Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 12 cinnamon rolls
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 12 servings
- Calories
- 459
- Total Fat
- 17
- Saturated Fat
- 8
- Carbohydrates
- 74
- Dietary Fiber
- 4
- Sugar
- 38
- Protein
- 6
- Cholesterol
- 31
- Sodium
- 321
- Total: 3 hr 15 min (includes rising times)
- Active: 1 hr
Ingredients
Dough:
1 1/2 cups warm water (about 110 degrees F)
1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more for the bowl
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon instant yeast
2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (see Cook's Note)
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (see Cook's Note), plus more as needed and for dusting
Filling:
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for the baking dish
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Topping:
1 cup honey
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Directions
Special equipment:
a stand mixer and dough-hook attachment- For the dough: Add the warm water, vegetable oil, granulated sugar and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment. Mix a few rotations to combine, then add the yeast and start adding both flours, 1 cup at a time. Mix on low speed until a loose dough ball forms. Add a little more all-purpose flour if the dough is not coming together. Knead with the dough hook on medium speed until the dough is soft but not sticky, 5 to 6 minutes.
- Grease a large bowl with vegetable oil. Remove the dough from the mixer bowl, shape into a neat ball and place in the greased bowl. Cover with a lid or clean dish towel. Let rise until doubled in size, 30 minutes to 1 hour, depending on temperature outside and in your kitchen.
- For the filling: Meanwhile, grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter. Mix both sugars and the cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. Transfer the risen dough to a lightly floured work surface. Roll out with a rolling pin into a 24-inch square about 1/8 inch thick. Spread the 1 stick butter over the surface of the dough, without leaving a border. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the butter to cover completely. Press the sugar mixture in a little with your hands to make sure it sticks to the dough. Tightly roll the dough into a log like a jellyroll. Cut it into 12 pieces, each about 2 inches wide (see Cook's Note). Add the rolls to the greased baking dish in a single layer. Cover with a clean dish towel and let rise until the rolls are puffed and rounded, about 30 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Bake until the rolls are a deep golden brown and the sugar mixture is bubbling all over, 30 to 35 minutes. Let the rolls cool for 5 to 10 minutes.
- For the topping: While the rolls are cooling, melt together the honey and butter in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Pour the honey mixture evenly over the rolls. Serve warm with a spoonful of "sauce" from the baking dish.
Cook’s Note
When measuring flour, we spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off excess. (Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.) To neatly slice the rolls, slip a piece of dental floss crosswise under the dough log, cross the ends over the log and then pull each end until the floss cuts through the dough. This is a great trick if you don’t have the sharpest knife; otherwise you can squish out your filling.