Ultimate Cinnamon Rolls

American sticky buns and cinnamon rolls derive from the German kuchen tradition of sweetened yeast breads, though there are British precedents as well. German and Dutch settlers used to serve similar coffee cakes when entertaining neighbors informally, in afternoon-tea fashion, and we think the gooey buns still make a better snack than a breakfast bread, side dish, or dessert.

Ingredients

For the dough
2 teraspoons instant yeast
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) warm water
1/4 cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (4 ounces) milk
1 egg
3 cups (12 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

For the filling
water to coat
1/2 cup (3 1/2 ounces) dark brown sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

For the icing
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 to 5 tablespoons cream

Method

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Prepare the dough by combining the yeast, water, butter, sugar, salt, milk and egg.
• Stir in enough of the flour to create a shaggy mass (lumpy).
• turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead, adding more flour if needed to create soft dough, about seven minutes.
• Lightly oil a medium bowl.
• Transfer the dough to the bowl and turn it to coat the dough with oil
• Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, 30 minutes to an hour.
• Roll the dough out on a floured board into a rectangle about 12x14-inches. Brush with water and sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon evenly over the dough, leaving a small border free of filling.
• Roll up the dough from one of the rectangle's longer sides and pinch the seams together well.
• Using floss or a serrated knife, cut off slices about 1-inch wide. Place slices in an i-inch greased pan, placing one slice in the middle and other slices around it.
• Let the rolls rise until they fill the pan generously, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Bake in a 350°F. oven about 15 to 20 minutes. If rolls get too brown, cover with a piece of tin foil until the end of baking. Do not over bake rolls.
• Remove rolls immediately from pan by inverting onto a plate and then tip over onto another plate to right the rolls.
• To make icing, stir in enough cream into the icing ingredients to create a thick consistency.
• Spread over warm rolls as soon as they are placed on a plate, allowing the frosting to melt.

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