THE ABSOLUTE BEST HOMEMADE CINNAMON ROLLS TO SERVE FOR BRUNCH
Okay but seriously, who doesn’t love waking up to the smell of fresh homemade cinnamon rolls on a Saturday morning? Or walking into a friend’s home with a batch of cinnamon rolls sitting on the table ready to be demolished at brunch?
You’re about to get my absolute favorite recipe for the best, most fluffy, homemade cinnamon rolls ever that are absolutely perfect to serve at a brunch. Honestly, if you don’t serve them, you’re guests might actually be mad at you. Your friends and family would likely be very happy if you put some in a pan and hand delivered some to them. I love doing this for my friends!
This recipe is from my mom and is actually the first recipe that I ever used with my starter! Don’t fret if you don’t have a sourdough starter, you can just substitute 1 packet of yeast for 1 cup of sourdough starter.
Ingredients for the best homemade cinnamon roll dough:
- 1 cup of starter (or 1 packet of yeast)
- 3 cups of bread flour (I personally like bread flour the best for this recipe, but all-purpose works too)
- 1/6 cup room temp butter
- 1/2 cup warm milk
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 1 egg
- Dash of salt
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl or in a mixer of some sort. I use the NutriMill Artiste model and I LOVE it! It has a strong enough motor that it can mix large amounts of dough.
Once all the ingredients are mixed, take out the dough and knead it into a ball. Then put it in a bowl with a towel overtop and let it rise for at least a couple hours. I accidentally used to skip this step of the first rise, and my rolls weren’t quite as fluffy. So, don’t be like me!
What should I do while my sourdough is rising?
Depending on the time of day you’re making your rolls, you can grab a glass of wine, pick up a book, and relax! Or a nice cup of coffee with the morning newspaper will do – whatever floats your boat!
I used to spend my rise time wait whipping up the filling, not that it takes long. But I now I do things a little differently and I have liked the results better.
I used to whip up 1/2 stick of butter, roughly 1/2-3/4 cup of brown sugar, a couple drops of vanilla extract, with cinnamon and pumpkin spice. I’d mix this in a bowl and add a layer on top of my rolled out dough.
I don’t do it that way anymore. Now I just roll out the dough and spread soft butter on top to cover the dough. I sprinkle the brown sugar and spices on top and then roll up the dough into a log.
You can use a sharp knife to cut the rolled dough into your perfectly cut cinnamon rolls (this is what I do). Or you can use dental floss to get a nice, crisp cut (this is what my mom does). The choice is yours!
Gently coat your pan with butter or olive oil and place your rolls in the pan you’re going to bake them in. I usually use my cast iron skillet because it looks pretty. When I’m taking them to a friend, I just get tin pans that come with a lid already and it makes it super easy for me and them.
Do I need to let the dough rise again before I can bake them?
Yes. I usually let them rise overnight and then bake them first thing in the morning. Leave them on the counter with a towel covering them to keep the moisture in. When you wake up, the rolls with be nice and fluffy. Pop them in the oven and serve fresh rolls to your guests!
Put them in the oven at 350 deg for roughly 15-20 minutes and enjoy!
There you have it, my absolute favorite homemade cinnamon rolls, topped with your favorite cream cheese frosting. You and your friends/family can thank me later!
