Cinnamon Rollin’

Christmas is when you need the familiar, the comfortable and the delicious.

Cinnamon rolls  to the rescue!

But not just ANY rolls, no, these are special rolls.

From an old family recipe  – from my son’s other side, in memory of Grandma B. Her family had put together a cookbook, so we had actual recipes to work with.

Everyone loved Grandma’s Cinnamon Rolls, so they are a sweet remembrance of her.

Cinnamon Rolls

All ingredients from white yeast bread

Cinnamon

Sugar

Butter

Follow all instructions for “White Yeast Bread” through the first paragraph.

Cut dough into 2 portions. Roll one into a rectangle and cut in half lengthwise. Combine sugar and cinnamon until it’s the color of cinnamon toast. Melt butter and add sugar mixture, keeping sugar wet but not too runny, Spread over dough not solid but not too sparsely. Cut into 1 inch strips. Roll and lay on the side in a greased pan. Be sure to leave pans that leave no extra space.   Cover the ½ of the dough and repeat, until all dough is gone. Allow to rise, covered, for one hour. Bake at 400° for approximately 30 minutes. Cover with foil if browning too fast. Top with butter after removing from oven.

White Yeast Bread

1 pkg. yeast  – I buy  yeast in bulk – by the jar or by the pound and store it in the freezer. I use a yeast measure spoon

Yeast Measure spoon – I got mine from King Arthur Flour. You can order a pound of yeast from them for less then the little bitty jar in the grocery store and do a whole lot more baking. I keep a pound of dry yeast in a 1 quart wide-mouth mason jar in the freezer.

¼ c. water

2 c. scalded milk (whole milk)

2 T. sugar

2 tsp. salt

1 T. shortening (we used butter)

6 c. flour (King Arthur Flour white)

Soften yeast in warm water (110°). Combine hot milk, sugar, salt and shortening. Cool to lukewarm. Stir in 2 cups flour; beat well. Add yeast; mix. ( add the rest of the flour) Shape into a ball; place in a greased bowl and turn over, cover; let rise about 1 ½ hours. Punch down. Let rise another 45 minutes.

Cut dough into 2 portions. Shape each into a ball and let rise for 10 minutes. Shape into loaves and put into greased loaf pans. Allow to rise 1 hour. Bake at 400° for approximately 35 minutes. Cover with foil if browning too fast. Top with butter after removing from oven. Makes 2 loaves.

Am Moak, p. 29. family cookbook

More notes from 2014 – what we did (more or less)

• Figured on a double double –we wanted 3 9×13 plus 2 9×9 – made 3 9×13 plus 3 9×9 AND 2 loaves of white bread plus buns for me …..
• A double double is a whole lotta buns!
• We figured a double as 2 9×13 trays
• Used the paper baking pans…..they were firmer then the disposable aluminum and they had lids, making them great for transport.  And no washing up or worrying about getting them back.
• Dark brown sugar – light brown would have worked, too.
• Lots of butter
• 1 loaf = 1 9×13 or 2 9” pans (we thought)
• We also made 2 loaves because rolls seemed to go on forever.

23 Dec 2014

1 pm begin – 5:15 is wrap – he took home one large and 2 small trays as well as 2 loaves white bread; I have the 2 large and 1 small tray to take to Pembroke.

Heat 4 C milk

12 C flour

2 packet yeast (the magic yeast spoon) w/ ½ C water

4 T sugar

4 t salt

Mix together. Knead until smooth. Let raise 2 hrs

2 ½ sticks butter, melted

• 2 # brown sugar
• 2C white sugar 2 oz cinnamon a little rum

for a double

We did this twice; the second time, with the wicked cheap $1.29 a 2 ½ oz bottle of cinnamon was better – either we’ve grown accustomed to cassia or it just works better with fat and alcohol.

There was a little left over for my own Xmas morning buns.

Notes on the paper pans – they caught fire – but just a little. Everyone was very calm and just put the little fire out. I’m currently in the market for nonstick 9x13s that have covers. Problem solved.

Rollin’ in a River of Cinnamon Love