I made my first cinnamon roll using a ready mix dough (you know those " add 1 cup water and 2 eggs then bake for 20 minutes" box?). It was hard as a rock, even a miracle won't turn it into bread.
The key to baking is to measure all the ingredients before heading to the mixing part. Line them up in your work table; this will eliminate panic and forgetting essential ingredients.
I am using a food processor with a dough blade. If you've decided to halve the mixture, you may use your hand mixer but make sure to use the dough hooks.
For the dough: (makes 24 swirls)
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter (115g), preferably unsalted
1 cup water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast (10g)
1 cup white sugar
2 eggs
6 cups all purpose flour
Cinnamon mixture:
2-3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 cups dark brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
Directions:
1. Warm the milk in a saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat.
2. Then add 1/2 cup butter to melt.
3. Melt the butter.
4. Add a cup of water and let the mixture to cool until lukewarm. Be patient.
5. Prepare the other ingredients.
5. Combine the milk mixture, yeast, white sugar, salt, eggs and 2 cups of flour in your mixing bowl. Mix well to combine.
6. Add the remaining flour 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well each time. Well, you can add 1 cup at a time, the mixer won't mind I suppose.
7. The dough will pull together, as shown. A bit sticky but not wet.
8. Now transfer your dough into a floured surface.
9. Knead the dough mixture. Stretch the dough and press using the heel of your palm as shown below. Kneading gives your final product that elastic and " springy bite"...and some loving touch, so it will taste yummy.
10. Divide the dough and set the other half aside. (You may place this half in a container, let rise for an hour before storing in the fridge for future baking). A half could make 12 pieces of swirls.
11. Roll the dough into 12x9 inch rectangle.
12. In a bowl, mix 2-3 teaspoons of ground cinnamon with 2 cups of dark brown sugar. ( 1 tsp cinnamon to 1 cup dark brown sugar if you are baking only half of the mixture). You can be generous, add more sugar or more of cinnamon. Suit to your taste.
13. Now spread butter generously (about 1/4 cup for each rectangle).
14. Spread the cinnamon mixture.
15. Roll the dough. Just use small amount of water to seal the edges.
16. Cut the dough with a very sharp knife (if not, it will stick to the knife). Or use a CLEAN dental floss. Cut a 10 inch floss, wrap around the dough to cut through. It won't stick to the floss.
17. Cover and seal with cling-wrap. Let the dough rise double its original size. Usually it takes 1 hour for the yeast to work. I make mine 2 hours. (see below how the dough have risen).
18. Meanwhile, preheat your oven for 10 minutes at 375F or 190C oven, or 175C if you are using fan-forced oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.
19. For the oozy frosting: mix 1 tablespoon of butter to1 cup of confectioners (or icing) sugar and 85 g of cream cheese. Slowly, add 3 tablespoons of milk. Mix until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Add few drops of vanilla essence. Spread over warm cinnamon swirls.
Then make yourself a coffee. Indulge..
