Simply Cinnamon Rolls

These are a simple and plain cinnamon roll. More about the bread then being super sweet. They are particularly nice when still warm, as this is the case I recommend letting them rise overnight and baking them in morning. 

Ingredients: Dough

2 packets active dry yeast

1 cup milk heated to around 105F

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

5.5 cups all purpose flour, plus extra fro working the dough

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp ground mace

grated zest 1 orange (I used the zest of a lemon because I had it hanging around. I think citrus is the way to go - whether it's orange, lemon or something else)

1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temp. 

Ingredients: Filling

6 Tbs. sugar 

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Ingredients: Glaze

1/4 cup apricot jam

1 Tbs. water

Method

1. In a large bowl dissolve the yeast into the warm milk, and let sit for 5 min. 

2. Ad the sugar, eggs, 5 cups of flour, salt, mace. butter and zest and mix with your hands until a rough mass forms. 

3. Scrape out of the bowl and onto a lightly floured work surface. 

4. Knead the dough working in the last 1/2 cup of flour. 

5. Knead for 5-7 min until the dough is soft, but not sticky. 

6. Form the dough into a ball and place into an oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm place for 1.5 - 2 hours. 

7. Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut it in half. 

8. Roll out one half of the dough into a 10x16 inch rectangle. 

9. Brush one side of the rectangle with half the butter. 

10. To make the filling, combine the sugar and cinnamon. 

11. Sprinkle half the cinnamon sugar mix on top of the butter. 

12. Starting at the long side furthest from you roll the rectangle towards you to make a log. 

13. Cut the log into 2 inch slices. 

14. Place the slices onto baking trays lined with parchment paper. 

15. Repeat with the remaining half of the dough. 

16. Cover the rolls loosely with a kitchen towel, and let rise for 30-40 min. (This is where you could bake these in the morning. Simply place them in the fridge after they have been cut, and covered with a kitchen cloth. In the morning take them out, and let them come to room temp. and continue with step 17). 

17. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400F. 

18. Bake until golden brown depending on your oven this will take between 15-25 min. To test, stick a toothpick in the middle of a bun and see if it comes out sticky. If it does keep it in a smidge longer. 

19. Just before baking time is up, make the glaze. Simply push the apricot jam through a sieve and add the 1 Tbs. of water and combine. 

20. When they are out of the oven, brush on the glaze with a pastry brush. 

Taken in part from Williams and Sonoma "Essentials of Baking" pp 68-9.