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The Roth Family Glazed Cinnamon Rolls

It’s not Christmas anymore, but we’re excited to share with you a Roth Family tradition!
The perfect smell to wake up with on a cold, wintery morning (well, right next to coffee)? Cinnamon & spice. 
These cinnamon rolls are a true family favorite. Julie starts her family’s Christmas off every year with these rolls.  Balancing the tight rope of rich and light in every bite, these aromatic sweet treats are a chilly morning must-make. 
This recipe makes two dozen rolls, so go ahead and indulge - there’s plenty to go around!
Course Breakfast

Ingredients

Pastry

  • 1/4 Cup warm water
  • 1 package dry yeast
  • 1 tsp plus 1/4 cup sugar
  • 4 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 sticks butter, chilled
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 1 cup milk

Filling

  • 1/4 cup (half a stick) butter, melted
  • 6 tbsp sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon

Glaze

  • 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 2 tbsp butter, room temperature
  • 1 tbsp water (but a small amount more may be needed to get the right consistency of glaze)

Instructions

Step 1: Make Your Pastry the Night Before

  • In a small bowl, combine your ¼ cup warm water, package of yeast, and 1 teaspoon of sugar.  Stir briefly and let it dissolve for 5 minutes.  Leave it alone - your yeast needs a moment to activate.
  • Get a large mixing bowl and combine your 4 cups of all purpose flour, ¼ cup sugar, and teaspoon of salt.  Use a fork for this - it helps break up any potential clumps of flour. 
  • Cut your 2 sticks of chilled butter into pieces the size of small grapes, then add them to your dry ingredients.  You’ll need to use your hands (or a pastry blender, but where’s the fun in that?) to break and rub the butter thoroughly into the flour mixture.  By the end, it should look coarse and lumpy. 
  • Remember your yeasty sugar water?  Pour it into your dry ingredients, and add your 3 egg yolks and 1 cup of milk.
  • Now the easiest step of all: after your dough is combined, cover the bowl in plastic wrap and put it in the fridge overnight.
  • Technically, you can get away with as few as 6 hours of rest for your pastry dough, but this recipe can be refrigerated for up to 14 hours and still taste heavenly!

Step 2: Make your filling and glaze the morning of.

  • Good morning, sleepyhead!  It’s time to make breakfast.  We’ll make this as easy as possible:
  • Grab your coffee, made just how you like it, for moral support.
  • Gather your filling ingredients and mix them all together in a bowl. 
  • Gather your glaze ingredients and mix them all together in a different bowl.
  • Ta Da! All done there.

Step 3: Assemble & Bake

  • Grab your dough from the fridge. Spread it out on a lightly floured countertop. With a rolling pin (you’ll want to flour the pin as well), roll into a ¼ inch thick rectangle sheet. Spread your filling evenly all over the dough.
  • Roll the dough up on itself into a long log. You should be able to see the cinnamon swirl in the middle!
  • Cut your log into 24 rolls.
  • Throw your rolls onto a baking sheet (or 2), and toss them in the oven for 15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Breakfast is ready!

  • Allow the rolls to cool for a few minutes, then brush or chaotically drizzle (baker’s choice) the rolls with that delicious glaze you made earlier.