Description
Delicious and easy No Knead Cinnamon Rolls recipe that requires minimal effort but yields soft, fluffy rolls filled with cinnamon sugar and topped with a creamy cream cheese glaze. Perfect for a comforting breakfast or sweet treat without the traditional kneading process.
Ingredients
Dough:
- 1 tbsp dry yeast
- 70 g / 1/3 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar, or normal white sugar as substitute)
- 1/2 cup / 125 ml warm water
- 600 g / 20 oz plain flour / all purpose flour (4 1/2 US Cups, 4 Cups elsewhere)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup / 250 ml lukewarm milk (whole or low fat)
- 50 g / 3.5 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 1/4 cup / 35 g plain flour (for dusting)
Filling:
- 90 g / 6 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup / 220 g brown sugar, packed
- 2 tbsp cinnamon powder
Glaze:
- 90 g / 3 oz cream cheese, softened
- 50 g / 3 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or essence
- 1 1/4 cups / 150 g soft icing sugar / powdered sugar
- 2 – 3 tbsp milk (any) or water
Instructions
- Activate Yeast: Place the yeast and 2 teaspoons of sugar in a medium bowl, pour in the warm water, and leave for 5 minutes until frothy.
- Prepare Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, combine flour, the remaining sugar, and salt, mixing them well.
- Mix Dough: Make a well in the center of the flour mixture, add the lukewarm milk, melted butter, beaten eggs, and yeast mixture with froth. Mix with a wooden spoon until combined; the dough will be sticky and more like a thick muffin batter rather than kneadable dough.
- First Rise: Cover the bowl with cling wrap and place it in a warm spot (about 25°C/77°F or warmer) for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, or until the dough has nearly tripled in size and its surface appears bubbly.
- Prepare Baking Tray: Line a 31.5 x 23.5 cm (9 x 13 inches) tray with baking paper, allowing some overhang for easy roll transfer later.
- Mix Filling: Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon powder in a bowl and set aside.
- Deflate and Flour Dough: Uncover the risen dough and stir it gently with a spoon to deflate. Sprinkle half of the extra plain flour on your work surface, turn out the dough, then sprinkle the remaining flour on top. Use your hands to incorporate the flour into the dough until it stops absorbing flour and is soft and pliable. Add more flour if necessary to prevent stickiness.
- Roll Dough: Shape the dough into a log, then roll it out into a rectangle approximately 28 x 48 cm (11 x 19 inches).
- Add Filling: Pour the melted butter over the dough and brush it evenly. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture all over the buttered surface.
- Form Rolls: Roll the dough up firmly into a log, and shape it into an even cylinder.
- Cut & Arrange Rolls: Using a sharp knife, cut the log into 12 equal pieces (about 4 cm / 1.6 inches each) and place them cut-side down in the prepared tray in a 3 x 4 arrangement.
- Second Rise: Cover the rolls with a tea towel and place them in a warm spot for 40 minutes or until almost doubled in size.
- Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) standard or 160°C (320°F) fan/convection with the rack positioned in the middle.
- Bake Rolls: Bake the cinnamon rolls for 20 minutes, rotating the tray once at 16 minutes, until center rolls are golden and outer ones have a deep golden edge. Check doneness by tapping rolls; they should sound hollow.
- Optional Butter Brush: Brush rolls with 1 tbsp (15 g) melted butter to eliminate any residual flour spots.
- Cool Rolls: Use the baking paper overhang to lift rolls onto a cooling rack and let them cool for about 1 hour; they will still be warm.
- Prepare Glaze: In a bowl, beat together softened butter, cream cheese, and vanilla extract until smooth, about 10-15 seconds. Add icing sugar and beat until incorporated. Stir in 2-3 tablespoons of milk or water to achieve a drizzle-able consistency.
- Frost Rolls: Spoon the glaze generously over the warm cooled cinnamon rolls. Serve best when still warm.
Notes
- Use warm water and milk but not too hot as excessive heat can kill yeast.
- Check dough surface for bubbly texture after first rise as an indicator of proper fermentation.
- Flour incorporated into dough during shaping helps make it workable without kneading.
- Allow rolls to cool slightly before glazing to prevent glaze from melting off completely.
- Using baking paper with overhang is key for removing rolls easily from the tray.