exactly what you need … Small Batch Cinnamon Rolls

I am baking like crazy these days, fortunate that I’m well stocked with flour, sugar and yeast. I’ve been filling my days with complicated baking projects, enjoying the feel of a rising dough between my fingers, delighting in a beautiful sourdough loaf as it emerges from the oven, making small persnickety little turnovers and pasta things that take time and concentration. It’s keeping me busy, my mind active, provides a great sense of accomplishment and delivers a steady stream of delicious, comforting things. The only problem is … it’s just so much. I’ve given some away but that gets tricky in these days of social distancing and my freezer is beyond capacity. So I’ve turned to another method – small batch baking.

I made the cutest little sourdough boule the other day. It lasted two days and was perfect. Admittedly, it was an awful lot of time and energy for 6 slices of bread but I seem to have an abundance of those two things right now so practicality doesn’t really need to come into play. This week I wanted cinnamon rolls but that’s something you make for a crowd, one to definitely share. I can’t recall ever making less than 18 cinnamon rolls at a given time but since all rules and norms are essentially out the window anyway, I downsized. I made four. Which was probably two too many but I’ll deal with that later. Small batch cinnamon rolls are where it’s at.

It’s really just a downsized version of a standard cinnamon roll recipe I frequently make, scaled to make four nice sized rolls. Or two jumbo I suppose. Whatever you like. I used my last tablespoon of cream cheese for the icing but if you didn’t have that, just butter, powdered sugar and vanilla would work too. I used my stand mixer for the dough but it would be easy enough to do by hand; just keep kneading and kneading until the dough is soft and silky. There’s something very therapeutic to working a dough with your hands. Give it a try.

STRESS THERAPY BAKING FACTOR: JUST RIGHT. This gives you the satisfaction of baking something that needs to be kneaded and risen and takes time, without a lot of excess. It’s still four rolls but that seems much more manageable these days than eighteen. Just enough to satisfy a craving but not enough to feel terrible about stuffing them into the freezer (where you’ll know they’ll go to die) or dumping them in the trash. Just enough to give you what you need.

eleven years ago: : Khachpuri (cheesy Georgian bread)
ten years ago: Kolacky (delicious Polish butter cookies)  
nine years ago: Sticky Bun Bread
eight years ago: Easter Roll Call
seven years ago: Escargot Roasted Mushrooms
six years ago: Guinness Crème Anglaise
five years ago: Flourless Chocolate Cookies
four years ago: Coconut Pound Cake
three years ago: Greek Yogurt Cheesecake with Fig-Date Compote
two years ago: Easter Recipe Round Up (and some polka favorites)
last year: Vietnamese Style Chicken Salad

SMALL BATCH CINNAMON ROLLS WITH CREAM CHEESE ICING
Makes 4 rolls

For the dough:
½ teaspoon active dry yeast
1 Tablespoon warm water (105º – 115º F)
6 Tablespoons whole milk (or buttermilk)
1 cup + 2 Tablespoons unbleached all-purpose flour
2 ¼ teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Soft unsalted butter to grease the pan

For the filling:
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 Tablespoon sugar
2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

For the icing:
1 Tablespoon cream cheese, room temperature
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup powdered sugar
Splash of vanilla extract
Pinch of kosher salt

1. For the dough: in the bowl of a standing mixer, sprinkle yeast over water, stirring until dissolved.  Let sit 5 minutes until foamy.
2. In a medium saucepan – or in the microwave – heat the milk until just warm to the touch (105º – 115º F).
3. To the yeast mixture, add the flour, sugar, baking soda, oil, salt and warm milk.
4. Mix with the paddle; slowly at first then on medium until ball forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Continue mixing until a smooth dough is formed. Alternatively, mix with a wooden spoon and then once the dough comes together, turn out onto the lightly floured counter and knead by hand.
5. Turn out to a lightly floured counter and knead by hand for 1-2 minutes until the dough is soft and silky.
6. First rise: Spray the work bowl with cooking spray, place the dough in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel; let rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 30-60 minutes.
7. For the filling: In a small bowl, combine the butter, both sugars, cinnamon and salt into a smooth paste. Set aside until needed.
8. To shape: grease a small baking pan, 4 cups of a muffin tin, 4 ramekins or oven safe custard cups. If you have one of those jumbo Texas muffin pans, now is the time to find it.
9. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and gently roll into an 8” x 12” rectangle.
10. Leaving a clean ½” border on one long edge, smear the surface of the dough with the cinnamon filling, spreading into an even layer.
11. Starting on the long edge that is not the clean border, roll up the rectangle and lightly pinch the edge to seal.
12. Cut the log into four even pieces and place cut side up into prepared pan/dishes.
13. Second rise: Cover with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and let rise until doubled in a nice warm place, about 1 hour
14. While rolls are rising, preheat oven to 350º F for at least 15 minutes.
15. Bake: Bake for 15-20 minutes until just lightly browned. Don’t overbake.
16. Cool on a wire rack.
17. For the icing: in a small bowl, combine the icing ingredients with a rubber spatula until smooth.
18. Turn the rolls out onto a serving platter, or leave them in the pan if you prefer, spread with icing and serve. If the rolls are warm, the glaze will melt and create a light glaze.  If you want a thicker coating of icing, let the rolls cool completely before applying.