Learn to make this giant cinnamon roll with my easy homemade no-knead crescent dough. It's filled with cinnamon sugar and topped with delicious no-butter cream cheese frosting.
Don't you just love no-knead bread? Previously, I made my no-knead cinnamon rolls crescent rolls, which have now become very popular with visitors on this blog. And, the best part is, the dough is soft and buttery with a tender crumb.
About this cinnamon roll
This is a no-knead crescent dough. Ideally, you can mix this with just a spatula. But, bread for me is therapeutic. So, I always end up with my hands in there.
Also, this is a soft dough rich in butter. The secret to getting this done perfectly, as I have in the video, is to chill the dough. Yes, if the butter chills, it makes the dough firm, which in turn, makes it easier to roll and shape the cinnamon roll.
In addition, the timeline for this roll is also very simple.
- Prepare the dough- 7 minutes
- First rise - 60 to 90 minutes
- Chill the dough- 60 minutes
- Shape the dough - 15 minutes
- Proof the roll - 45 minutes
- Bake the roll - 45 minutes
Ingredients and substitutes
- Flour - Often, bread flour is recommended for making homemade dinner rolls or any homemade bread. And yet, I have been making it now for over 15 years and I always use all-purpose flour.
- Instant dry yeast - I like to use instant dry because I've always had great success with it. And yet, if you have to use active dry yeast, you will need 2 ¼ tsp or one packet. And, if you use fresh yeast, you will need about 21 grams. Also, it's not necessary to activate the yeast, but I like to take the guesswork out and make sure my dough will rise.
- Sugar - The sugar here is not really to add sweetness. So no, the one tablespoon won't make your homemade dinner rolls sweet. The sugar and fat in this recipe are usually to feed the yeast. Just as you need warm liquid to activate the yeast you need sugar and fat to strengthen it and let it grow. But, if you prefer, you can substitute sugar with 2 tbsp of honey as well.
- Butter - I like adding butter not just to feed the yeast but also to add flavor. You can substitute the butter for 2 tbsp of oil in this recipe.
Step by step instructions (save/pin)
Cinnamon sugar filling
- In a small mixing bowl, combine butter, brown and white sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. And, set aside.
Dough
- In a mixing bowl, combine milk, yeast, sugar, and eggs.
- Add ½ the flour - combine well.
- Then, add the room temperature butter - combine well.
- Add the remaining flour - combine well.
- Bring the dough together in a dome (see video).
- Alternatively, you can add all the dough ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and combine until smooth.
- Cover and leave on the counter to rise for 60 minutes.
- Then, place in the refrigerator for another 60 minutes.
- Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and shape into a ball
- Using a rolling pin, roll into a 12 or 14-inch square.
- Generously spread the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the surface using an off-set spatula.
- Using a pizza cutter and a ruler, cut into long strips about 1 ½ inches each as shown in the video.
- Roll the first strip onto itself, followed by the second round the first, as shown in the video.
- Place in an 8-inch springform pan or cake ring. Continue spiraling the rest of the strips around the first two, as shown in the video.
- Tip - To make it easier to work, open the springform pan, and work on the base. Once you finish rolling the strips, add the rest of the pan. Today, I used a ring cake pan.
- Cover and let proof for 45 minutes.
- After 30 minutes of proofing, preheat oven at 160 C / 320 F.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is lightly golden.
- Remove from the oven and cover for 10 minutes to keep it soft.
- Then, cool to room temperature on a cooling rack.
Cream cheese frosting
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and cream cheese until smooth.
- Spread generously over the cooled cinnamon roll (make sure the cinnamon roll is cooled before you add the cream cheese or it will melt).
- Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
This giant cinnamon roll recipe will keep at room temperature for 2 days without frosting. Once frosted, it needs to be in the fridge because cream cheese is a perishable frosting. In addition, you can keep it in the fridge for a week. You can also freeze it for up to a month.
Absolutely, I like to wrap the cinnamon roll in cling wrap and then place them in the freezer. This prevents them from becoming hard.
Once it's out of the oven, wrap it with a clean kitchen cloth so the steam stays in the roll, keeping it soft.
If you want, yes. However, there is lots of cinnamon powder. As a result, any other spice will be lost in there. During winter, I like to substitute half the cinnamon powder with the pumpkin spice mix.
