Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

There are many things in life that are beautiful and exquisite. A fresh red rose, a perfect beach sunset, a bride in a beautiful white dress. And a yeast dough that has risen perfectly. Dough like that is especially beautiful to me because I am not a big bread baker. Yeast is an ingredient that I hold in such high esteem. An ingredient that I don't dare offend. I treat our relationship with the utmost respect and reverence, so as not to anger her. She is the difference between light, fluffy white rolls or a flat, dense, ugly dinner roll. It takes time to master Yeast. You have to learn all about her. Her pet peeves and her favorite things. Once she lets you in and you get to know Yeast, you are able to soar to great heights, conquering even the most complicated recipes. I see Yeast and I still being in the "get-to-know-you" phase. You will notice that my Yeast Bread category in my recipe index is small, quite small. But there is the longing to have it grow, only by Yeast's permission. So I take baby steps, slowly developing our relationship. This recipe is one such baby step.


I made these rolls because I feel like I am required to by my religious beliefs. I am a Mormon and we are supposed to watch our biannual world-wide conference and eat some type of sweet roll while doing so. Or at least that is the unspoken rule. Growing up, we had orange rolls. Some families have a little treat called Monkey Bread. And others have cinnamon rolls. I had never made cinnamon rolls for General Conference, until now. And I am sure my family was able to better understand the messages from conference better. Isn't that what dough and sugar do to your ability to discern teachings from the Lord?

While I wanted cinnamon rolls, I didn't want to get up earlier than necessary. So by mixing and mashing a few different recipes, adding, changing and throwing in a few of my own ideas, I made overnight cinnamon rolls. In the morning, all I had to do was put them in the oven. So by the first singing number by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, we were pulling apart our cinnamon rolls and sipping our apple juice.



For the filling:
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cinnamon
Pinch of salt
3 Tbsp butter, melted

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon and salt and mix with a fork until combined. Set aside.

For the dough:
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1 package active dry yeast
3 Tbsp warm water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
4-5 cups flour

Spray a large bowl with non-stick spray and set aside. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add milk and butter. Heat, stirring occasionally, until the butter is melted. Once melted, remove pan from heat and set aside to cool.

In the bowl of a mixer, add yeast and warm water. Let sit for 5 minutes, until yeast dissolves. Once dissolved, add cooled milk mixture, sugar, salt, eggs and 3 cups of flour. Mix until combined. Gradually add additional flour until the dough is firm, but still sticky. Transfer dough to the prepared bowl, cover with a towel and set in a warm place to rise. Let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until almost doubled in size.

Spray a 9x13 inch pan with non-stick spray and set aside. Once risen, roll dough out into a 12x18 inch square. Brush 3 Tbsp melted butter onto the dough. Sprinkle prepared brown sugar mixture over the butter. Starting with the longest side (18 inches), roll up the dough. Once rolled. Cut dough into 12 cinnamon rolls. Set rolls into the prepared pan. Cover the pan tightly with plastic and set in the fridge. Refrigerate overnight.

In the morning, remove the plastic and set the pan in the oven. Below the pan, add another shallow pan and fill that with boiling water. Close the oven door and let sit for 30 minutes, until rolls are lightly puffed. Remove pans from the oven and set the temperature to 350 degrees. Once heated, add cinnamon roll pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the rolls are raised and lightly browned. Remove from the oven and spread with glaze.

For the glaze:
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
4 Tbsp milk

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and mix with a hand mixer until smooth. Spread over finished cinnamon rolls.

Yields 12 cinnamon rolls.

Rookie's Notes: Have some leftovers? You can individually freeze them in ziploc sandwich bags and pull them out, microwave for a few minutes and then you have a quick breakfast addition. Notice I said addition. Let's not eat just cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Add some scrambled eggs, yogurt, oatmeal or even just some fruit.