Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1 cup milk
- 1/3 cup butter
- 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
- 1/2 cup raisins
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- filling:
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- glaze:
- 1 teaspoon light corn syrup
- 1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
- 2 tablespoons half-and-half cream
- Carbohydrate 100.13603231206 g
- Cholesterol 17.7069444634093 mg
- Fat 6.89549806324411 g
- Fiber 2.35195555599336 g
- Protein 7.19973639568161 g
- Saturated Fat 4.04944722676457 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (208g)
- Sodium 692.050361933256 mg
- Sugar 97.7840767560664 g
- Trans Fat 0.652950806292616 g
- Calories 484 calories
Step-by-step
- Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat. Add the butter and stir until melted; let cool until lukewarm.
- In a large mixing bowl, dissolve the yeast in the milk mixture. Add the sugar, 3 cups of flour, salt and eggs; stir well to combine. Add the remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and supple, about 8 minutes.
- Lightly oil a large mixing bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 hour.
- Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 10x 14 inch rectangle. Lightly brush the far edge with water. In a small bowl combine the cinnamon and 3/4 cup brown sugar and sprinkle over the rectangles. Then sprinkle the raisins and chopped nuts over the dough. Roll up the dough into a log and seal the seam.
- Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces; place the pieces in a greased 9x13 inch baking pan, or 12 inch deep dish pizza pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to rise overnight.
- The next morning, preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Take the rolls out of the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden. Meanwhile, combine the corn syrup with the vanilla in a small bowl. Whisk in the powdered sugar and enough cream to make a thick glaze; set aside. Drizzle the glaze over the rolls and serve warm.
Warm pastry emerges from the oven with a golden crust encasing soft, tender interior layers infused with spiced sugar. Achieving this texture requires careful attention to gluten development during the kneading phase. Working the dough for eight full minutes aligns the wheat proteins into a cohesive, elastic network capable of trapping the gas produced by the yeast. Skipping this step yields a dense, crumbly crumb rather than a light, pull-apart pastry. Scalding the milk first deactivates whey proteins that would otherwise weaken the yeast activity. Letting that dairy mixture cool until lukewarm before incorporating the active dry yeast prevents thermal shock, which kills the microscopic leavening agents. Staggering the addition of the four and a half cups of all-purpose flour prevents heavy lumps and keeps the dough supple. Brushing the far edge of the rolled dough rectangle with water provides the moisture needed to seal the final log securely, preventing the cinnamon and brown sugar filling from escaping during the cold fermentation. Placing the sliced rolls in the refrigerator overnight slows down carbon dioxide production significantly. This prolonged, cold retard allows complex starches to break down, deepening the flavor profile while preventing over-proofing. The next morning, allowing the pan to sit at room temperature for thirty minutes before baking relaxes the gluten strands so the dough can expand properly in the heated oven. Baking at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for twenty-five to thirty minutes sets the exterior structure before the interior dries out. While leftover rolls can be gently reheated in a low oven to restore moisture, fresh-baked pastry displays the optimal contrast between crisp edges and soft centers.
