Mama Kat Prompt: share a favorite recipe you have been loving.
I have already confessed to failing in my undertaking of baking fifty-two loaves of bread during the last calendar year–a challenge inspired by William Alexander’s book 52 Loaves and my own mother’s love of bread. I intended to attempt a wide variety of breads, rolls, and bread-like baked items to share. Part of my failure was due to the time and energy required by the project (which is to say my own personal shortfall in those areas); but a large part was due to my inability to move past my favorite cinnamon breads and rolls. I kind of got stuck in a routine of remaking two particular recipes over and over.
There is the Pioneer Woman’s cinnamon bread. Marlboro Man will never leave her so long as there is the promise of a loaf of this bread on the counter, I can tell you that.
Plus, I rediscovered these mini-cinnamon rolls from the November/December 1996 issue of Country Home. These rolls are the reason a yellowed copy of this magazine still exists inside my cabinet. The cinnamon and sugar sort of crystalize into some incredible new substance during baking. Good stuff!
4 to 4 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 pkg. dry yeast
1 cup milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter
1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
Combine 1 1/2 cups flour and the yeast, set aside. In a saucepan heat and stir milk, sugar, butter and salt until warm (120 to 130 degrees). Butter will be partially melted. Add to flour mixture. Add eggs and beat on low for thirty seconds. Scrape bowl and beat on high for 3 minutes, stirring in as much remaining flour as you can.
Knead on a floured surface adding enough flour to make a soft, elastic dough. Place dough in a greased bowl, turning it once. Cover with a clean cloth and let rise in a warm spot for an hour.
Punch dough, turn it out onto a floured surface. Divide dough in half and let it rest for 10 minutes. Divide each half in half again and roll each portion into a 12×6 inch rectangle. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
Roll up each rectangle beginning with one of the long sides. Pinch seams to seal and then cut into 1 inch pieces. Line rolls up in greased pan and allow to rise for half an hour.
Bake rolls at 375 for 12 minutes. Cool and ice with a powdered sugar icing. Makes 48 mini rolls.