Small Batch Cinnamon Rolls
Small batch cinnamon rolls are perfect when you want all the gooey, cinnamon-y deliciousness of a homemade cinnamon roll but don't want to make a whole pan. This small batch makes 4 rolls.
Ingredients
Dough
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ¾ teaspoon active dry yeast
- 2 tablespoons white sugar
- 3 tablespoons salted butter room temperature
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Filling
- 2 teaspoons salted butter*
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon cinnamon
Cream cheese frosting
- 2 ounces cream cheese
- 1 tablespoon salted butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Making the dough
- Take out the 3 tablespoons of butter and the egg to bring them to room temperature.
- Heat the milk in the microwave until warm 105℉ - 110℉. [It's best to use a kitchen thermometer if you have one.] Add the warm milk, yeast and a little of the white sugar to the mixing bowl. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
- Add the rest of the sugar, the softened butter and the egg to the mixing bowl. Mix on low speed until the eggs are incorporated. The butter will not incorporate at this stage, which is normal.
- Add the flour and salt to the mixing bowl and mix on low until the flour has been incorporated.
- Switch to the dough hook on the mixer and mix on low, or knead by hand, for 5 minutes.
- Spray a small bowl (or reuse the mixing bowl) with cooking spray. The dough is sticky and that's normal. Let the dough rise in a covered bowl for a total of two hours. After one hour, knead the dough using the stretch and fold method. If you're familiar with this method, do it in the bowl. If this is your first time, take the dough out of the bowl and set on a floured surface. Take a hold of a large piece of dough at the 12 position, stretch it away from your body, and then fold it back toward the middle of the dough ball. Rotate the ball ⅛ to ¼ of a turn and repeat the stretch out and fold back motions. Keep repeating until you have gone around 2 times and the dough becomes less stretchy. You DO NOT have to do this, BUT it does make the rolls more fluffy and soft. Put the dough back in the bowl to rise for another hour. So, the total rise time is two hours with the optional stretch and fold after one hour.
Making the filling
- Spray the baking pan or baking cups with cooking spray.
- After the dough has risen for the two hours, put it on a floured surface and roll it out into a 4 x 10 inch rectangle. [If the dough is ever resistant, let it rest for 10 minutes. Don't overwork the dough trying to roll it out. It should roll out easily.
- Brush less than one tablespoon of very soft butter on to the dough with a pastry or silicone brush. You want to use very soft but not melted butter. Think of the butter as the glue that will hold the brown sugar and cinnamon to the dough. You can also use your fingers or a knife to spread the butter.
- Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl until the cinnamon is incorporated into the sugar. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the buttered dough and lightly press it in.
- Cut the dough into 4 long strips using a pizza cutter.
- Add the cut sweet rolls to your sprayed pan or cups of choice and cover with aluminum foil.
- Allow the sweet rolls to rise in the pan for one hour.
- While the sweet rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 350 ℉.
- If you are using individual baking cups, place the baking cups on a baking sheet.
- Bake the sweet rolls for 15-20 minutes. Check at 15 minutes. The sweet rolls are done when they are lightly golden brown on top. Don't overtake them.
Making the frosting
- When the cinnamon rolls are close to being done, start the frosting.
- Put the softened cream cheese and softened butter in to a mixing bowl and mix on medium until thoroughly combined and fluffy.
- Add the powdered sugar and the heavy whipping cream and mix on medium until light and fluffy. It will take 2-3 minutes.
- While the cinnamon rolls are still hot, spread a very thin layer of frosting on every part of the outer layer of the cinnamon rolls. It will melt, and that's perfect. It softens the outer layer of the lightly browned rolls.
- Once the sweet rolls have cooled for at least 15 minutes, spread the rest of the frosting on the sweet rolls. If you are not serving them warm, wait until they have completely cooled to frost them.
Notes
- You need less than one tablespoon of butter for the filling. Just eyeball it when you're cutting the stick of butter since the hash lines are in one tablespoon increments.
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