Sweet Roll Dough

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Inside: This easy sweet roll dough can be turned into many different breakfast recipes.

Cinnamon Rolls are always a welcome Sunday morning breakfast at my house. Though my kids have never had one from the popular stores at the mall, we make them regularly at home.

By making an easy sweet roll dough recipe, these cinnamon rolls can be transformed into many other types of breakfast rolls with just a few modifications.

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The cinnamon roll recipe I’m going to share today was found in an old bread machine cookbook that I’ve had for a very long time. While I often use my bread machine if I am making a small batch, this dough works great in a mixer to make a larger batch.

My 5 quart Kitchen-Aid mixer will make a double batch of the dough but I can triple it in my Bosch Mixer that my Mom bought me last year for Christmas! For my family, I usually use the mixer.

The rolls also freeze great, so I can pull out a pan on Saturday night and just warm them up a bit on Sunday morning before church. (Directions on how to freeze cinnamon rolls is below.)

Sweet Roll Dough Variations

And while cinnamon rolls are great, sometimes you want something different. (Who could ever get tired of cinnamon rolls? Not me!) So I’ve got several different versions we’ve tried before.

• cinnamon rolls
• orange cinnamon rolls
• chocolate rolls
• caramel almond rolls – my personal favorite
• honey buns

I explain how to make each variation at the end of the post. You are sure to find one or two variations that will suit your family. You use the same sweet roll dough to make each type of roll – you just change up the filling ingredients. I’m testing apple pie cinnamon rolls soon! Yum!

How to Work With Yeast Dough

When working with yeast dough, I always err on the side of under-flouring my dough instead of adding too much. If the dough is too soft, you can always knead in extra flour after it has finished rising. However, it is quite difficult to add in extra liquid once the dough has risen.

I use this instant yeast that I purchase in bulk for all of my bread baking. If you are making a lot of bread, it is much cheaper this way. Stored in the freezer, yeast will keep at least a year.

If you only plan on making yeast dough once or twice a year, it is better to buy it in the individual packets. Since yeast is a living organism, eventually it loses its ability to raise bread dough. Be sure your yeast is fresh (or has been stored properly) so that your dough will rise properly.

If you are intimidated by the thought of making your own yeast dough, Mel from Mel’s Kitchen Cafe has an excellent tutorial on working with yeast.

Sweet Roll Dough Recipe

You can get a printable of the recipe at the bottom of the post. It includes directions on how to make all the variations as well. Of course, feel free to add your own variations in the comments.

Ingredients for the Dough:

• 3/4 cup milk, warmed
• 2 Tablespoons butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast

Ingredients for the Cinnamon Roll Filling:

• 2 Tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 Tablespoon cinnamon

Ingredients for the Glaze:

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1-2 Tablespoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in the bread machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Set to dough cycle. Alternatively, add all ingredients to a mixing bowl and knead on low speed for 5 minutes. Allow dough to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size.

2. Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll or pat dough into a 12″ x 8″ rectangle. Brush with melted butter.

3. Combine cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle over dough. Roll-up, jelly-roll fashion beginning on the long side. You should have a 12″ log. Cut into 12 slices. 

4. Place in a greased 9″ x 13″ pan. Cover and allow to rise for 30-45 minutes or until puffy. 

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. 

For the glaze:

1. Combine glaze ingredients. Drizzle over warm rolls.

To Make Orange Cinnamon Rolls:

• Replace milk in the dough with orange juice.
• Add 1/2 teaspoon of orange extract to the butter before brushing on the dough.
• Replace white sugar with brown sugar in the filling and add the zest of 1 orange. 
• Use orange extract in the glaze in place of vanilla.

To Make Chocolate Rolls:

• Brush dough with butter but instead of sprinkling with cinnamon sugar, sprinkle with mini chocolate chips.

To Make Caramel Almond Rolls:

• Add 1 teaspoon of almond extract to the dough.
• Mix 2 Tablespoons melted butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon almond extract. Spread on the dough.
• Sprinkle on 1/2 cup of finely chopped almonds.
• Use almond extract in place of vanilla extract in the glaze.

To Make Honey Buns:

• Brush dough with butter as directed and sprinkle with 1/4 cup white sugar.
• Instead of a powdered sugar glaze, mix 3 Tablespoons of melted butter, 3 Tablespoons of honey, 3 Tablespoons of powdered sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. Brush over rolls as soon as they come out of the oven.

How to Prepare Sweet Rolls Ahead of Time

If you want to serve hot rolls for breakfast (on Christmas morning perhaps?), follow the steps through cutting the rolls and placing them in the pan.

Instead of allowing them to rise for 30-45 minutes, refrigerate the sweet rolls overnight. The next morning, allow the rolls to come to room temperature for about an hour on the counter. Bake as directed.

You can also freeze the baked rolls. I like to under-bake them slightly if I am going to freeze them. The rolls need to be firm but just barely starting to brown on top. This helps keep them from drying out when re-heating them.

I know many families serve cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning breakfast. A pan of sweet rolls also makes a great gift to give to someone. I have gifted many pans of cinnamon rolls to family, friends, and teachers over the past few years and they have always been well received.

So tell me, have you ever made cinnamon rolls from scratch? If not, what part of the process intimidates you the most?

Other Bread Recipes You Might Enjoy

• White Sandwich Bread – So much better than store-bought.
• One-Hour Yeast Rolls – Don’t miss the garlic version. They are a favorite in my house.
• Easy Cream Scones – Not traditional, but yummy (and quick) nonetheless.

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