It’s been a while since I baked something for my dad, and so I thought I’d surprise him with a giant cinnamon roll. As soon as I dropped a hint, he offered to make a special trip to San Mateo for a taste – and of course I said yes.
With the plan in place, I got to work preparing the giant cinnamon roll (as the dough requires an overnight rise in the fridge). The following day, my parents swung by to fix a leaky toilet and enjoy a slice. It was their first visit since Rookie’s passing, and her absence was palpable.
On the bright side, the giant cinnamon roll was a hit – and there was plenty to go around. The recipe is perfect as is, and I’m guessing it could be even better (i.e., more decadent) with double the amount of glaze and filling.
Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour.
- 5 tablespoons water
- 4 teaspoons active dry yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar, divided
- 4 large eggs
- 3¾ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
- 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into small pieces
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1¼ cups powdered sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons milk
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, heat water until warm - about 30 seconds in the microwave should do. Add the yeast and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar. Whisk together until thoroughly combined and let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes.
- Add the remaining granulated sugar and eggs and beat on medium-high speed for 1 minute.
- Remove paddle attachment and add the flour and salt. Knead with a dough hook on low speed until everything comes together to form a shaggy ball. Increase speed to medium and knead the dough until it's smooth and elastic - this will take about 8 minutes.
- Reduce speed to low and add the butter pieces, one at a time, beating well after each addition until completely incorporated.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow it to rise at room temperature for 1 hour. Transfer to the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 hours or overnight.
- In a small bowl, combine all the filling ingredients. Set aside.
- Coat a 10" cast iron skillet with cooking spray. Line bottom with parchment paper and coat with more cooking spray. Set aside.
- Once the dough has chilled, transfer it to a floured work surface. Divide in half and roll each piece of dough into a 13”x9” rectangle. Spread the filling over each piece of dough in an even layer all the way to the edges. Stack one rectangle on top of the other.
- Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut dough lengthwise into 6 equal-sized strips.
- Starting at the short end of one strip, roll up dough and place cut side up in the middle of the prepared skillet. Arrange the remaining dough pieces, cut sides up, in the skillet, working in a spiral from the center out. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rise until the dough is puffed, 1-2 hours.
- When the dough has almost finished rising, preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Bake for 35 minutes. Cover with foil and bake for another 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove skillet from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk. Drizzle glaze over warm roll.
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