Ring in spring with this cinnamon roll recipe (2024)

I am ready for spring.

Yeah, yeah, I know astronomical spring arrived on March 20. If you want to get all official about it, spring came at precisely 4:24 a.m. I wouldn’t know. I was asleep like a normal person.

Of course, for those of you who do the whole “meteorological spring” thing, the new season arrived way back on March 1. I suppose it happened at midnight. Again, I wouldn’t know because I had been asleep since 10 p.m. like an old person.

No matter which “First Day of Spring” you celebrate, however, it’s pretty clear that spring weather has been slow in coming to the upper Midwest. Iowa City got between 2 and 4 inches of snow on March 25. Madison, Wisconsin was hit with more than 12 inches from that same storm.

I mean, come on. I know that I look great in a sweater, but I am tired of this stuff.

Maybe Easter will change things. Easter is, of course, the biggest holiday in the Christian church calendar when we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This time of year was big for pagans, as well. The warmer weather and the longer days that came with the vernal equinox are things humans have celebrated for millennia as a time when the earth returned to life after the dark days of winter. We see that in several things we continue to celebrate to this day.

For example, according to the Encyclopedia Britannica, our word “Easter” is derived from Eostre, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of fertility. Some argue that Eostre was often shown with rabbits, hence the origin of the modern “Easter Bunny.”

Easter eggs, too, symbolize new life. One source argues that the ancient Babylonians revered eggs as a symbol of their goddess Ishtar, who, once again, was associated with fertility. Yes, our ancient ancestors were a randy bunch.

Eggs and rabbits are all well and good, but lately I’ve been wondering if we could freshen up the edible Easter symbolism a bit. Maybe it would bring on warmer weather. Specifically, I’m thinking about yeast.

Seriously, is there any food that better symbolizes rebirth than yeast? The stuff we buy in those little packets looks like dead tannish granules with little more life to them than sand. But combine them with flour, water, sugar, and a little heat, and boom! You’ve got life.

That life is critical to bread baking. As the yeast awakens and begins to grow it gives off carbon dioxide, which causes the dough to rise and expand. It’s a magical process.

It’s also part of the process in baking so many wonderful foods. With Easter breakfast on the horizon, I am thinking specifically of cinnamon rolls. There’s just something about waking up to the smell of fresh cinnamon rolls baking in the oven. The combination of sugar, spice and yeast is just perfect.

I’ve been looking for the perfect cinnamon roll recipe for years. My search has turned up many great recipes. Few, however, are as versatile as the one I’ve listed below. You can use it as the base for cinnamon rolls or sticky buns. Add a little orange zest and juice, and you’ve got the perfect orange roll. It’s also adaptable to your situation. If you want to start the rolls the night before and finish them on Easter morning, you can do that.

Best of all, I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love a good cinnamon roll. It’s the perfect complement to all of the quiches and frittatas that will dominate most brunch tables.

I’ve listed the basic recipe below, as well as a variation. Give them a try. Who knows, maybe they will smell so good that spring will have to return.

A few words on active dry yeast vs. instant yeast

For most of my life I’ve been convinced that active dry yeast was better than instant. I think it’s the Lutheran in me. Happiness cannot be rushed. Patience will be rewarded.

In reality, however, these two ingredients are almost interchangeable in most recipes. The only serious difference is time. If you use instant yeast, your rising time will be shorter (between 15 and 30 minutes). Thus, you can use either yeast in the recipe below.

Basic Cinnamon Roll recipe

This recipe comes from the book “The Weekend Baker” by Abigail Johnson Dodge. You can make it in a stand mixer or by hand or in a bread machine. That makes it the perfect recipe for the holiday or for any weekend when you want something sweet.

Ingredients

For the dough:

• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup) cut into tablespoons
• 3 ½ cups flour
• 2 ¼ teaspoons either active dry or instant yeast (one packet)
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg

For the filling:

• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ½ cup white sugar
• 1/3 flour
• 2 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
• 6 tablespoons of butter, melted

For the icing:

• 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
• 6 tablespoons heavy cream
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

In a small saucepan, combine the milk and the 8 tablespoons of butter. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter melts. Remove from heat, and cool mixture to between 100 and 115 degrees.

From here on it depends on how you plan to make your dough. As said above, you can make this recipe by hand, in a stand mixer or in a bread machine. I will provide the instructions for the stand mixer.

In the bowl of your mixer combine the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Mix with the paddle attachment. If your milk and butter mixture is cool enough, add it to the bowl. Mix, and add the egg and continue mixing until a shaggy dough forms.

Switch to the dough hook. Knead your dough for 5-7 minutes. The dough will be sticky, but try not to add more flour. (Note: If you are kneading by hand, knead for about 10 minutes).

Place your dough in a lightly-greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm place to rise until doubled for about 45-55 minutes (Note: add at least 15 minutes if using active dry yeast).

When the dough is almost risen, make your filling. Combine the brown sugar, white sugar, flour and cinnamon. Lightly grease a 9x13 baking pan.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured surface. Roll into a 12x17-inch rectangle. Pour the melted butter onto the dough and use a spatula to spread it evenly. Sprinkle the filling mixture evenly over the butter.

Starting with one of the long ends, roll up the dough as tightly as you can. Pinch the seam to seal. Cut the dough cylinder into 12 even rolls (Note: I never get them perfectly even. They still taste good).

Place each roll into your prepared pan. Cover with plastic wrap, and place in a warm place to rise a second time until they are doubled in size. This time it should take between 45 and 50 minutes.

To bake the rolls, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bake rolls for 30-35 minutes.

Once the rolls are almost done baking, make the glaze. Combine all of the glaze ingredients together in a small bowl. Spread the glaze evenly over the baked and still warm rolls.

An orange roll variation

Some folks – including me! - love an orange cinnamon roll once in a while. This dough works perfectly for that adaptation.

Ingredients

For the filling:

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon orange zest (about 2 oranges)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon cardamom
• ¼ teaspoon allspice
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup butter, melted

For the glaze:

• 4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons butter, room temperature
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
• Orange zest for garnish, if desired

Prepare and roll your dough as directed for the recipe above.

Make the filling by combining all ingredients except for the melted butter in a small bowl.

Spread the melted butter over your rolled dough. Sprinkle with the filling, and roll the rolls as directed above. Cut into 12 rolls and place in a greased 9x13-inch pan.

Complete the second rise and bake as directed above.

When the rolls are almost done baking, make the glaze.

Combine the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients, except for the optional orange zest.

Spread the glaze over the baked and still warm rolls. Sprinkle with orange zest, if you like.