Instructions

Note: You can make and laminate the dough a day in advance, then shape the cinnamon rolls and do their final proof in the morning. You can leave the dough overnight after the final lamination, or after you shape the cinnamon rolls.

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add in the flour, sugar, and yeast – whisk to combine.
2. Add in the egg, warm milk, butter, and salt.
3. Use a dough hook to knead everything together on medium low speed for 5 minutes until the dough holds together and the bowl is clean. The dough does not need to be smooth!
4. Lay a piece of plastic wrap over a quarter sized baking sheet or full sized if that fits in your fridge. Roughly shape the dough into a rectangle, the exact size and thickness really aren’t that important but at least 5″ x 10″.
5. Lay another sheet of plastic over the dough and wrap the edges around the dough to make an airtight seal.
6. Place the dough into the fridge for 30 minutes.
7. After the 30 minutes have passed, put together the butter block.
8. Take two sheets of parchment paper, they should be at least 12″x12″.
9. Cut your 300 grams of butter blocks into 1/2″ thick slices and lay them onto one of the the parchment pieces in a single layer to form a roughly 9×9 inch square.
10. Lay the second sheet of parchment over top and use a rolling pin to gently roll over the butter and parchment, causing the pieces of butter to stick together.
11. Place the butter block, still inside of the parchment, flat in the fridge for 10 minutes.
12. After the timer goes off, leave the butter block in the fridge and take the dough out.
13. Lightly flour your work surface and unwrap the dough. Roll it into a rectangle that measures 9″ x 18″. Use flour as needed to keep it from sticking, but brush off any excess before moving on.
14. Take the butter block out of the fridge and peel away one sheet of parchment paper. Flip the block, exposed butter side down, onto the center of the dough. Peel away the second sheet of parchment and set aside.
15. Now fold the short sides of dough over the butter to enclose it, it’s ok if the dough edges don’t quite reach each other. Stretch them gently till they do. The sides will show the two layers of dough and one layer of butter, no need to squish the dough together to enclose it.
16. Turn the dough & butter block so that the center seem where the dough edges met is oriented north south not east west. Use flour as needed and roll it out until it measures about 20″ x 10″.
17. Trim off about 1/4″ from each short end to create clean edges. Then letter fold it so the top third folds over the middle third and then the bottom third folds up and over the other two.
18. Take your time to make sure everything is lining up nicely. Turn the dough envelope 90 degrees so that it is tall and skinny not short and wide. Wrap it back up in the plastic wrap, and place it back in the fridge for 45 minutes.
19. After the 45 minutes have passed, take it out of the fridge and unwrap it. With it in the same tall and skinny orientation, use the rolling pin to roll it out to the same size (20″ x 10″) making sure along the way to keep the edges straight.
20. Once again, trim the short edges into clean crips lines (approximately 1/4″ or 1/2″ off each end). Repeat the letter folding, brushing off any excess flour as needed. Rewrap the dough and place it back in the fridge for 45 minutes.
21. Repeat the rolling, trimming and folding once more and then rewrap and let chill for an hour in the fridge. If you are prepping the dough the night before, this is the step where you will leave it in the fridge and move onto the fillings and assembly in the morning.
22. During the last hour of chilling, prep the filling. In one medium mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients in a small bowl. Use a fork to smoosh it all together until completely mixed. Set aside.
23. After at least an hour of chilling, take the dough out of the fridge. Again using flour as needed roll the dough into a 16″ x 12-14″ rectangle.
24. Trim 1/4″ of dough off both of the long sides this time (not the short sides like before). Spread the filling over the surface of the dough. It should be soft and spreadable but not melted. Spread it evenly all the way to the edges.
25. Starting with the long side closest to you, roll the dough and filling up.
26. Trim off 1/4″ from one end to give a clean starting slice. Then use a sharp knife to slice through the roll, cutting 12 cinnamon rolls.
27. Line a 9×13 pan or two sheet pans with parchment paper. You can arrange the cinnamon rolls in rows in the 9×13 pan, or place them 4 inches apart on the sheet pans.
28. Drape the top with a sheet of plastic wrap and set at room temperature for about an hour and a half – this will change dramatically based on how warm your room is. Also if you left the dough in the fridge overnight they will take a bit longer to proof. DO NOT put them somewhere warm to speed up the proofing, you’ll melt out the butter and the layers will disappear.
29. After one and a half hours, when the rolls have become visibly bigger and thicker, place a rack in the center of the oven and heat to 425 F.
30. If baking in a 9×13, bake for 30 minutes. If baking on a sheet pan, bake for 20 minutes.
31. While they’re in the oven, prepare the frosting. Combine melted butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract and stir to combine. If it’s still lumpy, that’s okay. Add 1-2 Tablespoons of cream or milk and stir. Add additional cream as needed, a splash at a time, until icing has reached desired consistency.
32. Remove the pan from the oven and let them cool for at least 10-15 minutes before frosting.