Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients:

* 1 cup milk (warm, but not hot)
* 1/4 cup warm water (~110 F)
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1/2 cup butter (one stick), room temperature
* 2 eggs, room temperature and beaten
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 5 cups bread flour
* 1 tablespoon gluten (optional)
* 1 tablespoon active dry yeast

Cinnamon Filling:

* 1/2 cup butter (1 stick), melted of softened
* 1 cup brown sugar
* 4 to 5 tablespoons ground cinnamon (makes a very cinnamon heavy filling, I sometimes reduce this a little bit, adjust to your preference)

Cream cheese frosting:

* 2 ounches cream cheese, room temp
* 1/4 cup butter (half a stick), room temp
* 1 cup powdered sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
* Optional: a little bit (1/8th of a teaspoon) lemon extract or oil, or a small amount of lemon juice

Makes 15 very large rolls (roughly 2.5 times what you'd get from a store-bought can of pillsbury to the like). Can be halved.

Instructions:

If you have a bread-maker: Add all the ingredients in the pan of bread machine.  Process according to manufacturer's instructions for a dough setting.  Part way though, look at the dough, it should form a nice elastic ball.  If you think the dough is too moist, add additional flour (a tablespoon at a time), or if the dough is looking dry and gnarly, add warm water (a tablespoon at a time). You can also stick your finger in and feel the dough.  It should be slightly tacky to the touch.  When the bread machine has completed the dough cycle, remove the dough from the pan to a lightly floured surface.  Knead the dough several times and form the dough into an oval; cover with plastic wrap and let rest 10- 15 minutes. If you don't have a bread maker, you can do the same thing in a large bowl or stand mixer, and stir them yourself. You will need to do more kneading (~9 minutes with an electric mixer using a dough hook, ~15 by hand). Be ready for some tired arms if you decide to do it by hand, as this is a pretty dense dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly-oiled surface, and knead until elastic, approximately 10 minutes.  Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise until double in size.

Butter a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan; set aside.

After dough has risen, using your rolling pin, roll and stretch the dough into approximately a 15 x 24-inch rectangle.

Brush the 1/2 cup softened butter of the Cinnamon Filling over the top of the dough with a rubber spatula or a pastry brush (or a spoon, or your fingers) and sprinkle the mixed cinnamon and brown sugar evenly over the butter on the prepared dough.

Starting with long edge, roll up dough; pinch seams to seal.  Don't roll the log too tightly or the centers of the rolls will pop up as they bake.

With a knife, lightly mark roll into 1 1/2-inch section.  Use a sharp knife (a serrated knife and sawing very gently works well) or slide a 12-inch piece of dental floss or heavy thread underneath.  By bringing the ends of the floss up and crisscrossing them at the top of each mark, you can cut through the roll by pulling the strings in opposite directions.

Place cut side up in a prepared baking pan, flattening them only slightly.

The unbaked cinnamon rolls should not touch each other before rising and baking. Do not pack the unbaked cinnamon rolls closely together.

At this point, the cinnamon rolls can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated overnight (or even for a day or two). They can also be frozen. Before baking, allow rolls to thaw completely (10-12 hours at room temperature) and rise in a warm place if frozen. If refrigerated, they can be either baked upon removing from the refrigerator or let come to a room temperature.  They do a slow rise overnight and it is not necessary to let them come to room temperature before baking. (If they're not rising enough, you can let them sit warmer, but you may need new yeast).

If you want to bake them immediately, allow them to rise for 45-60 minutes in the pan (they should end up touching each other and the edges of the pan).

Preheat oven to 350 F, and bake approximately 20-25 minutes until they are light golden brown. (You can also check to see if their interior temperature is 190-200 F).

Let them cool slightly before spreading the cream cheese frosting (mix the cream cheese and butter until creamy, then add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and lemon if desired), and serve warm.

Adapted from Kathy DeProspero's recipe, from Harvest Cinnamon Rolls Recipe (https://whatscookingamerica.net/Bread/CinnamonRollsFantastic.htm)