Recipe: Perfect Cinnamon rolls AKA Cinnamuffins

After many glorious failures on the cinnamon bread front, I have finally found and tweaked a great recipe for cinnamon bread.  Not to stop there, we have now developed the perfect recipe for cinnamon rolls.   Ryan calls them cinnamuffins and Rebecca likes to unwind them and share them with the dog.

This is a real bread recipe so there is some waiting around while it rises but it is easy-peasy when you use a stand mixer.  Should yield about 2 dozen buns.

For the bread

½ cup of milk

3 tablespoons of raw sugar

2 teaspoons of salt

3 tablespoons of butter

4 ½ teaspoons of dry yeast (that’s 2 packages)

1½ cups of warm tap water

5 ½ cups of unbleached all-purpose flour

For the filling

butter

4 teaspoons of cinnamon

1 cup of brown sugar

½ cup of raisins

1 teaspoon milk

1 egg white

Heat milk, butter, sugar and salt in a small saucepan over low heat until sugar is fully dissolved.  This should take less than 5 minutes.  Cool until lukewarm.

Dissolve yeast in warm water in a warm mixer bowl.  Add the milk mixture to the bowl. Using the dough hook attachment on low speed, mix in the flour ½ cup at a time.  After about 5 minutes total, you should have a nice smooth and elastic lump of dough that cleans the sides of the bowl.

Make a nice ball with your dough and place in a greased bowl, we use sunflower oil, roll it around so the top is greased too.  Cover well and place in a nice warm spot where there is no chance of a draft.  After about 1 hour it should have doubled in size.

Punch the dough down and divide in thirds.  Roll out one piece on a well-floured surface.  We have a tiny kitchen so I like to use a cutting board over the sink.

Spread butter on dough and cover with cinnamon sugar mixture and raisins. Cut into strips as wide as your muffin tin is tall.  A pizza cutter really works well for this.  For regular muffin tins, 10-12 inches is about the right length and for the mini ones, 4 or 5 inches is all you need.

Roll up the dough while paying attention to optimal raisin placement.

Place rolls in well buttered muffin tins.  They do not need to be perfect, as when they rise for the second time they even themselves out.  

Brush egg white and milk mixture on top.  Cover with a tea towel and put back in that warm draft free spot from earlier for another hour until doubled again.

Bake a 375 for 25-30 minutes.  Remove from tins immediately and cool on wire racks.  

Devour, preferably with a cup on tea on the deck while the baby naps.