Came across this unusual cinnamon roll recipe in The Fannie Farmer Cookbook where the cinnamon is incorporated inside the dough rather than as a filling. This fascinated me, so I decided to make them to find out what they would be like. In full disclosure, I did change the entire way the dough is prepped in my attempt to simplify the preparation. Also, in trying to make the rolls dairy-free, I made select substitutions as well. If you wish to see the original recipe and method, I bet your local library would have a copy of the cookbook. :) The rolls turned out fluffy and delicious! Not too heavy on the cinnamon or sugar or butter (although I have to admit we do miss the butter) – it’s essentially the lighter, healthier version of your typical filled cinnamon rolls, lol. Enjoy!
Adapted from the Cinnamon Rolls recipe from The Fannie Farmer Cookbook, 13th edition
1 cup vanilla soy milk plus more for brushing top of dough before baking
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons Earth Balance Vegan Buttery Sticks plus more to grease cake pans
4-1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour plus additional 3/4 cup or more if needed
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (I used Lesaffre SAF Gold Instant Yeast)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs, room temperature
Combine 1 cup soy milk and 1/4 cup water in a measuring cup and microwave for a minute to get the mixture lukewarm. Stir and place in a stand mixer bowl. Add 2 tablespoons vegan buttery sticks, 4-1/2 cups flour, sugar, salt, yeast, cinnamon, and eggs. Use the dough hook attachment and blend and knead the mixture on low. In the process, slowly add the remaining 3/4 cup flour until dough comes together in a cohesive mass and away from the sides of the bowl. After that happens, continue kneading for 10 minutes until dough becomes smooth, is no longer sticky, and is elastic to the touch. Cover and let dough rise until double.
Once ready, punch down dough and knead by hand for about 1 minute. Divide dough into 16 pieces. Knead each piece into a ball (just a few seconds), roll it into an 8 to 10-inch rope, and then, wind it into a coil. Place shaped rolls in two greased 9-inch cake pans (8 pieces in each pan). Cover and let dough rise until double once again. At this point, preheat oven to 375F. Right before baking, brush top of dough with extra vanilla soy milk and bake for 25 minutes or until rolls are fully baked in the center. Note: these rolls rise very high – if the top gets too dark (check after 10 minutes, tent the rolls with a piece of aluminum foil for the rest of the baking time). Remove cake pans from the oven and spread a thin layer of glaze on rolls immediately and serve warm. Keep extras in an airtight container and reheat in microwave.
Glaze
3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 teaspoons warm water
In a small bowl, mix confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and water to make the glaze. Spread on rolls immediately after they come out of the oven.
