We’re calling these weekend cinnamon rolls as a formality. But seeing that we’re all in the same crazy boat, we know that every day is a weekend! Ha!

JK. There are no weekends, just days. They don’t have names any more, and we’re just fine with that. To celebrate, bake up a pan of these on… day. Either this day or that day or the other day. 

This recipe comes from America Test Kitchen’s Bread Illustrated Cookbook. It’s a fantastic bread book, whether you’re a seasoned baker or just starting out. Our mom has been baking bread for decades and this book has become her go-to. So much so that she’s bought it for a few of her kids and now we excitedly bake recipes and share pics of our results.

I really like the book because they go into detail about the different tests they did when building the recipes and the science behind the choice that they made. Additionally, each recipe also comes with a number of pictures illustrating important steps. Both are great resources for someone wanting to improve their bread baking and have a better understanding of what went right or wrong with a particular bake.

Cinnamon Rolls

I (obviously) am not sharing all of their secrets here or the details about how they settled on this recipe. I’ll just say that these were pretty stinking easy to make and the results are just what you’ll want to ride out this sh#tstorm of a moment.

Dough

• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup cornstarch
• 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup whole milk at room temperature
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• 1/2 granulated sugar
• 12 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

• Whisk the flour, cornstarch, yeast, and salt together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Whisk the eggs, milk, and sugar together until the sugar dissolves.
• Using the dough hook on low speed, slowly add the milk mixture to the flower mixture. Mix four about 2 minutes, until the dough is cohesive and no dry flour remains.
• Increase the mixer’s speed to medium-low and add the butter 1 Tbsp at a time until it is fully incorporated. Continue mixing for a few more minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic and clears the side of the bowl.
• Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball. Place the dough seam side down in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in size. It should be approximately 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Filling

• 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
• 1 1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 Tbsp softened butter

• Combine the sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.
• Press down the bowl to deflate and then transfer it to a floured surface. Press and roll the dough into an 18 inch square. Spread butter over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture and press lightly to adhere.
• Roll the dough away from you into a firm cylinder, keeping the roll taut by tucking it under itself as you go. Pinch the seams closed and reshape the roll as needed to keep it at 18 inches. Using a serrated knife, cut the cylinder into 8 equal pieces.
• Arrange the slices in a pan covered with a piece of buttered foil and cover loosely with greased plastic. At this point you can either move on to the second rise and baking or you can refrigerate the rolls for up to 24 hours. If baking now: let the rolls rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour. If refrigerating: take the rolls out of the fridge and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour before baking.
• Preheat the oven to 350 and place the oven rack in the middle position. Bake until the buns are golden brown and the filling is melted, about 35-40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.

Glaze

• 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar *I use only 1 cup, but the original recipe calls for 1 1/2 cups.
• 4 ounces softened cream cheese
• 1 Tbsp whole milk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• Whisk all of the ingredients until smooth. You can directly top the buns with glaze or use it for dipping.

Finger-licking good.