2 ¼tsp (1 packet)instant/rapid rise yeast or active dry yeast
¼cupgranulated sugar, divided
3 ¼cupsbread flour, spooned and leveled,divided
1tspcoarse Kosher salt(if using table salt, use half the amount)
¼tspground nutmeg
2large eggs(room temperature)
1tspvanilla extract
1tspalmond extract(optional)
Filling
4tbspunsalted butter,melted
¾cupdark brown sugar,packed
1 ½tbspcinnamon
Icing
1 ½cupspowdered sugar
5-6tbspheavy whipping cream
1tspvanilla extract
½tspalmond extract(optional)
Instructions
Dough
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the buttermilk and stir. Warm the mixture just until it reaches between 110-115 degrees F.If it gets too hot, let it sit for a few minutes until it cools down to the correct temperature. It's important that you check the temperature - if it's too cold, it won't activate the yeast, and if it's too hot, it will kill the yeast.
Remove the saucepan from the heat. Stir in the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes until it begins to foam and bubble; this will let you know that the yeast is active.Baker's Note: If using instant/rapid rise yeast, you can choose to skip this step of proofing the yeast in the warm liquid first, and simply add the warm liquid and the yeast to the rest of the dough ingredients. However, I like to proof the yeast every time, simply to ensure the yeast is active and not expired, before adding it to the dough.
In the bowl of your stand mixer, stir together 3 cups of the flour (reserve 1/4 cup for rolling out the dough later) with the warm milk mixture, the sugar, salt, nutmeg, eggs and extracts into a rough shaggy dough. With the dough hook, knead on medium/low speed for 10 minutes. The dough will be soft, sticky and loose, but don't add more flour. Even though the dough is soft, when you scrape it out of the bowl with a spatula, you should still be able to gather it into a ball with your hands.
Lightly spray a large bowl with nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and set in a warm place to rise until doubled in size, about 60-90 minutes.If your oven has a bread-proofing setting, you can use that to proof your dough. If not, let your oven preheat to the lowest setting, turn the oven off, and then set your dough inside to rise.
Set the bowl of dough, still covered, in the refrigerator to chill for 1-2 hours, or overnight.The chill time allows the gluten to rest and the dough to develop flavor. It's also much easier to work with the dough when it's cold, since this is a soft dough.
Turn the cold dough out onto a lightly floured work surface (using the last remaining 1/4 cup of flour to keep the dough from sticking). Roll your dough out into a rectangle measuring approximately 12x18 inches.
Filling
Line a 9x13 pan with a sheet of parchment paper, or spray with non-stick spray. (You can even bake the rolls in a muffin pan, if you like, which keeps them nice and round, with a slight crust all around the outside and a gooey center.)
Melt your butter and use a pastry brush to spread it evenly over the dough, all the way to the edges.In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle that evenly over the butter.
Roll up the dough (starting on one of the long sides) into a log, keeping it as tight as you can. Using a gentle sawing motion with a sharp, non-serrated knife, cut the dough into 12 rolls.
Place the rolls, cut side up, in the pan. Cover the pan with a towel, and set in a warm place for 20 minutes to puff up a little, just until the rolls are touching.
Bake
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Bake the rolls on the center oven rack for about 22-25 minutes, until they appear done in the middle, and the top is a pale golden brown.
Icing
In a bowl, stir together all the icing ingredients until smooth. Immediately drizzle over the hot rolls.
Let the rolls cool for about 10 minutes and serve warm.
Notes
Yeast: This recipe calls for instant or rapid-rise yeast, which does not require any proofing first, so you can just mix it right into the dough. If you only have regular active dry yeast, you should proof it first, before adding to the dough. To do this, heat your butter and buttermilk as instructed, then sprinkle the yeast, and 1 teaspoon of sugar, over the liquid. Stir in and let sit until foamy, about 5-10 minutes. Add to your dough and mix as instructed.
Eggs: Your eggs will be too cold if you use them straight from the fridge, and the chill could prevent your dough from rising. Let them sit out for about an hour (or place the eggs in a glass of hot water) to warm up to room temperature before adding to your dough.
110-115 Degrees: It's very important that you check the temperature of your melted butter and warmed buttermilk. The amount noted here is not a suggestion; it's essential to correctly activating your yeast. Too cold, and the yeast won't be activated. Too hot, and it will kill the yeast.
Icing: This recipe makes a generous amount of icing to drizzle over your cinnamon rolls. If you like less icing, you can certainly cut the recipe in half. For a delicious orange icing, try substituting orange juice for the cream, starting with 3-4 tablespoons juice and adding more as needed.
Cream Baked Rolls: Pouring cream over your rolls, prior to baking, is a popular option for super gooey and soft rolls. To do this, you should slightly warm 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream to take the chill off. Just before baking your rolls, pour the cream over them and then bake as instructed.
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls: To get a jump-start on breakfast prep, you can make, proof and chill the dough, then roll and shape the rolls the night before. Place the cut rolls in your baking dish, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, take them out of the refrigerator, and set in a warm place to take the chill off, which will take about an hour, then let them puff up a bit. Bake as instructed.