Bake cinnamon rolls

Cinnamon rolls aren’t hard, but they take time, so start in the morning and let the dough do the work. The first warm, iced roll is worth the wait. Here’s how to make cinnamon rolls from scratch, using active dry yeast.

Plan the day

Most of the time is waiting: about an hour for the dough to rise, a short break while you shape the rolls, a second rise, then about half an hour in the oven. If you start by 10 am, you’ll be eating them in the afternoon.

Check the date on your yeast before you begin. Old yeast is the commonest reason dough doesn’t rise.

The dough

You’ll need:

• 1 cup warm milk (warm to the touch, about 110°F, never hot)
• 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for the counter

1. Stir the yeast and a pinch of the sugar into the warm milk. Wait about 5 minutes, until it’s foamy.
2. Add the rest of the sugar, the butter, the egg and the salt.
3. Stir in the flour, about half at a time, until a soft dough forms.
4. Knead for about 8 minutes, by hand or with a dough hook, until smooth and slightly tacky. It should spring back when you poke it.
5. Put it in a greased bowl, cover it, and leave it somewhere warm until it has doubled, usually about an hour.

Fill and roll

For the filling, mix 1/2 cup packed brown sugar with 1 tablespoon cinnamon. Have 1/4 cup soft butter ready.

1. Roll the dough out on a floured counter into a rectangle about 12 by 16 inches.
2. Spread it with the soft butter, then sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over it.
3. Roll it up tightly from the long side, and pinch the seam closed.
4. Cut it into 12 slices. Dental floss, slid under the roll and crossed over the top, cuts more cleanly than a knife.
5. Set the rolls in a greased baking pan or two, close together, with a little room to puff up.
6. Cover and let them rise again for 30 to 45 minutes, until puffy.

Bake and ice

Bake at 350°F for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden on top and cooked through the middle. If the tops brown too fast, cover them loosely with foil.

While they bake, make the icing: beat 4 ounces of softened cream cheese with 1/4 cup soft butter, then beat in 1 cup powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla until smooth. Spread it over the rolls while they’re warm, not hot, so it melts into the gaps.

What goes wrong

• The dough didn’t rise. The yeast was old, or the milk was hot enough to kill it. Test the milk on your wrist: it should feel warm, not hot.
• The rolls are dry. Too much flour went in, or they baked too long. Next time, stop adding flour while the dough is still a little sticky.
• The filling leaks out. The roll wasn’t tight enough, or the butter was melted instead of soft. Roll firmly and use soft butter.
• The centres are doughy. They need more time in the oven. Loose foil over the top stops them burning in the meantime.
• The icing disappears. The rolls were too hot. Wait a few minutes.

A tip while you wait: put the rising bowl in a spot that stays gently warm, such as the oven with only the light on, so the dough isn’t sitting in a draft.

Keep them

Cinnamon rolls are best on the day. Keep leftovers covered, in the fridge if they’re iced with cream cheese, and warm them for 10 to 15 seconds in the microwave before eating. They freeze well, un-iced.

For the next morning, you can also do the shaping the night before. Cover the cut rolls, chill them overnight, and let them come to room temperature and puff up before baking.

Make it a winter morning

Make them on a cold, slow Saturday with the heating on and nowhere to be. Eat them with a mug of hot chocolate, still in your pyjamas.