Livingston
Assistant Cook
My first post and I hope to get some folk interested in a detail analysis of a cinnamon roll recipe I use so that I can learn ways to improve the already good results and get a good lesson in baking technique along the way. I bake a couple hundred of these rolls each year, mostly in December since I traditionally give them as gifts. I've just started this year's "cycle" and it's a great time to experiment a little. So....
I envision this will eventually be a long thread since I have so many questions on technique and what happens when ingredients or proportions are changed. After describing the recipe and technique I use I'll ask the first set of questions.
The recipe for the dough is:
1 1/2 C milk, 2 eggs, 1/2 C vegetable oil, 1/2 C granulated sugar, 2 tsp salt, 1/2 C water, 2 pkg dry active yeast, and about 7 C all-purpose flour. I usually add a tsp of vanilla and/or a tsp almond extract. The filling is 1 C granulated sugar, 1 1/2 C packed light brown sugar, 3 T ground cinnamon, and 6 oz butter. In addition, there is a pinch of sugar to help proof the yeast, 2 T vegetable oil, and 2 T brown sugar put in the bottom of the pans for the bottoms of the rolls. I also use a Tb of vegetable oil to cover the surface of the dough when rising.
The technique: (all degrees are F)
Scald the milk to 180 degrees and let cool to 120 degrees
While the milk cools I mix (using the mixing paddle) the eggs, vegetable oil, 1/2 C sugar, salt, and almond and/or vanilla extract in an electric mixing bowl (Kitchen Aid) just enough to break the yokes and mix all the ingredients.
It takes about 12 minutes for the milk to cool and with 4 minutes left I proof the yeast. I proof two pkgs of dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp) in 1/2 C of 117 degree tap water. (Our tap water peaks at about 117 degrees and is of good quality). After 4 minutes the yeast will have proofed and the milk cooled.
At that point I start the mixer and add the milk and yeast.
I add gradually add about 4 C of the flour, letting things mix completely. I then stop the mixer and replace the paddle with a dough hook. I start the mixer again and slowly add flour 1/2 C at a time looking for a point just before where the dough would climb up the dough hook. (*This will be the step where I'll have my first question below*).
I then let the dough knead slowly for 12 minutes, adding small amounts of flour if it looks like it can take more (without riding up on the dough hook).
While the dough is kneading I mix 1 C granulated sugar, the brown sugar, and the cinnamon in a bowl and set aside. I also start melting the butter. I prepare the pans by putting 1 Tb vegetable oil and 1 Tb melted butter in each pan and brush it around the bottom and sides. I sprinkle the bottom of each pan with 1 T brown sugar and then set the pans aside.
When the kneading is done, I then scrap the dough onto a wooden cutting board floured with 1/2 C. I hand knead the dough for 30 seconds or so adding flour if the surface is too sticky.
I use a large plastic bowl for rising. I add about a Tb vegetable oil to the bowl, transfer the dough to the bowl, rub the dough ball briefly around the bowl to coat it with a little of the oil, flip the dough ball over, and then cover the bowl with a slightly dampened kitchen towel.
I turn the oven on for 1 minute and then turn it off, and it's in the oven I let the dough rise for 1 hour.
I then turn the dough out of the bowl onto a floured cutting board, divide the dough in half, and shape half of the dough by hand into roughly a rectangle. I lightly roll the dough to get it to about 12-inches by 16-inches.
I brush the surface with melted butter, and sprinkle half of the sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon mixture evenly over the top. I then roll the dough along it's long side, cut into 8 rolls, and transfer the rolls to a 7-inch by 10-inch baking pan arranging them 2, then 1, then 2, then 1, then 2. I cover the pan with aluminum foil and place it in the refrigerator overnight and the process is repeated for the other half of the dough.
When ready to bake I let the pans sit a room temperature for at least 30 minutes. The convection oven is set to 350 degrees and I loosen the foil on the pans but don't remove it. I bake the rolls for 18 minutes, remove the foil, and continue baking another 12 minutes.
The rolls are then turned out onto wax paper and allowed to cool, when they are wrapped in aluminum foil and frozen (assuming we don't eat them right then.)
So, that’s the basic recipe and technique. Now to the questions starting with using the mixer to knead the dough.
As I mentioned I've found that if I add too much flour during the kneading process the dough can cling to the dough hook and pull away from the side of the bowl. At that point it looks like it will just spin around and no real kneading is done. So I try to find a point just before where that would occur, but that may not be the best mixture for the ultimate dough.
When using a dough hook to save effort, am I right that adding too much flour can defeat the purpose? And, since the dough may need more flour that I can add during the kneading process, is it important to adjust the flour content after the machine is done? Do dough hooks (for this kind of dough) work best if the mixture is a bit wet?
