King Arthur Baking’s cinnamon rolls are a yeast dough recipe by PJ Hamel that makes 16 rolls. The page lists 25 minutes of hands-on time, 20 minutes of baking and 3 hours 45 minutes in total, most of it rising. This page summarises the recipe; we have not baked it, and the figures are the source’s.
Dough
- 3 cups (360 g) unbleached all-purpose flour, ¼ cup (28 g) dry milk, and ¼ cup (46 g) potato flour or ½ cup (43 g) dried potato flakes. The page does not explain what the potato adds.
- 3 tbsp (35 g) sugar, 1¼ tsp (8 g) table salt and 2½ tsp instant or active dry yeast
- 6 tbsp (85 g) room-temperature unsalted butter and 198 to 255 g lukewarm water: less in summer or humid weather, more in winter or dry climates
Filling and glaze
- Filling: ¼ cup (50 g) sugar, 1½ tsp cinnamon, 2 tsp flour, and 2 tsp milk for brushing the dough
- Glaze: 1¼ cups (142 g) confectioners’ sugar, ½ tsp vanilla and 4 to 5 tbsp heavy cream (richer) or 2 to 3 tbsp milk (lighter). It is thick but spreadable.
Method
- Combine the dry ingredients and yeast, add the butter and the smaller amount of water, and knead until smooth and elastic. In a stand mixer that takes 7 to 10 minutes on second speed, and the dough should barely clean the bowl.
- Let it rise in a greased bowl for 1 to 2 hours, until nearly doubled and quite puffy.
- Roll or pat it into a 16 x 12 inch rectangle, brush with milk, add the filling, roll up along the long side (the log stretches to about 20 inches) and cut 16 slices.
- Put eight rolls in each of two greased 9-inch round pans and let them rise 1 to 2 hours, until puffy and touching.
- Heat the oven to 375°F and bake about 20 minutes, until the edges are brown and the centres are turning golden. Rest 5 minutes, move to a rack and glaze while warm.
Tips from the source
- Rise times are guides. Go by the stage of the dough, because kneading method, yeast and kitchen temperature all change the timing.
- A 9 x 13 inch pan also works: cut the log into 12 slices instead of 16 and bake the same way.
- Make ahead by refrigerating the shaped, unbaked rolls overnight, then letting them warm at room temperature for about an hour before baking. The page links to a separate guide for freezing them.
- Unglazed baked rolls keep wrapped at room temperature for up to 3 days. Reheat at 350°F for 10 to 15 minutes tented with foil, and glaze afterwards.
The page lists a 4.2 out of 5 rating from 99 reviews, last updated June 22, 2022, and links to a separate page for nutrition. For a quicker bake, see our summary of King Arthur’s blueberry muffins.