When former Cook School Director Terry served this cinnamon roll recipe to our office, it took all of ten seconds to disappear from the table. Team members talked about these cinnamon rolls for weeks, until he made them again. Now the recipe is preserved here for posterity. Developed for the Ankarsrum Assistent Original stand mixer, it's a great recipe to make to acquaint yourself with the machine, for it uses both the stainless steel bowl (with the dough roller) and plastic bowl (with the cookie whisks). It's not the traditional Swedish kanelbullar, but soft, brioche-like dough that's spread with a cinnamon filling, rolled, cut, and baked snugly in a pan with tall sides, like a pie dish, sauté pan, or roasting tin. Instead of asking for icing sugar, his recipe uses caster sugar for the hot glaze, which lends an irresistible finish.   

Terry's Cinnamon Rolls (in the Ankarsrum Mixer)

Serves: 10 - 12 rolls


Ingredients

For the Dough:
  • 200g whole milk
  • 12g dried yeast
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 200g unsalted butter, softened
  • 50g caster sugar
  • 10g salt
  • 600g strong white bread flour

For the Filling:
  • 150g unsalted butter, softened
  • 250g soft light brown sugar
  • 2-3 tsp ground cinnamon

For the Egg Wash:
  • 1 egg
  • 50ml whole milk

For the Sugar Glaze:
  • 75g caster sugar
  • 100g boiled water

Method

  1. Set the Ankarsrum machine up with the stainless steel bowl, dough roller and dough knife. Do not lock the roller into place just yet; let it stay towards the side of the bowl

  2. Place the milk and yeast into the bowl and turn on low speed for up to 5 mins. Allow the yeast and milk to combine. Gently move the roller towards the centre of the bowl and back to the side; this will help rehydrate the yeast. Once all the yeast has been mixed and is dissolved, add the beaten eggs, softened butter, sugar, and salt. Continue mixing these ingredients on the same low speed, moving the roller if needed to ensure the ingredients are combined. The butter will remain lumpy at this stage, do not fret.

  3. Reposition the roller approximately 2cm away from the edge of the bowl and lock it in place using the screw. With the mixer still on low speed, gradually add the flour in thirds. (You may not need all the flour, as the Ankarsrum's mixing process is gentler, and this can mean the flour rehydration is quicker and higher.) Add the second third of the flour. The action of the rotating bowl, along with the dough roller and knife, will begin to create a dough. As the ingredients combine, a doughnut shape should form in the bowl. The texture of the dough should be soft but not overly sticky, and should begin to come away from the sides of the bowl with ease. If you reach this stage before using all the flour, then don't add the final third. If not, go ahead and add the rest.

  4. Once the mixture looks as described above—soft but not overly sticky, easily releasing from the sides of the bowl—turn the machine to a medium speed and set the timer for 12 minutes. In the meantime, measure ingredients for the filling and get the plastic beater bowl and cookie whisks ready. 

  5. Once the dough has finished mixing, remove the roller and dough knife and release the stainless steel bowl. Using the dough spatula, take the dough out of the bowl (including any that's stuck to the roller and knife) and onto a clean, lightly floured work surface. Wash and dry the bowl; then using floured hands, shape the dough into a rough ball and place it back into the clean bowl for proofing. Cover the bowl with the proofing lid and place it somewhere warm, until doubled in size. This could be anywhere from 45 to 75 minutes, depending on how warm the room is.

  6. Fit the Ankarsrum with the plastic beater bowl and cookie whisks. Mix the softened butter, light brown sugar and cinnamon together on a low to medium setting. Ensure they are mixed well; it will resemble a thick paste that is spreadable. Set aside until ready to use. Now's also a good time to prepare your baking pan: Line a 30x20cm roasting pan, 30cm-wide sauté pan, or a pie dish—using more than one dish if needed—with baking paper, leaving an overhang on the sides for pulling rolls out of the pan later. If you'd like you can grease the baking paper lightly with butter or oil to prevent sticking.

  7. Once the dough has risen, pre-heat the oven to 190°C. Remove the proofed dough from the bowl and place on a well-floured surface. Using a lightly floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into a rectangular shape, approximately 1 cm thick. Add flour as needed to keep the dough from sticking. 

  8. Using an angled pastry spatula or something similar, spread the filling evenly across the dough, ensuring you cover up to the edges. Now take the longer edge, starting from the bottom, and begin to roll the dough towards the top, creating a rolled cylinder or a long, Swiss roll shape. Use a knife or dough scraper, cut 10-12 equal rounds from the rolled dough. Place these cut side up onto your prepared tray or pan. Allow for a small amount of space between them, as they will increase in size during the 2nd proofing and the final baking process. Lightly cover with an oiled piece of cling film and place somewhere warm for its second proof, for up to 30 minutes. They will not double in size, but increase slightly in volume. Meanwhile, prepare the egg glaze by whisking one egg until beaten, then adding 50ml whole milk and whisking until incorporated. Set aside.

  9. After the second rise, remove the cling film and brush all the rolls thoroughly with the egg glaze. Place into the oven and bake for 35-40 mins. The rolls will be golden brown, and the filling may caramelise in places. Check the bottoms of the rolls: a golden brown hue means they are fully baked through.

  10. Make the hot sugar glaze by whisking 75g caster sugar with 100ml of just-boiled water. Brush the top of the cinnamon rolls with the glaze, and wait for them to cool slightly before eating. (If you can't wait, that's fine too!) 

BK Tips

  • If you'd like, you can change from the dough roller to the dough hook at any point after you have added all your flour and are into the main bulk of the mixing time (12 mins). It stretches the dough a little better, helping with the gluten development, and is especially good for larger batches of dough, especially more hydrated (wetter/stickier) doughs like this one. It will generally mean a slightly more chewy end product. The Ankarsrum hook is not aggressive compared to other brands, so you don't have to worry too much about over-kneading

  • To be certain your butter has softened, press it and make sure it leaves an indent

Recommended Products