Easy Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

• 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup whole milk, warmed
• 4 tablespoons butter, divided
• ½ cup granulated sugar, divided
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2.25 teaspoons instant yeast

Instructions

1. 1

   Pour the warm milk into a large mixing bowl, then sprinkle the yeast over the top and let it sit undisturbed for 5 minutes until the surface looks bubbly and foamy.

2. 2

   Add 0.25 cup of the sugar, 2 tablespoons of butter (melted), and the salt to the yeast mixture, then stir with a wooden spoon until combined.

3. 3

   Pour the flour into the bowl 0.5 cup at a time, stirring after each addition until no dry flour streaks remain and the dough looks shaggy and slightly sticky.

4. 4

   Turn the dough out onto an unfloured work surface and knead by pushing it away from you with the heel of your hand, folding it back over itself, and rotating it a quarter turn; repeat for 8 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.

5. 5

   Rub 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter around the inside of the bowl, then place the dough inside, turn it over once to coat, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let it sit in a warm spot for 20 minutes until it has risen by about one-third.

6. 6

   Preheat the oven to 375°F and wait until the indicator light tells you it has finished heating, about 8 minutes.

7. 7

   Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter, then stir in the cinnamon and remaining 0.25 cup of sugar until the mixture looks like wet sand with visible cinnamon specks.

8. 8

   Turn the dough out onto a work surface and pat it down into a rectangle roughly 10 inches wide and 8 inches tall, with the short edge closest to your body.

9. 9

   Spread the cinnamon-butter mixture evenly across the entire surface of the dough, leaving a 0.5-inch border on the top edge.

10. 10

    Starting at the bottom edge closest to you, roll the dough tightly toward you into a cylinder, like rolling up a yoga mat, then pinch the seam along the back to seal it.

11. 11

    Using a sharp knife, slice the cylinder into 6 equal pieces by cutting straight down perpendicular to the coil, wiping the knife clean between cuts.

12. 12

    Place the rolls in a 9-inch round cake pan or an 8-inch square baking pan, positioning them so the flat cut sides face up and they are just touching at the edges.

13. 13

    Bake in the preheated 375°F oven for 15 to 18 minutes until the rolls are puffed and the exposed tops turn light golden brown, like caramel candy.

14. 14

    Remove the pan from the oven and let the rolls cool in the pan for 2 minutes before serving warm.

Tools you’ll need

• large mixing bowl
• wooden spoon
• work surface or cutting board
• plastic wrap
• 9-inch round cake pan or 8-inch square baking pan
• sharp knife
• oven

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