Cinnamon Rolls

I found this recipe on Joy the Baker a long time ago and have made these rolls many times. They always come out the same: soft, fluffy, buttery and not at all dry or dense. The instructions on her site were very informative and clear so I almost did not change anything. I just increased the amount of cinnamon because 1/3 tsp seemed too little for me and also omitted some spices but you can definitely add them if you like. I also baked the rolls in a springform pan, not in the cupcake cups. I just find them more gooey and softer this way! I definitely prefer the center to the edge. So this may take longer to bake. Keep an eye on them. It's difficult to say when they are baked. It depends a lot on your oven and how well they rise before baking.

Recipe adapted from here.

Cinnamon Rolls

Sponge:
2 1/2 tsp instant yeast
63g/1/2 cup bread flour
160ml/2/3 cup milk, cold
4 tsp honey

Final dough:
125g/1 cup bread flour
188g/1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp salt
85g/6 tbsp butter, cold
1/3 tsp cardamom (omitted)
1 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp lemon zest
50g/1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, room temperature

Cinnamon Sugar Filling:
75g/1/3 cup sugar
100g/1/2 cup brown sugar
2-3 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg (omitted)
2 tbsp butter, softened 

Icing:
2/3 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp milk (needed more)
1/8 tsp orange zest (omitted)
1/2 tsp lemon juice (omitted)

1) Mix the sponge: 

Combine all of the dry ingredients followed lastly by the milk and honey. Stir to combine, then cover with the flours and the salt from the final dough. Allow to ferment at room temperature for 20 minutes.

2) In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the cinnamon sugar filling and set aside.  Butter 2 springform pans.

3) Begin the final dough:  

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter until smooth and pale.  Add the sugar, lemon zest and spices and continue creaming at medium speed for 5 minutes. Add the eggs and mix until combined. The mixture will look very wet, and curdled. 

4) Add the flour covered sponge to the butter mixture.  Mix on low speed until evenly combined. On medium speed, continue to mix for 2 minutes. Switch to the dough hook and mix on low speed until smooth and satiny. If the dough is sticking a lot to the sides of the bowl, add all purpose flour, 1 Tablespoon at a time. Mixing with the dough hook takes about 5 minutes. You can finish with a minute or two of hand kneading if you like.  

5) Place the dough in a lightly greased and floured bowl. Next, tuck greased plastic wrap around the dough so that no air can enter. Place a clean dish towel over the bowl. Bulk ferment at room temperature for 1 1/2 hours.

6) Flip the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. With a floured hand, pat the dough roughly into a rectangle. Lift the left side of the dough and fold it over almost to the right side of the dough, leaving about 5cm of room. Lift the right side and fold it all the way over to the left. Lift the bottom of the dough, the side closest to you, and fold it almost to the top of the dough, leaving about 1cm. Lastly, fold the top of the dough all the way down towards you. Return the dough to the bowl and cover as before, leaving it for 30 minutes.  

7) On a lightly floured work surface, using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a rectangle 40cm high and 30cm long.

8) Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar filling. Beginning with the long edge, roll up the dough and cinnamon sugar filling. Brush the edge of the seam with water and pinch closed. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190 degrees C.

9) Using a sharp knife, slice the dough into 2,5-3 cm rolls. Place cinnamon rolls into the round pan, leaving some space for them to expand while baking. Cover the sliced cinnamon rolls with plastic wrap and allow to rest and almost double in size, about 50 minutes. If the room is very warm from the oven, they will proof in as little as 35 minutes.

10)Bake for 10-15 minutes (or longer), keeping an eye on them after 10 minutes, until they are golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool in pan on rack for about 20 minutes. Remove form pan, and when completely cool, drizzle with glaze.