To replicate the best puffy, feathery cinnamon rolls of our youth, we made a buttermilk-based sweet dough. The buttermilk adds richness, but also keeps the dough from being too heavy or greasy. Rounded out with some melted butter and a few eggs, our sweet dough was rich and moist and, best of all, easy to put together.
Once we found the perfect foundation, we focused on the shaping process that would give the buns their pinwheel spirals. Rolling up the dough slowly and tightly eliminated air pockets and ensured the rolls wouldn’t uncoil while cooking. The other part of the equation was finding the best tool for slicing the cylinder into evenly sized rolls: a serrated knife. Any other type of knife mashed the soft dough and left our perfect pinwheels with jagged, uneven sides—unacceptable for our cinnamon rolls, which we wanted to look as good as they taste.
STEP #1 Form the risen dough into a rectangle: Working on a lightly floured counter, press the dough into a 16 by 12-inch rectangle with the long side facing you. Be sure to use a ruler as it is important to get the rectangle the right size or you will not end up with the right number of rolls or rolls that are the right size. Brush the dough with melted butter.
STEP #2 Add the filling and leave a border: Sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough leaving a ¾-inch border along the top edge. If you don’t leave a border, it will be harder to get the dough to stick together when you form a cylinder and it may unroll. Press the filling to adhere it to the dough.
STEP #3 Form a tidy, even cylinder: Form a tidy, even cylinder: Carefully roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Do this slowly and with great care since an uneven cylinder will yield squat, misshapen rolls.
STEP #4 Seal the dough cylinder tightly: Once the dough is rolled tightly, pinch the dough together to close the cylinder and create a secure seam. Roll the cylinder over so that it is seam-side down.
STEP #5 Stretch and measure: Gently stretch the cylinder until it is 18 inches long with an even diameter. You may have to work with the cylinder a few times, stretching and patting the ends until it is exactly the right length. Pat the ends of the cylinder when you are done to even them.
STEP #6 Slice and arrange: Use a serrated knife to slice the cylinder into 12 evenly sized rolls. If you try to use any other sort of knife you will mash the soft dough. The rolls are fragile, so use a light hand and arrange them cut-side down in a greased 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan.
About the Author: America's Test Kitchen
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I’ve been making cinnamon rolls for years, and I find the best knife for slicing the rolls is my electric knife. I cuts clean with hardly any downward pressure.
I have only one problem with this recipe.
Isn’t the point of homemade cinnamon rolls to make them squat and misshapen with filling falling out everywhere?
I have been doing it wrong FOR YEARS!
Seriously, though, I know what I’m having for breakfast this weekend. My mouth is already watering.
Even with the serrated knife I have problems cutting without smashing, but using unflavored dental floss does an excellent job. I just wrap it around the dough, cross it over and pull. Since the floss is slick, it keeps it from sticking and pulling.
Yup, we love the dental floss trick, too! http://www.americastestkitchenfeed.com/curious-shortcuts/2011/08/5-kitchen-tricks-we-can-thank-our-dentist-for/
…arrange them cut-side down in a greased 13 by 9-inch metal baking pan…..
Except for the first and last ones, wouldn’t they all be cut on both sides? Which side goes down then?
forget the knife! ever heard of a Swedish tea ring? more fun! take the long roll–above–seam side down, and shape into a ring on a lightly grease cookie sheet. pinch ends together. then with scissors, make cuts 2/3 through the ring at 1-inch intervals all the way around. turn each section on its side. let rise until double.
(also, for filling, i use 2 TBL soften butter–spread over dough after rolling out flat–1/2 cup raisins, plus 2 TBL cinnamon instead of 1, in addition to the other ingredients listed above.)
The best way to cut cinnamon rolls is with waxed floss. Just slide it under the roll, cross the ends and pull.
I always use floss .Can,t beat it.
I’ve been using plain, waxed dental floss for years, after trying everything else including a serrated knife. The dental floss provides the easiest, no fuss cut, and after just a few cuts, you easily figure out how to slice through the dough without mis-shaping it. If you’re in a bind, sewing thread will work, too, but you have to change it out every few cuts, as the dough sticks to it. Maybe you could run wax paper over it a few times, though…
I love this recipe so much i,am going to try it.
Another great way to cut these is with fishing line. I keep some in my kitchen for uses such as this and another in my craft supplies for all kind of wonderful fixes:)
If you have heavy-duty upolstery thread, that’ll do the same as dental floss. I’ve used the same spool of thread for 10 years (once a year) It sits in the kitchen cabinet with this one purpose in it’s life…but it is a very important purpose! Love the patting and rolling technique! I will try this for this year’s Christmas rolls
)
Can the dough be frozen, and then thawed out overnight prior to baking in the morning? The full-size recipe is too much for my family, but could I freeze half of it? Taking it up to step 6 – or earlier?
THANK YOU!
I want to try to make these but what dough do you use or where is the recipe for the dough and filling?
Can you make this even without a standing mixer?
I made these tonight and they came out great! Love Americas Test Kitchen
Has anyone tried making this recipe gluten free? I have used a similar recipe in the past but it’s so hard trying to make cinnamon rolls light and fluffy without the gluten; mine typically turn out extremely dense.
Looks and sounds very tasty! I think I’ll get started making them!
String or floss best way to cut ever! Ive been doing this for 30 years.keeps the shape.