One thing I’ve never tried making from scratch is Cinnamon Rolls. I’ve always enjoyed eating them and have wanted to try making them. I finally had a weekend where my daughter was not having a cheer competition and we had no other plans. It was the perfect time to stay home all day and try making homemade Cinnamon Rolls. I’ve been looking at Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls for a long time now. Recently, she was on The Today Show making them; it was a sign that I must make them.

If you want to eat these the day you make them, you must start the process in the morning. It does take some time but it’s worth it in the end. She does say that there is a point you can refrigerate the dough overnight or even for a few days. Which would be great if you want rolls fresh in the morning. I have yet to try this method but I do plan to try it out.

The recipe makes a ton of rolls, this is one half of the dough that is ready to be rolled up. I really loved this part of the recipe. It’s so much fun getting your hands dirty.

The one mistake I made (and I knew better) was packing them in to tightly before they had a chance to rise again. Thankfully it didn’t ruin them but next time I’ll be a little more cautious.

You end up with the best cinnamon rolls ever! As much as you want them all to yourself, you must give some away. I had my daughter take a pan to her youth group and we gave another pan to my husband’s grandmother.  Your waistline will thank you for sharing.

Pioneer Woman’s Cinnamon Rolls:

Dough:

• 1 quart whole milk
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 packages (4 1/2 teaspoons total) active dry yeast
• 9 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 heaping tsp baking powder
• 1 scant tsp baking soda
• 1 heaping tbs salt

Filling:

• 2 cups melted butter, plus more as needed
• 1/4 cup ground cinnamon for sprinkling
• 2 cups sugar, plus more as needed

Maple Frosting:

• 2 pounds powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup whole milk, more if needed for thinning
• 6 tbs (3/4 stick) butter, melted
• 1/4 cup strongly brewed coffee
• Dash of salt
• 2 tsp maple flavoring or maple extract

1. Making the Dough: Mix the milk, vegetable oil and sugar in a pan. Scald the mixture (heat until just before the boiling point). Turn off heat and leave to cool 45 minutes to 1 hour. When the mixture is lukewarm to warm, but NOT hot, sprinkle in both packages of Active Dry Yeast. Let this sit for a minute. Then add 8 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir mixture together. Cover and let rise for an hour.
2. After rising for an hour, add 1 more cup of flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir mixture together; I found mixing it by hand was much easier than with a spoon. (At this point, you could cover the dough and put it in the fridge until you need it – overnight or even a day or two, if necessary. Just keep your eye on it and if it starts to overflow out of the pan, just punch it down)
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
4. When ready to prepare rolls: Sprinkle rolling surface generously with flour. Take half the dough and form a rough rectangle. Then roll the dough thin, maintaining a general rectangular shape. Drizzle 1/2 to 1 cup melted butter over the dough, spread the butter around with your hands. Now sprinkle 1 cup of sugar over the butter followed by a generous sprinkling of cinnamon.
5. Starting at the opposite end, begin rolling the dough in a neat line toward you. Keep the roll relatively tight as you go. Next, pinch the seam of the roll to seal it.
6. Spread 1 tablespoon of melted butter in a seven inch round foil cake or pie pan. Then begin cutting the rolls approximately ¾ to 1 inch thick and laying them in the buttered pans.
7. Repeat this process with the other half of the dough. Let the rolls rise for 20 to 30 minutes, Bake until light golden brown, about 15 to 18 minutes.
8. Make the Maple Frosting: Mix together all ingredients listed and stir well until smooth. It should be thick but pourable. Taste and adjust as needed. Generously drizzle over the warm rolls.

Source: Pioneer Woman