Mom's Cinnamon Rolls

Once in a while, when I was a kid, my mom would announce that we were going to make cinnamon rolls. My sister and I would cheer and race to the kitchen to help and watch her. I watched her mix the ingredients, knead the dough, roll it out, and pile on the brown sugar. My favorite part of the process was punching down the dough after it had risen. It was so squishy and warm. And when my fist hit the dough, the smell of yeast filled the air. Mmmmmm...

As an adult, I've tried many times to find a better recipe. Tried, and failed. Especially all of those "Clone of Cinnabon" nonsense recipes. So today I finally remembered to ask my mom for her recipe, and thank goodness I did! I had almost forgotten how wonderful they are! Here's the recipe so you may all partake of the heavenly goodness:

Cinnamon Rolls

1 package active dry yeast (NOT rapid rise!)
2 t sugar
1/4 c warm water

1 c warm water
1 t salt
1/4 c sugar
1.5 T oil
3-4 c white flour

1/3 c butter, softened
1 c light brown sugar
cinnamon to taste


Combine the first three ingredients in a small bowl. Let rest until the yeast becomes frothy. Meanwhile, add the next four ingredients to your mixing bowl. After your yeast has grown a little bit, add the contents of the bowl to your mixing bowl. Let sit for five minutes. Add the flour, starting with three cups. Mix together until the flour is completely worked in. If the dough is still sticking to the bowl, add flour 1/2 cup at a time. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead on a floured surface for about ten minutes. It should still be slightly tacky, but shouldn't stick to the surface when pulled away. Pour a few tablespoons of oil into a large bowl. Place the dough inside, rolling it around in the oil until the dough is completely covered. If there is any excess oil, pour it out. Put the dough back into the bowl and place the bowl in the oven. I usually turn the oven on to 350 for a minute or so to get the oven nice and warm. But don't forget to turn it off! Let the dough rise for 45 minutes.

After it has doubled in size, punch it! (This is the best part!!) Knead a few times, and then roll out. I usually make it about 1/4 to 1/2 inch. Try to make the dough into a rectangular shape. Cover the dough in softened butter. Make a nice thick layer. I just use my fingers. Leave one inch of one of the long sides without butter. Sprinkle on your brown sugar, pat it down. Sprinkle with as much (or as little) cinnamon as you like. Wet your fingers with water and rub it on the one inch of dough that you left clean. Now roll it up! Start on the opposite side than the one with water. Does that make sense? Anyway, just roll it up! Make it tight enough so it won't fall apart after you cut it. Divide it into 14 sections. The ends you can just throw away. If you have string, slide it under the roll and pull each end, squeezing it until it breaks apart from the rest of the roll. I like this much better than cutting because it doesn't squish it! Place your twelve rolls on a greased pan and bake in a preheated 375* oven for 15 minutes. Allow to cool before you top with your favorite icing. I like cream cheese frosting on these bad boys, but I didn't have enough for cream cheese tonight. I actually made a little cream cheese frosting. I just mixed some cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar together. Super simple.

This recipe is great for doubling. My mom always makes a double batch, and after it's cooled and frosted, she bags them individually and freezes them for the upcoming week. My sister and I would race to the kitchen as fast as we could the following week because the first one there got the biggest cinnamon roll!

I hope I explained this well enough. If not, please leave me a comment with any questions that you have.

Happy Eating!