Cinnamon rolls are a more involved process than your standard chocolate chip cookie or muffin recipe…I get it. It can seem a little daunting. But luckily we’ve broken everything down for you so you’ll be a homemade cinnamon roll baking pro in no time!
Cinnamon rolls require making three components (dough, cinnamon sugar, and cream cheese frosting) and this homemade cinnamon roll recipe needs 2 rises so you’ll have to be a little patient too. But isn’t that the fun in baked goods sometimes? Cinnamon rolls are a special treat and all that extra work and love makes them even more delicious.x
- Make the cinnamon roll dough and knead f0r 10 minutes in a stand mixer or by hand until it passes the window pane test.
- Let the dough rise for 1 hour.
- Roll out the dough into a large rectangle, spread with the filling, and roll up!
- Slice the cinnamon rolls using a very sharp knife or unflavored dental floss into 12 equal pieces and place into a baking pan (I love a 9 x 13).
- Let the rolls rise for another hour.
- Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
If you watch any baking shows (looking at you, The Great British Bake Off), you’ve maybe heard of “the windowpane test.” This is the easiest and simplest way to test if your dough has developed enough gluten (bonds in the dough that will give it that nice dough-y, cinnamon roll texture).
Rip off a small piece of dough and place it between your fingers, gently spreading your fingers apart to stretch out the dough. If the dough can stretch out and get translucent (I like to hold it up to a window and see that light passes through it), you’ve kneaded it long enough and you can shape it and place it in a bowl to rise. If the dough rips and will not stretch out you’ll need to knead your dough more. Place the piece of dough back with the rest of it and knead the dough for a few more minutes (1 or 2 should do it!) and repeat the test until your dough passes with flying colors!
