Every holiday season my kids get so excited because they know on one day in particular, they will wake up to the sweet aroma of cinnamon, butter, freshly baked bread and bacon. Who could ask for a better combo right?
This combo is one of my family favorites and it only shows itself during the holidays. So to keep up the tradition, I am sharing our fave with you.
PS… I worked at Cinnabon in high school so this is right up my alley.
ITEMS NEEDED
- Flour: Flour provides the dough structure. All-purpose flour is best for these cinnamon rolls. You could also use bread flour—the rolls will be chewier.
- Sugar: You need white granulated sugar in the dough, both for flavor and to feed the yeast.
- Salt: Flavor.
- Whole milk: Whole milk is ideal for the richest-tasting cinnamon rolls. Buttermilk works just as well without any changes to the recipe. Many readers have successfully substituted nondairy milks. In a pinch, you can use low-fat milk, but avoid using nonfat milk.
- Butter: This is a rich dough, meaning it has fat to help guarantee softness.
- Egg: Like butter, egg promises a softer, richer dough.
The first step is to mix your dry ingredients together in a big bowl and this includes the flour, sugar, and salt. After that, warm the milk and butter together, and then whisk in the yeast until it has dissolved. Then you know it can start working its magic in your dough!
Pour this mixture over the dry ingredients, add the egg and then mix everything together. You do not need a stand mixer for this recipe, though you could certainly use one if desired.
Transfer dough to your work surface (below, left), and then knead by hand for 3 minutes until a soft dough forms (below, right).
Let the dough rest for 10 minutes as you prepare the filling—this gives the dough’s gluten a chance to settle and relax, which will make rolling out much easier.
3 Ingredient Filling
- Butter: Use super-soft butter, not margarine, for the filling—not too hard, not too melty. If the butter is too hard, it won’t be easy to spread it evenly over the soft dough. If it’s too melty, it will seep into the dough, and we don’t want that either. Butter that’s had time to soften to room temperature should be just right.
- Brown Sugar: Using brown sugar in the filling gives these cinnamon rolls an extra-delicious depth of flavor.
- Cinnamon: You can’t have cinnamon rolls without it!
Roll out the dough and then top with softened butter and the brown sugar & cinnamon mixture. Cut and divide your rolls.
Warm on 350 degrees for 23 minutes. While baking your rolls, fry a pack of thick sliced bacon. Once fried and taken out of the grease, drained and dried…
Icing - Cream Cheese icing (Go ahead, use Betty Crocker)
Then you crumble your bacon into little bites. When the rolls are out of the oven, sprinkle a healthy amount of bacon on the rolls and cover, or smother the rolls in creamy cream cheese.
I promise your family will shower you with kisses and warm compliments once they’ve had a bite.
Branda is the Founder at Alpharetta Housewives LLC.