You can add soaked raisins or cranberries. In particular, I like to use some rum-soaked raisins. These can be added to the dough just after combining.
Yes, you can use 2 cups of small diced apples in the filling.
The topping for this giant cinnamon roll recipe is endless. I have shared with you my cinnamon rolls with condensed milk as well as cream cheese frosting. I have also given you a classic sugar icing.
In addition, maple icing is wonderful over cinnamon rolls - all you need is 2 cups powdered sugar and 4 tbsp maple syrup. Or try orange icing - is 2 cup powdered sugar with 4 tbsp orange juice and 1 tsp orange zest.
SAVE THIS RECIPE ON PINTEREST FOR LATER. TRIED MY RECIPE? SHARE IT WITH ME, PLEASE.
Share a picture of your work with me by uploading an image here below my image on this board. You can also find a collection of my tutorials and recipes here on Pinterest.
Description
Ingredients
- 4 cup (500 g) All-purpose flour
- 2 ¼ tsp Instant dry yeast (1 envelope)
- 2 Eggs large
- ½ cup (8 tbsp) Butter (1 stick) unsalted, room temperature
- ¾ cup (180 ml) Milk
- 5 tbsp (80 g) Sugar white
Cinnamon filling
- 6 tbsp (90 g) Butter (4 oz) unsalted, room temperature
- ⅓ cup (75 g) Brown sugar for eggwash
- ¼ cup (50 g) White sugar
- ½ tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp Cinnamon powder
Cream cheese frosting
- ¼ cup (30 g) Powdered sugar (4 tbsp)
- 6 oz (150 g) Cream cheese (10 tbsp)
- ½ tsp Vanilla extract
Instructions
Cinnamon sugar filling
- In a small mixing bowl, combine butter, brown and white sugar, vanilla extract, and cinnamon. Set aside.
Dough
- In a mixing bowl, combine milk, yeast, sugar, and eggs.
- Add ½ the flour - combine well.
- Then, add the room temperature butter - combine well.
- Add the remaining flour - combine well.
- Bring the dough together in a dome (see video).
- Alternatively, you can add all the dough ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and combine until smooth.
- Cover and leave on the counter to rise for 60 minutes.
- Then, place in the refrigerator for another 60 minutes.
- Remove the chilled dough from the refrigerator and shape into a ball.
- Using a rolling pin, roll into a 12 or 14-inch square.
- Generously spread the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the surface using an off-set spatula.
- Using a pizza cutter and a ruler, cut into long strips about 1 ½ inches each as shown in the video.
- Place in an 8-inch springform pan or cake ring. Continue spiraling the rest of the strips around the first two, as shown in the video.
- Tip - To make it easier to work, open the springform pan, and work on the base. Once you finish rolling the strips, add the rest of the pan. Today, I used a ring cake pan.
- Cover and let proof for 45 minutes.
- After 30 minutes of proofing, preheat oven at 160 C / 320 F.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes until the top is lightly golden.
- Remove from the oven and cover for 10 minutes to keep it soft.
- Then, cool to room temperature on a cooling rack.
Cream cheese frosting
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and cream cheese until smooth.
- Spread generously over the cooled cinnamon roll (make sure the cinnamon roll is cooled before you add the cream cheese or it will melt).
- Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
- Ingredients - Ensure all the ingredients are at room temperature except milk. Milk must be warm (110 F) not hot, not cold. If the eggs are cold they will cool the warm milk. If the butter is cold it won't incorporate into the flour easily.Â
- No matter how quick you want these rolls don't skip on chilling the dough for at least 45 minutes to an hour before you roll and shape the crescents
- Overnight roll - The dough can be prepared a day in advance. Proof for an hour on the counter then punch down and let the dough rest in the fridge overnight. Overnight proofing is a great way to add flavor to bread The next day, continue with the recipe as directed, rolling, and shaping the chilled dough.Â
- Storing these rolls- This cinnamon roll freezes beautifully. Cool the baked buns then place them in a freezer-safe storage bag. These can be frozen for up to a month.Â
- Kneading the dough - The dough does not need any kneading but if you want you can mix it using an electric mixer because the dough is soft and sticky.Â
- Bread machine - this dough can be easily made in a bread machine. Pour all ingredients in the pan set to dough or manual. Start and let the dough run its cycle for about 9 to 10 minutes - continue with the recipe as shown above.
Equipment
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
You may also like
