The key to perfecting this recipe, and I do think it is perfected here, was to abandon my old dough recipe altogether and start the process with brioche bread dough. The old dough recipe used mashed potatoes to make the dough tender. And it worked. However, as much as I tried to alter the dough recipe, I never found the proper balance: sometimes the cinnamon rolls would be light and dreamy, and other times the dough would be too light and the rolls would collapse in on themselves. I know my way around yeast, so the inconsistent results, while still quite tasty, began to bother me.
Don't get me wrong, my older dough recipe was delicious, but brioche has a richness (thanks to the eggs and butter) that is beyond reproach. The brioche comes courtesy of Cooks Illustrated, though I've modified it to be used for cinnamon rolls. I'd recommend, if not require, a stand mixer for the kneading process (the original recipe doesn't even offer an alternative). Additionally, begin making these the night, if not the day, before you need them. They rise in the refrigerator for anywhere from 10 - 24 hours in addition to needing a second rise after they've been rolled and sliced.
Cinnamon Rolls, as I've come to view any yeasted-bread-based recipe, is a labor of love. Enjoy making them. Enjoy your friends' expressions and gratitude as they devour them. They (both the cinnamon rolls and your friends) are worth it.
Ultimate Cinnamon Rolls
yield: 1 dozen large cinnamon rolls
3 1/4 - 3 3/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 tbsp instant yeast
3 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1/2 cup ice water
1 cup unsalted butter, softened but still cool
Topping
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp cinnamon
Icing
2 cups confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp cream, or more depending on consistency
Before beginning, place bowl and dough hook attachment of your mixer in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill thoroughly. This help ensure they don't get too warm during the kneading process.
In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 1/4 cups flour and the yeast; set aside. In the chilled bowl of your stand mixer, mix together sugar, salt, 3 eggs, and ice water. Add flour mixture and mix with a fork until it begins to come together; using dough hook, knead at low speed until ball of dough forms, about 3 minutes depending on how much you mixed the ingredients with the fork. Raise speed to medium-low and continue kneading, scraping down sides as necessary, until dough becomes smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes longer.
Add butter, one piece at a time, waiting about 15 seconds between additions and scraping down bowl as necessary. This can be a frustrating process filled with stops and starts as you encourage the dough to consume the butter. Patience, here, is key. Continue to knead until a very soft ball of dough forms, about 15 minutes longer, adding remaining flour by the tablespoonful at a time as needed. Place dough in large and very lightly oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for 10 - 24 hours. Because of the butter content, the dough will rise only slightly.
After the dough has risen, remove it from the bowl and flatten into rectangular shape. Roll until the dough is about a half-inch thick. Spread topping on dough -an offset spatula works wonders here-, roll into a log, and cut into twelve equal cinnamon rolls. Place in extra-large muffin pans in a draft-free area to rise until doubled in size (the dough should rise above the rim of the tins), 2 - 2 1/2 hours.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place pans in the oven, reducing the temperature to 350 degrees (325 degrees if you have dark pans like I do). Bake cinnamon rolls until golden brown, about 25 minutes. Let them cool in their pans for about 15 minutes before removing them.
In a bowl, mix together confectioner's sugar, vanilla, and cream until spreading consistency has been reached. Top cinnamon rolls with icing as you see fit. Personally, I like a lot.
