One Hour Cinnamon Rolls

These easy and yummy cinnamon rolls are gone in minutes. The recipe includes step-by-step instructions and a video demonstration for pressing and rolling the dough.

Equipment

• stand mixer
• large liquid measuring cup
• rimmed baking sheet
• silicone baking mat or parchment paper
• nonstick cooking spray
• bench scraper
• rolling pin

Ingredients

• 1 cup warm milk
• 4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast (fast-acting)
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup canola or vegetable oil
• 4-4 1/2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
• 1/3 cup salted butter, softened (for filling)
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar (for filling)
• 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon (for filling)
• 2 oz. cream cheese at room temperature (for frosting)
• 1/4 cup salted butter, softened (for frosting)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for frosting)
• 1/2 tablespoon corn syrup (for frosting)
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (for frosting)
• 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar (for frosting)

Instructions

1. In a large liquid measuring cup, stir warm milk, yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the granulated sugar together to dissolve. Stir and proof 5 minutes.
2. Into the bowl of a stand mixer, measure out 3 cups of flour, the remaining sugar, and salt.
3. Once the yeast mixture looks bubbly and frothy, pour into the stand mixer with dry ingredients. Start to stir on low.
4. Add in the egg and the oil. Scrape edges of the bowl to stir flour in evenly.
5. Knead 5 minutes on low. If the dough seems a bit sticky, stir in 2 tablespoons of flour at a time until it starts pulling away from the bowl. The dough should be tacky but not sticky enough to stick to your hands.
6. Rest dough 5 minutes.
7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line rimmed baking sheet with silicone baking mat or parchment paper, spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray, and set aside.
8. Sprinkle counter with flour and roll dough to be about 18×24 inches.
9. Spread with softened butter over dough, being sure to go right to the edges leaving a 1-inch strip untouched on one of the longer sides of dough.
10. Dump brown sugar and cinnamon mixture onto the middle of the dough and spread with your hands, creating an even layer over top of the butter, still leaving that 1-inch strip of dough untouched.
11. If you have any filling that falls off the sides of the dough, use a bench scraper to replace it.
12. Lightly press the sugar mixture into the butter using a rolling pin.
13. Roll the dough up into a tight log, finishing with the plain dough on the bottom to seal the entire thing together.
14. Cut off the uneven ends to even out the log.
15. Slice your rolls into 1 1/2 inch rounds and place on prepared pan.
16. Bake about 20 minutes or until tops start to brown lightly.
17. While the rolls are baking, whip cream cheese and butter together.
18. Stir in vanilla, corn syrup, and lemon juice. Scrape sides and mix again.
19. Pour in powdered sugar and stir slowly until it starts to incorporate.
20. Then mix on high for 5 minutes or until frosting starts to lighten in color. Scrape sides and mix again briefly.
21. Once rolls have been removed from the oven, frost using half the amount made.
22. After they have cooled a few more minutes, frost again with the remaining frosting. The first frosting will melt down into the rolls and the second layer should stay put.
23. Serve warm.

Notes

The first layer of frosting melts into the rolls, while the second layer stays on top. A video showing how to press out the dough and roll it up is available at the bottom of the original post.