cinnamon roll

Cinnamon Roll. It's the most perfect way to wake up smelling gooey cinnamon and fresh dough baking in the oven. This is my first original recipe as far as breads go and I have to say, it turned out pretty well.

It takes about 4 hours to make and it can be frozen or put in the fridge until the next morning to bake. Very simple and trust me, it is worth the trouble.

Cinnamon Roll
Original, Serves 10

Ingredients (Dough):
- 7 tbsp Sugar
- 1 tea Salt
- 6 tbsp, softened Butter
- 1 Egg, lightly beaten
- 1/2 tea of Orange extract or vanilla extract
- 16 oz. Bread flour
- 2 tea active dry yeast
- 1 to 1 & 1/4 cup milk, lukewarm (fat free/low fat is permissible)

1) Cream the sugar, and butter until light and fluffy. If the yeast needs to be activated, activate it in the warm milk.
2) Add the egg, chosen extract and salt and mix together.
3) Add the flour, yeast and milk.
4) Knead for about 10 minutes or so (by hand) until elastic and smooth. Lightly oil a bowl or container and ferment for about 2 hours or until doubled in size.

Ingredients (Filling):
- 7 tbsp Brown sugar
- 1 & 3/4 tea Cinnamon
- 1/4 tea Nutmeg
- 2 tbsp Butter, softened
- 1 & 1/2 tbsp sugar

5) About 15 minutes or so before the dough finishes fermenting, make the filling. Mix together all of the ingredients until everything is incorporated together. The mixture should be somewhat crumbly. To ensure proper mixture, I like to whisk together the sugar and spices before adding the butter in.
6) Take the dough out and degas the dough.
7) Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a rectangle.
8) Spread the filling mixture all over the rectangle but leave about 1/2 inch on one lengthwise side. (On one of the longest sides of the rectangle, leave about a 1/2 inch). Make this the side that's furthest from you to make rolling easier.
9) Starting from the lengthwise side that does have the filling mixture over the dough, roll the dough, kind of like a Swiss roll, until it becomes the cinnamon roll shape we all know.
10) Cut into desired thickness and proof the buns for about 75 - 90 minutes until it doubles in size.
11) Now, you can bake this in a preheated 350°F oven for about 20 - 30 minutes or you can stick this in the fridge/freezer to use for later. If you're baking from the freezer, make sure it thaws out before baking and if baking from the fridge, leave at room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking.
12) After baking for 20 - 30 minutes at 350°F, chill for at least 10 minutes before glazing.

Ingredients (Glaze):
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 1 tea orange zest
- 3 - 5 tbsp of milk

13) Mix everything together until you achieve desired consistency. To make thicker, add more icing sugar and to thin out, add more milk. Glaze over the cooled cinnamon rolls and serve.