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Cinnamon rolls

17/11/2023

Here is the “Cinnamon Rolls” recipe with an Italian twist. Since this is a recipe of American origin, I will suggest a variation that incorporates a characteristic Italian ingredient.

Ingredients

  • 250 ml of lukewarm milk
  • 1 packet of dry yeast (7g)
  • 80 g of granulated sugar, plus a little more for the filling
  • 500 g of type 00 flour
  • 1 egg at room temperature
  • 60 g of unsalted butter, softened, plus a little more for the filling
  • A pinch of salt
  • 2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon for the filling
  • A pinch of vanilla (or a teaspoon of vanilla extract)
  • Grated zest of 1 orange (for an Italian touch)
  • 100 g of brown sugar for the filling

For the frosting:

  • 100 g of cream cheese (such as Philadelphia)
  • 50 g of unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 150 g of powdered sugar
  • A touch of vanilla

Preparation

  1. Dissolve the yeast and a teaspoon of sugar in warm milk and let it rest for about 5 minutes, until it starts to foam.
  2. In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, and the remaining sugar. Add the egg, vanilla, and the milk and yeast mixture. Knead until you get a smooth dough.
  3. Add the softened butter a piece at a time, kneading until fully incorporated.
  4. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rise in a warm place for 1 hour or until it doubles in volume.
  5. Roll out the dough into a rectangle on a floured surface, spread the softened butter over it, sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, and grated orange zest.
  6. Roll up the dough on itself forming a cylinder and cut into slices of about 3 cm.
  7. Arrange the slices in a buttered baking pan, leaving a little space between each. Cover and let it rise for another 30 minutes.
  8. Preheat the oven to 180°C and bake the cinnamon rolls for 25-30 minutes until golden.
  9. While the rolls are baking, prepare the frosting by beating the cream cheese with the butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar until smooth.

Once removed from the oven, let the cinnamon rolls cool slightly then cover them with the frosting. Serve warm for an even more delightful taste experience.

Trivia

Cinnamon rolls are a classic part of American breakfasts and are especially loved in Scandinavian countries, where they are known as “kanelbullar”. In Sweden, they even celebrate “Kanelbullens dag” (Cinnamon Roll Day) on October 4th every year!

Cinnamon rolls