Description

What’s a better weekend baking project than ooey, gooey cinnamon rolls? The star here is the cardamom-orange filling, inspired by a cardamom bun we had on a Sunday morning bakery run in Chicago. This makes a 9 x 9 pan of mini rolls, so you can eat more than one and have enough to go around! Baking is a two-day process (since who wants to wake up 3 hours beforehand?). Start the rolls the night before and refrigerate overnight, then bake them in the a.m. and enjoy the cinnamon-spiced scent wafting through your kitchen.

Ingredients

Units Scale

for the dough:

3 cups [420 grams] bread flour
1/4 cup [50 grams] granulated sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) [21 grams] instant yeast
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons [55 grams] unsalted butter
1 cup [240 milliliters] milk

for the filling:

1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup [100 grams] packed light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon lightly packed orange zest
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

for the frosting:

1/2 cup [60 g] powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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Instructions

To make the dough, in the bowl of a stand mixer, stir together the flour, granulated sugar,
yeast, and kosher salt. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the milk and
heat until lukewarm (warm to the touch, but not hot, or between 105° and 115°F [40° and
45°C]).
Pour the butter and milk mixture into the flour mixture. Add the egg and stir with a fork until a
rough dough forms. Attach a dough hook to the mixer and mix on medium-low speed for 6 minutes, until the dough is smooth and stretchy. The dough should be very sticky and will not form a ball in the mixer. (You can also knead the dough by hand; keep in mind it will be very sticky at first.)
Flour a work surface, scrape the dough onto it, and knead it a few times, then shape it into a rough ball. Place the dough ball in a large clean bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and let it rise in a warm location until doubled in size, 1 to 1½ hours.
To make the filling, stir together the brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, and orange zest. Grease a metal 9 x 9 in [23 x 23 cm] baking dish.
Lightly flour a work surface and scoop the dough onto it. Gently roll out the dough into a 12 x 12 in [30 x 30 cm] square. Tug the corners a bit to make them as square as possible. Brush the dough with the melted butter, leaving a ½ in [13 mm] border unbrushed at the left and right edges.
Sprinkle the sugar spice mix evenly over the melted butter, leaving the unbuttered edges bare. Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough in half vertically, and then cut each half into 8 equal strips (about 1½ x 6 in [4 x 15 cm] each). Gently roll up each strip, ending with the unbuttered portion. Pinch the top corner so the roll stays together. Place the rolls in 4 rows in the greased baking pan, leaving a little space between the rolls.
Cover the baking dish tightly with aluminum foil and allow it to rise for 30 minutes in a warm place. The rolls should be puffed and their edges touching. Then either refrigerate the pan overnight, up to 15 hours, or bake immediately (see Tips for special baking instructions).
If the rolls are refrigerated, put the baking dish on a countertop 30 minutes before baking, to allow it to warm slightly. Preheat the oven to 350°F [180°C].
Bake the rolls with the aluminum foil covering the pan for 25 minutes. Then remove the foil and bake until browned on top and cooked through,13 to 15 minutes. Check whether they are done by inserting a food thermometer at the bottom of the rolls, which should read at least 200°F [95°C], or by pulling back a roll with a fork to ensure the bottom is not raw and doughy. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes before adding the frosting.
To make the frosting, in a small bowl, stir together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract. If not thin enough to drizzle, stir in a splash more milk (about ½ teaspoon). Use a spoon to drizzle the frosting over the rolls. Cool at least 5 minutes more before serving.

Notes

Instant yeast (rather than active dry yeast) is required for this recipe, which allows quick rise
times. If using active dry yeast, the rise times will be about double.
To bake the cinnamon rolls the day of, proceed immediately to baking. Bake 20 minutes covered
with foil, then uncovered about 10 minutes, checking whether they are cooked through using a
food thermometer.
The cinnamon rolls will keep at room temperature, covered with aluminum foil, for up to 2 days.
Reheat, covered, at 350°F [180°C] until warmed through,10 to 12 minutes.

Prep Time: overnight
Cook Time: 30