Epicurious 4 levels series — Episode 15: Cinnamon rolls

[Mike Nolan]

Epicurious.com started a series a while back where they challenge an amateur baker/cook, an experienced home baker/cook and a professional baker/chef to make the same dish, then subject each of those efforts to the scrutiny of a food scientist.

Episode 15, one on cinnamon rolls, just came out a few days ago and is quite good:
Epicurious 4 levels of cinnamon rolls

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[Italiancook]

I agree, Mike, the cinnamon roll episode is good. And, it made me realize I'm a Level 2 cinnamon roll baker, not 1. Guess I'll have to get busy soon and make cinnamon rolls to go with the chili I made during the summer and froze for my Nebraska experiment.

[Mike Nolan]

I thought it was fascinating that the professional cut her dough into strips before rolling them up. I may have to try that some time, if I can keep the dough block nicely rectangular so it has clean edges. I assume it would work with non-laminated dough as well. She made a compound butter so there wasn't a lot of leakage along the cuts, that's worth trying as well. She also baked them in separate individual pans, which helps maintain a uniform shape, which is a nice professional touch. (It's hard to read or watch something on baking and not get at least one idea from it.)

I have made cinnamon rolls with laminated dough, they were fantastic. I made them with laminated dough made using soft red winter wheat that I ground myself, so it was whole-meal. That dough made interesting croissants, too.

[BakerAunt]

The episode was interesting, but as someone who has had to cut out most butter from her diet, I found it demoralizing. I know that there are some recipes that I won't even attempt to bake, such as croissants or brioche, because butter is essential for taste and texture. However, I can make very good cinnamon rolls by substituting oil for butter in the dough, and not using butter in the filling. I will allow myself a bit of a splurge on frosting/glaze with a bit of butter.

That said, I was fascinated by how the Level 3 chef cut her dough into strips, then rolled up the cinnamon rolls individually and put them into muffin pans. I make the long roll, like the other two chefs did, but I use dental floss to slice it, which makes a cleaner cut and less mess than a knife.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 2 months ago by BakerAunt.

[Mike Nolan]

I don't make sweet rolls or desserts very often, too many carbs in them. I did find a recipe for just 4 cinnamon rolls that I've made on those occasions where you just have to have a cinnamon roll!

There are quite a few small-batch recipes out there, after studying them for a while, I went with this one:
Cinnamon Rolls for 2 (4 rolls)

[BakerAunt]

I actually have a Cooks' Illustrated special issue that is titled Baking for Two. I need to pull it out and check over the recipes.

I looked at the link to the recipe you posted, Mike. I noted that it has 49g saturated fat from the 7 Tbs. of butter alone. Even one, without frosting (I think regular cream cheese is 5g saturated fat per oz.), a single roll would put me over my limit of no more than 11g per day. I only allow myself such an indulgence, perhaps a small slice of cheesecake on the rare occasion we go out to dinner.

[Italiancook]

I'm glad you posted this link, Mike. You've mentioned before you made a small batch of cinnamon rolls. I've wondered where you found the recipe. I can't use cream cheese, so I'd make a powdered sugar icing with far less fat.

Here's my issue with cinnamon rolls. I adore KAF Cinna Buns recipe. The only time I made them, I ate one and froze the rest for future weekend treats. But my brain wouldn't ignore the fact that they were so close to me. I ate them during the week by microwaving to thaw. I ate them the first weekend, and I had some leftover to eat the next week. I ate every one of those things, except for the one my husband ate! Talk about too much fat. It's on my list to make a batch for neighbors. Problem is I have to coordinate with them when they arise and want breakfast so I can deliver them warm. Thus far, I haven't done that.

So I'm definitely a candidate for this recipe, Mike, and thanks for giving us the link. Unfortunately, I don't have a 6" or 7" square dish. At least not that I can picture right this second. Mike, what container do you use for this recipe?

• This reply was modified 5 years, 2 months ago by Italiancook.
• This reply was modified 5 years, 2 months ago by Italiancook.

[Italiancook]

In the video, the Level 2 home baker said her grandmother brushed the dough with milk before adding the filling (to rolled out dough). Anyone know why she might have done this?

[aaronatthedoublef]

Thanks for the links. I'll have to watch the show on Epicurious. I don't make cinnamon rolls often. The recipe I've used most is for schnecken which was my mom's tradition for Rosh Hashanah.

The recipe I have makes a log and then cut it with a knife or dental floss and then second rise and baking is in muffin tins.

[skeptic7]

Brushing with milk might have been done to get the filling to stick to the dough better. If you brush with melted butter, the cinnamon roll layers are likely to seperate.
Why would you make a single serving of cinnamon rolls? I could eat most of a half sheet pan and thats only slightly more time consuming than making 9 cinnamon rolls.

[BakerAunt]

I find that spritzing the dough with water before sprinkling on the cinnamon sugar also works well, a technique that I learned from Bernard Clayton's bread book.

Aaron, I have a recipe for "Snails" (English word for Schnecken) from my husband's aunt. Although it did not have a cinnamon filling, it can be made with one. I've made it with no filling and frosting on the top.

• This reply was modified 5 years, 2 months ago by BakerAunt.

[Mike Nolan]

I have a 6x6 pan that I got at an auction or garage sale some years ago. I think I made them in an oversized muffin tin once, too.

The challenge with that is that most sources recommend you not leave any of the spots empty, because baking in a pan with some spots full and some empty can warp the pan or damage the non-stick surface (if it has one.) Usually I throw some water in the unfilled spots, but that has its own set of problems.

[BakerAunt]

Hmm--I thought that Cass told us that with modern muffin pans, which are heavier, we don't need to use water anymore. I don't know if he told us that on this site or on the now closed baking circle site, or I would look for it.

[Mike Nolan]

I've seen a cinnamon roll recipe that had you brush the surface of the dough with rum or some other distilled spirit before putting on the filling, which sounded like an interesting idea but is something I'd probably never do, because my wife hates a rum taste.

[Mike Nolan]

This recipe may have potential, not much butter in it:

Low Fat Cinnamon Rolls

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