Cinnamon Rolls

These taste and smell amazing. As long as they aren't over baked, they are soft, and pliable. Really nice.

Ingredients: Dough
2 packages active dry yeast
1 cup whole milk (I used buttermilk), heated to 105-115F.
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
5.5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground mace
2 tsp. salt
Grated zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temp.

Ingredients: Filling
6 Tbs. sugar
2 tsp. freshly grated cinnamon
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Ingredients: Pecan stickiness
3/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 Tbs. ground cinnamon
1.5 cups chopped pecans

Method: Dough
1. In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm milk and let stand until foamy (around 5 min.).
2. Add the granulated sugar, eggs, 5 cups of flour, mace, orange zest, and butter.
3. Stir by hand or with a wooden spoon until a rough mass forms.
4. Using a plastic scraper, scrape the dough onto a lightly floured surface.
5. Knead the dough, working in the remaining flour, until it is smooth and elastic. (around 6 min). The dough should be soft, but not sticky.
6. Form the dough into a ball, and transfer to a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap, and let sit for around 2 hours, until it has doubled in bulk.
7. Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface.
8. Divide the dough in two.
9. Roll out half the dough into a 10 x 16 inch rectangle.

Method: Part Assembly & Filling
1. Butter the sides of two 9-inch cake pans.
2. In a small bowl combine the sugar and cinnamon.
3. Spread half the melted butter oven the rolled out dough, and then sprinkle half the cinnamon sugar mixture on top.
4. Starting from the short side away from you, tightly roll the dough towards yourself.
5. Cut the dough into 2 inch rounds.
6. Repeat with the other half of the dough.

Method: Pecan Stickiness & Assembly
1. Combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon, and mix thoroughly.
2. Place this concoction on the bottom of the cake pans.
3. Sprinkle the pecans over the top.
4. Place the 2 inch round on top of the pecans.
5. Cover with a kitchen towel, and allow to rise at room temp. for another 30-40 min.
6. Preheat the oven to 400F.
7. Bake until a toothpick placed in the center of a bun comes out clean - around 25-30 min.
8. Let the buns cool for 5 min.
9. Carefully place a serving tray/plate over the top of the cake pan. Invert the pan (careful as the butter-sugar mixture will be very hot), and remove the cake pan.
10. Serve when the buns are cool enough to touch.

These can also be warmed up in the microwave for 15seconds the day after, and they still taste amazing.

Taken from Williams -Sonoma Essentials of Baking by Cathy Burgett, Elinor Klivans and Lou Seibert Pappas, pp.68-9.