Cinnamon rolls were always a real tradition in my family, growing up. We made them every Christmas, and the ritual was a cherished one. But I’m such a cinnamon-sugar, carb-loving fiend that I wanted this treat—or something very similar—more than just once a year. There’s nothing like the smell of a batch of cinnamon buns baking, filling the house! I happen to like these buns a little on the toasty side, so I bake them off in a muffin tin so that each one comes out with a sticky-bun-like caramelized bottom.
Now, many people are intimidated by preparing yeast doughs, but really, nothing could be more basic. True, there are several stages involved in preparing sticky buns like these, but each step is quite straightforward. You can even do the prep-work the night before, and then bake the buns off in the morning—perfect for a special breakfast as we head into this holiday weekend!
Ingredients
- 1 package active dry yeast (2½ teaspoons)
- ½ cup whole milk, warmed (between 105° and 115° F)
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
For the filling:
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup plus 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- ½ cup pecans, toasted and chopped
For the icing:
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 6 ounces cream cheese or Neufchatel cheese, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
In the bowl of a stand-mixer, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and allow it to stand until foamy, about five minutes. Add the granulated sugar, eggs, flour, salt, and nutmeg. Attach the dough hook and stir to combine. Knead on low speed until the dough is smooth but elastic, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add a little more flour as necessary for the dough to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Remove the dough, form it into a ball, and transfer it to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise in a warm, draft-free spot for 1½-2 hours, or until it’s doubled in bulk.
Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Lightly dust the surface of the dough with flour as necessary to keep it from sticking, and roll it out into a 10-by-16-inch rectangle. Brush the surface with most of the ¼ cup of the melted butter, reserving the rest, then sprinkle it evenly with the cinnamon and most of the brown sugar and the pecans, reserving about 3 Tablespoons of each. Gently roll the rectangle into a tight log. Cut the log into twelve equally sized sections.
Into the wells of a lightly oiled muffin tin, evenly sprinkle the reserved butter, brown sugar, and pecans. Place each roll into a well in the muffin tin. Cover the rolls loosely with a clean, dry kitchen towel and allow the dough to rise again in a warm, draft-free spot until they have doubled in size, about 30-40 minutes, or place the covered rolls in the refrigerator and allow them to slowly rise overnight.
Preheat the oven to 400° F. If the rolls have been refrigerated, allow them to come to room temperature before baking. Bake until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the icing. Frost each roll with the icing while they’re still warm, and serve.
To prepare the icing:
In the bowl of a stand-mixer using a paddle attachment, cream the butter and the cream cheese. Add the vanilla and the powdered sugar, and combine on medium speed until thoroughly mixed. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Tomboy’s Guide Old Fashioned Proofing Hack:
Okay, so let’s say you don’t have a fancy oven that has an official “proofing” setting (cough cough, I don’t either). If you were to just find a warm spot in your home for your dough to rise, you could be waiting all day! Instead, here’s a handy trick from the olden days: when you’re ready to proof your dough, boil a kettle of water. Position the racks in your oven such that you can fit the bowl your dough is in above another rack holding a pie pan or similarly sized dish. Pour the hot water into the dish, shut the oven door, and allow the warmth from the steam to proof your dough to perfection!
