Daring Bakers Challenge June 2014: Cinnamon Rolls

I am THRILLED to report that with this month's Daring Bakers challenge, I can end my decade-long search for the ideal cinnamon roll recipe. I FINALLY found it!

This month, we were challenged to make cinnamon rolls and could use any recipe that we wanted. In the far back corners of my brain, I recalled hearing that the best cinnamon rolls (characterized by a fluffy texture and weren't dry) contained mashed potatoes. Crazy, you say? Delish, I say!!

I scoured the Internet for mashed potato cinnamon roll recipes and found quite a few. The one I finally chose stood out because it contained a bit of a secret, unexpected ingredient: pumpkin pie spice. 

This recipe, I kid you not, results in the best cinnamon rolls I have ever made... hands down. I'll be hard pressed to look beyond this recipe, t'boot. It makes A LOT of cinnamon rolls (a double batch of rather sizable rolls), so I wound up taking one pan to work.... and boy, were they a hit!!! The recipe doesn't provide icing information, so I just threw together a cream cheese icing and it worked beautifully.

Get a gander at how beautifully fluffy and moist the rolls turned out: 

Yummmmmmmmy!

Without further ado, the amazingly wonderfully perfectly tasty cinnamon roll recipe I chose to try ... and wound up falling head over heels for:

Soft Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Author: Rachel Ballard

Serves: 15

 

Ingredients

The Dough:

• 1 cup lump free mashed potatoes
• 1 cup reserved potato water (or plain water is fine)
• ¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter or margarine, melted
• ¾ cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup hot water (just from the tap is fine, don't boil any)
• 2 envelopes yeast
• ½ cup WARM water
• 2 eggs
• 8½ cups all purpose flour

The Filling:

• ½ cup butter or margarine, softened
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice (optional)

Instructions

1. Combine the potatoes, potato water, butter, sugar, salt and hot water in a very large bowl.
2. Mix well and set aside to cool to lukewarm.
3. Combine the yeast and ½ cup warm water in a small bowl. Let rest 5 minutes.
4. Add eggs, yeast, and 2 cups of the flour to the potato mixture.
5. Using a dough hook and stand mixer (or mix by hand) blend well.
6. Add flour, 1 cup at a time until a soft dough forms. This usually takes almost all 8 cups.
7. Knead on a floured surface or with your dough hook until it's smooth and elastic about 4 to 6 minutes.
8. Place in an oiled bowl and turn to coat all sides.
9. Cover and rest one hour until doubled in size.
10. Divide dough in half and roll one into a 12x18 inch rectangle.
11. Mix the sugars, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice in a bowl.
12. Spread half the butter on the dough and sprinkle on half the sugar mixture.
13. Roll from the long side and cut slices about 2 inches thick.
14. Place in a greased 9x13 pan.
15. Repeat with other half of dough. (You can freeze rolls at this point if you want to)
16. Cover and rise in a warm place 30-45 minutes until doubled
17. Bake in 350 degree oven 25 to 35 minutes. Tent with foil if they get too dark.
18. Cool 15 minutes and the drizzle with icing.

Recipe source: http://thecountrycontessa.com/2014/01/16/soft-homemade-cinnamon-rolls/

This month the Daring Bakers kept our creativity rolling with cinnamon bun inspired treats. Shelley from C Mom Cook dared us to create our own dough and fill it with any filling we wanted to craft tasty rolled treats, cinnamon not required!