Cinnamon Rolls

So, I tend to be scared away from making cinnamon rolls. All the letting them rise and getting them the right size, just scares me away. Hopefully, that won't be a problem after this year of baking. Today, I decided to go for broke and make some cinnamon rolls. I followed a Cook's Illustrated recipe, with a few changes of my own.


Rising in the oven - don't they look perfect!

The finished product. They turned our well. Even Aiden likes them! I think the bread texture turned our just right, but I do think perhaps they could have used a little *gasp* butter, but they are still quite tasty.  They also seemed to be slightly over baked, but since I was outside shoveling snow, I was unable to keep a close eye on these.

Ingredients

Dough

1/2 c. milk

4 Tbs butter

2 1/4 t. yeast

1/2 c. warm water (110 degrees)

1/3c. sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 t. salt

3 1/4 - 3 3/4 c. bread flour

Filling

5 Tbs brown sugar

5 Tbs sugar

2 Tbs cinnamon

Icing

1 1/4 c. powdered sugar

2-4 Tbs milk

1/2 t. vanilla

Directions

1. Heat milk and butter until butter melts.  Cool to about 110 degrees.
2. Meanwhile, sprinkle yeast over warm water in bowl of  stand mixer fitted with paddle. Beat in sugar and eggs and mix at low  speed to blend. Add salt, lukewarm milk mixture, 2 cups of flour; mix at  medium speed until thoroughly blended, about 1 minute. Switch to dough  hook attachment. Add 1 1/4 cups flour, and knead at medium-low speed,  adding additional flour sparingly if dough sticks to sides of bowl,  until dough is smooth and comes away from sides of bowl, about 10  minutes.
3. Turn dough onto work surface. Squeeze dough with a clean dry hand. If dough is sticky, knead in up to 1/2 additional cup flour to form a smooth, soft, elastic dough. Transfer dough to a very lightly oiled large plastic container or bowl. Cover top of container with plastic wrap and let rise until double in size, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. (Ideal rising temperature is 75 degrees.) After rise, punch down center of dough once (can be refrigerated, covered, up to 18 hours). Making sure not to fold or misshape dough, turn it onto unfloured work surface; let dough rest, to relax, about 10 minutes
4. Grease a 9x13 pan (I also used a loaf pan as I made 16 instead of 12)  Mix sugars and cinnamon in small bowl
5. Roll dough with rolling pin into an evenly shaped 12-by-16-inch rectangle. Sprinkle an even layer of cinnamon-sugar mixture, leaving a 1/2 -inch border along one of the long sides.  Press mixture into dough, so it will stick while being rolled.  Roll, beginning with the long side of the rectangle that has cinnamon on it. Use both hands to pinch dough with fingertips as you go, sealing final edge firmly to form a seam. (Do not seal ends.)
6. Cut into 12 (I cut into 16) even pieces using a serrated knife with cutting board and arrange in prepared pan(s).
7. Cover loosely with plastic and allow to rise until double in size (rolls will touch), about one hour. When rolls are almost fully risen, adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 350 degrees.
8. Bake until golden brown and thermometer inserted in center roll registers 185 to 190 degrees, 25 to 30 minutes.  (Mine came out over baked, so I would start checking earlier.) Invert rolls onto wire rack. Cool to room temperature, 20 to 30 minutes.
9. Whisk sugar, milk, and vanilla in small bowl until smooth. Place rolls right-side up on rack and place rack over piece of parchment or wax paper. Drizzle icing over rolls with spoon. Cut or pull apart to separate, and serve