about 45 minutes.

2.  When the mixture is lukewarm (not hot!), add the yeast and stir.  Let this sit for 5 minutes.

3.  If your pan is large enough, add 8 cups of flour to the milk mixture and stir.  If not, transfer the milk mixture to a large bowl first and then add the flour.

4.  Cover the dough and let it rise for an hour.

5.  After an hour, add the last cup of flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the dough and stir until combined.

6.  Sprinkle your rolling surface (counter) generously with flour.  Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle.  Roll the dough thinly into a large rectangle.

7.  Drizzle 1/2 to 1 cup of melted butter over the dough.  Sprinkle with 1 cup of sugar, and a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.

8.  Starting with the longest side, begin rolling the dough up toward you, jellyroll-style.  Pinch the seams to seal it.

9.  Drizzle about 1 Tablespoon of melted butter into each pan that you're using.  I used a 9x13" pan and then 4-5 7" round disposable cake pans (these are great for freezing and gifting to friends).

10.  Use a sharp knife or dental floss to cut the dough into 1" slices.  Place cut rolls into greased pans, leaving some space for the rolls to rise.

11.  Repeat these steps with the remaining half of the dough.

12.  Let the rolls rise for 20-30 minutes, while you preheat the oven to 350.

13.  Bake at 350 for 15-18 minutes, until lightly golden brown.

14.  While the rolls are baking, make the frosting by beating together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla.  Add more powdered sugar or milk to reach your desired consistency, it should be thick but pourable.

15.  After the rolls have been out of the oven for about 5 minutes, drizzle the icing over them.

Store rolls covered, at room temperature.  If you're freezing them, cover them tightly with foil first and then a layer of plastic wrap.  Thaw at room temperature before serving; you could also warm them in the oven for a few minutes after they're thawed.

Source:  The Pioneer Woman via Melissa's Cuisine (yes, this recipe was previously posted here!)