I love the smell of yeast in the morning! Actually, I love the smell of fresh yeast bread any time. You need to plan these cinnamon rolls in advance and let them mellow in the refrigerator overnight. But as Alton Brown says, “Your patience will be rewarded!” This is another Good Eats recipe from the show House of the Rising Bun.

I am entering this in the San Diego County Fair today and will find out the results when I go to the fair on Sunday to enter my Chocolate Pecan Pie in the Ghirardelli Chocolate Championship contest.

Ingredients

Dough:
4 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 large whole egg, room temperature
2 ounces (55 grams) sugar,
3 ounces (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted
6 ounces (170 grams) buttermilk
20 ounces (565 grams) all-purpose flour
1 package Rapid Rise yeast (do not use regular yeast)
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
Cooking spray

Filling:
8 ounces (225 grams) light brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
¾ ounce (20 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Icing:
2 ½ ounces (70 grams) cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons milk
5 ½ ounces (140 grams) powdered sugar

Recipe

1) In a food processor with a whisk attachment whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, butter, and buttermilk.

2) Add approximately 2 cups of the flour along with the yeast and salt; whisk until moistened and combined.

3) Remove the whisk attachment and replace with a plastic dough blade. Add all but 3/4 cup of the remaining flour and process on low speed. When done the dough should feel soft and moist but not sticky and should clear the sides of the food processor. Add more flour if dough is too sticky and balls up on top of the dough blade.

4) Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead by hand about 30 seconds. Lightly oil a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl, lightly oil the top of the dough, cover with a damp towel, place in an unlit oven and let double in volume, 2 to 2 ½ hours.

5) Combine filling ingredients and mix until well incorporated.

6) Spray cooking spray on a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish.

7) Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently shape the dough into a rectangle with the long side nearest you. Roll into an 18 by 12-inch rectangle.

8) Brush the dough with the ¾ ounce (20 grams) of melted butter, leaving ½ inch (1¼ centimeters)border along the top edge.

9) Sprinkle the filling mixture over the dough, leaving a ¾ inch (2 centimeters) border along the top edge; gently press the filling into the dough.

10) Beginning with the long edge nearest you, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Firmly pinch the seam to seal and roll the cylinder seam side down. Very gently squeeze the cylinder to create even thickness.

11) Using a serrated knife, slice the cylinder into 1½ inch(4 centimeters) rolls; yielding approximately 12 rolls. Arrange rolls cut side down in the baking dish; cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight or up to 16 hours.

12) Remove the rolls from the refrigerator and place in an oven that is turned off. Fill a shallow pan 2/3 full of boiling water and set on the rack below the rolls. Close the oven door and let the rolls rise until they look slightly puffy; approximately 30 minutes. Remove the rolls and the shallow pan of water from the oven.

13) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (175 degrees Celsius).

14) When the oven is heated, place the rolls on the middle rack and bake until golden brown, approximately 30 minutes.

15) While the rolls are cooling slightly, make the icing by whisking the cream cheese until creamy.

16) Add the milk and whisk until combined.

17) Sift in the powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth.

18) Spread over the rolls and serve immediately