Saturday, February 26, 2011

Maiden attempt

Stuck at home today, so I decided to attempt a yeast cinnamon roll. From my favorite cookbook (many of the recipes also available on line).

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls
from the Chicago Tribune, with adaptations (namely, didn't have any buttermilk)

Prep: 25 minutes Rise: 2 hours, 15 minutes Cook: 20 minutes Makes: 12 rolls

1 cup plain buttermilk plus 2 T milk (I used yogurt plus 2 tablespoons sourcream), at room temperature
Zest of 1 orange
2 eggs, at room temperature
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra as needed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 packages (1/4 ounce each) active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) softened butter, cut into cubes, plus 6 tablespoons melted butter

Filling:
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

Glaze:
2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon orange juice
1/4 cup milk

Whisk together the buttermilk, orange zest and eggs in a small bowl. Set aside. Combine the wheat flour, 2 cups of the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, yeast, baking soda, 3/8 teaspoon of the cinnamon, 1 1/4 teaspoons of the salt and the softened butter. Add buttermilk mixture; mix over low speed until the mixture comes together, about 1 minute. Place a towel over the top of the mixture; let rest 15 minutes.

Mix on medium speed until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 5 minutes, adding up to 1/4 cup more flour if the dough is too wet. Scrape the dough from the bowl; form into a ball. Place the dough in a large buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.

Meanwhile, for the filling, sift together the brown sugar, remaining 2 tablespoons of the cinnamon, 1 tablespoon of the all-purpose flour and 1 teaspoon of the salt in a small bowl. Transfer risen dough to a well-floured work surface. Roll into a rectangle 1/4-inch thick and about 17-by-12-inches wide. Brush the dough with 4 tablespoons of the melted butter; sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over, keeping 1 inch clear along one of the long edges.

Loosely roll the dough into a long tube, pressing the clear edge along the length of the dough to seal the tube. Place the tube, seam-side down, on the work surface. Cut the tube crosswise into 12 evenly sized rolls. Place the rolls, spiral side up, on a parchment-lined baking sheet, about 1/2-inch apart. Cover loosely with plastic wrap; let rise until almost doubled in size, about 1 hour. Half an hour into the rise, heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the rolls until puffed and golden brown, 20-25 minutes. Remove from the tray; cool on the parchment paper.

Verdict: delicious, but takes too damned long.

1 comment:

  1. You asked for scone ideas and this one is my all time favorite.

    http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/10/apple-and-cheddar-scones/

    ReplyDelete