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Get the Recipe: Small Batch Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

This small batch cinnamon rolls recipe makes only FOUR cinnamon rolls. They are made with buttermilk and cream cheese frosting.
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Ingredients

For the Dough

  • 1 cup plus 2 Tablespoons (5.15 ounces or 146 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon instant yeast
  • pinch kosher salt
  • cup (2.65 ounces or 75 grams) buttermilk, warmed to between 120°F and 130°F
  • 2 Tablespoons (1 ounce or 28 grams) canola oil OR melted unsalted butter (slightly cooled to between 120°F and 130°F)
  • 1 large egg yolk, at room temperature

For The Cinnamon Filling

  • 1 Tablespoon  (0.5 ounces or 14 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

For The Cream Cheese Frosting

  • ¼ cup (1 ounce or 28 grams) confectioners’ sugar, sifted if necessary
  • 1 Tablespoon (0.5 ounces or 14 grams) cream cheese, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon whole milk

Equipment

  • stand mixer with a dough hook
  • rubber spatula
  • cooking spray
  • plastic wrap
  • 6-inch round cake pan
  • Rolling Pin
  • serrated knife
  • offset spatula

Instructions
 

Make the dough the night before you plan to serve the cinnamon rolls.

  • Mix the dry ingredients for the dough. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Use a tall glass to press down into the center of the dry ingredients to make a “well”.
  • Add the wet ingredients, then knead the dough. Pour the buttermilk, oil or melted butter, and egg yolk into the well and mix with a rubber spatula until it turns into a shaggy dough, about 1 minute.
    Nestle the bowl into the stand mixer and knead on medium-low for 10 minutes, or until smooth and elastic, using the rubber spatula to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary.
  • Proof the dough overnight. Tip the dough out onto a lightly floured counter. Dust your hands with flour and knead the dough once or twice into a rough ball.
    Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl to remove any excess dough. Spray the bowl with cooking spray and place the dough back in the bowl.
    Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight.

The next morning, shape, bake, and glaze the rolls. 

  • Prep the dough and pan. Uncover the dough and discard the plastic wrap. Tip it onto a lightly floured counter. Line a 6-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
  • Make the cinnamon filling. Melt the butter in the microwave (or in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat). In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar and cinnamon.
  • Roll out and fill the dough. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a large rectangle about 6 inches wide and between 12 to 15 inches long. Press a bench scraper against the sides of the dough to create straight edges.
    Pour the melted butter into the center of the dough and use a pastry brush or an offset spatula to spread it evenly to the edges.
    Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the butter.
  • Slice and prep the cinnamon rolls for baking. Starting from one of the short ends, roll the dough into a log.
    Use a serrated knife to cut the log crosswise into 4 rolls, each about 2 inches wide.
    Place the rolls cut-side up and at least 3 inches apart in the prepared cake pan.
  • Proof the cinnamon rolls. Place the rolls cut-side up and at least 3 inches apart in the prepared cake pan.
    Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm spot for 1 to 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
  • Preheat the oven and make the frosting. About 30 minutes into the second rise, position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
    Meanwhile, make the frosting. Use a rubber spatula to mix together the confectioners’ sugar, cream cheese, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
  • Bake the cinnamon rolls. Bake the rolls for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and a skewer inserted into the center of a roll comes out clean.
  • Frost the cinnamon rolls. Immediately use an offset spatula to spread a generous amount of the glaze over the top of each cinnamon roll—the residual heat will help melt and spread the glaze. .
  • Serve and store. Serve warm or at room temperature.
    The cinnamon rolls can be stored at room temperature, under a cake dome or a large bowl turned upside down, for up to 1 day. After that, transfer the cinnamon rolls to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days more.

Notes

  • When working with yeast, it’s important to remember that yeast is a living thing that needs to be treated with care. Pay attention to the temperature of the buttermilk that’s listed in the recipe—this is what activates the yeast. If the buttermilk is too cold, it won’t activate the yeast properly and your dough won’t rise. If the buttermilk is too hot, it will kill the yeast and your dough won’t rise, either. You want the temperature of the buttermilk to be similar to that of a warm bath (it should be comfortable to stick your finger in it!) and no more.
  • imilarly, if using melted butter, make sure that the butter has cooled to between 120°F and 130°F (which, FYI, is also the temperature that the buttermilk needs to be). Using butter that’s too warm will potentially kill the yeast and prevent your dough from rising, so watch out!
  • Because this is a small batch recipe, the mixer has a harder time reaching down the bottom of the bowl and kneading the smaller quantity of dough. Make sure you knead the dough for the full 10 minutes listed in the recipe, and to knead on medium-low. If using a KitchenAid mixer, that means kneading on speeds 2 and 4. I also like to start out on 4 to bring the dough together, then knead the rest of the time on 2. I find that the slower speed really incorporates the dough more fully. Any faster means that your dough hook misses a lot of the dough at the bottom of the bowl!
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