If the tread draws the attention of some experienced bakers I'll ask other questions later.
Sorry for the length, but I wanted to get the complete recipe, including technique, described first.
Livingston
I envision this will eventually be a long thread since I have so many questions on technique and what happens when ingredients or proportions are changed. After describing the recipe and technique I use I'll ask the first set of questions.
The recipe for the dough is:
1 1/2 C milk, 2 eggs, 1/2 C vegetable oil, 1/2 C granulated sugar, 2 tsp salt, 1/2 C water, 2 pkg dry active yeast, and about 7 C all-purpose flour. I usually add a tsp of vanilla and/or a tsp almond extract. The filling is 1 C granulated sugar, 1 1/2 C packed light brown sugar, 3 T ground cinnamon, and 6 oz butter. In addition, there is a pinch of sugar to help proof the yeast, 2 T vegetable oil, and 2 T brown sugar put in the bottom of the pans for the bottoms of the rolls. I also use a Tb of vegetable oil to cover the surface of the dough when rising.
The technique: (all degrees are F)
Scald the milk to 180 degrees and let cool to 120 degrees
While the milk cools I mix (using the mixing paddle) the eggs, vegetable oil, 1/2 C sugar, salt, and almond and/or vanilla extract in an electric mixing bowl (Kitchen Aid) just enough to break the yokes and mix all the ingredients.
It takes about 12 minutes for the milk to cool and with 4 minutes left I proof the yeast. I proof two pkgs of dry yeast (4 1/2 tsp) in 1/2 C of 117 degree tap water. (Our tap water peaks at about 117 degrees and is of good quality). After 4 minutes the yeast will have proofed and the milk cooled.
At that point I start the mixer and add the milk and yeast.
I add gradually add about 4 C of the flour, letting things mix completely. I then stop the mixer and replace the paddle with a dough hook. I start the mixer again and slowly add flour 1/2 C at a time looking for a point just before where the dough would climb up the dough hook. (*This will be the step where I'll have my first question below*).
I then let the dough knead slowly for 12 minutes, adding small amounts of flour if it looks like it can take more (without riding up on the dough hook).
While the dough is kneading I mix 1 C granulated sugar, the brown sugar, and the cinnamon in a bowl and set aside. I also start melting the butter. I prepare the pans by putting 1 Tb vegetable oil and 1 Tb melted butter in each pan and brush it around the bottom and sides. I sprinkle the bottom of each pan with 1 T brown sugar and then set the pans aside.
When the kneading is done, I then scrap the dough onto a wooden cutting board floured with 1/2 C. I hand knead the dough for 30 seconds or so adding flour if the surface is too sticky.
I use a large plastic bowl for rising. I add about a Tb vegetable oil to the bowl, transfer the dough to the bowl, rub the dough ball briefly around the bowl to coat it with a little of the oil, flip the dough ball over, and then cover the bowl with a slightly dampened kitchen towel.
I turn the oven on for 1 minute and then turn it off, and it's in the oven I let the dough rise for 1 hour.
I then turn the dough out of the bowl onto a floured cutting board, divide the dough in half, and shape half of the dough by hand into roughly a rectangle. I lightly roll the dough to get it to about 12-inches by 16-inches.
I brush the surface with melted butter, and sprinkle half of the sugar, brown sugar, and cinnamon mixture evenly over the top. I then roll the dough along it's long side, cut into 8 rolls, and transfer the rolls to a 7-inch by 10-inch baking pan arranging them 2, then 1, then 2, then 1, then 2. I cover the pan with aluminum foil and place it in the refrigerator overnight and the process is repeated for the other half of the dough.
When ready to bake I let the pans sit a room temperature for at least 30 minutes. The convection oven is set to 350 degrees and I loosen the foil on the pans but don't remove it. I bake the rolls for 18 minutes, remove the foil, and continue baking another 12 minutes.
The rolls are then turned out onto wax paper and allowed to cool, when they are wrapped in aluminum foil and frozen (assuming we don't eat them right then.)
So, that’s the basic recipe and technique. Now to the questions starting with using the mixer to knead the dough.
As I mentioned I've found that if I add too much flour during the kneading process the dough can cling to the dough hook and pull away from the side of the bowl. At that point it looks like it will just spin around and no real kneading is done. So I try to find a point just before where that would occur, but that may not be the best mixture for the ultimate dough.
When using a dough hook to save effort, am I right that adding too much flour can defeat the purpose? And, since the dough may need more flour that I can add during the kneading process, is it important to adjust the flour content after the machine is done? Do dough hooks (for this kind of dough) work best if the mixture is a bit wet?
If the tread draws the attention of some experienced bakers I'll ask other questions later.
Sorry for the length, but I wanted to get the complete recipe, including technique, described first.
Livingston
