Cinnamon Rolls With Maple Crème Fraîche Glaze
Kelly Leonardini
These Gooey Cinnamon Rolls With Maple Crème Fraîche Glaze are cozy, comforting, and melt-in-your-mouth.
Prep Time 2 hours hrs
Cook Time 15 minutes mins
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 16 cinnamon rolls
12" cast iron skillet or other baking dish
parchment paper
mixing bowl
stand mixer with dough hook (optional)
very sharp non-serrated knife or unflavored dental floss
For the dough
- 1 package active dry yeast (NOT instant) 2 ¼ tsp*
- 1 cup warm milk 110° to 115°
- ½ cup sugar (for dough) + 1 tsp to activate yeast
- 2 eggs room temperature
- ⅓ cup butter melted
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- zest of one orange or two lemons
For the filling
- 3 tbsp ground cinnamon
- ¾ cup packed brown sugar
- ½ cup butter one stick
For the maple creme fraiche glaze
- 2-3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 cup crème fraîche
Activate the yeast
Gently heat the milk (30 seconds in the microwave should do).
Sprinkle 1 tsp of sugar (this helps activate the yeast) and the contents of the yeast packet over the warm milk. Give it a stir and then wait around 15 minutes for the yeast to bubble up. If the yeast does not bubble up, then it is not active and can’t be used.
Mix the dough
Mix together the remaining ½ cup sugar, melted butter, and eggs. Then add 2 cups of the flour, and then the salt and yeast mixture on opposite sides of the bowl (tip from Paul Hollywood to make sure the salt doesn’t deactivate the yeast) and mix until smooth.
Add the remaining two cups of flour and mix together.
First rise
Place the ball of dough into a bowl greased with a little olive oil, turning the dough once to grease the top so it doesn’t dry out.
Cover with saran wrap or a kitchen towel, and let the dough rise for an hour or until doubled in size (Eggs, sugar, and milk slow down yeast).
Filling
While the dough is rising, mix together the softened butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar and set aside.
Shape the dough
After the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and then divide it in two. Roll out each piece of dough separately into approximately an 11×8 inch rectangle. Add half of the filling to each rectangle of dough. Spread the filling over the dough, leaving ½ inch around the perimeter. Roll the dough up and then slice each roll into 8 equal pieces using a serrated knife (see video for technique).
Place 8 cinnamon rolls into either a 12 inch pie dish or cast iron skillet or a 9×9 square pan lined with parchment paper.
Optional – Freeze half the cinnamon rolls
If desired, freeze half or the cinnamon rolls for later by placing them in the freezer on a baking tray lined with parchment paper for 30 minutes so they will hold their shape and not stick together. Then, place the rolls in a freezer ziplock bag or airtight container. Defrost the rolls overnight before baking.
Crème Fraîche Glaze
While the rolls are baking, mix together the crème fraîche, maple syrup.
Pour the crème fraîche glaze over warm cinnamon rolls.
Conserve any remaining rolls in the refrigerator to keep the crème fraîche from spoiling. Reheat in the microwave if desired before eating.
Keyword brown sugar, cinnamon, cinnamon rolls