Big & Soft Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls - Yeast Enhanced
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My name is Vickie and I am a Cinnamon Roll Snob. I like them soft. I like them delicious. I like them without an aftertaste. I my gluten-free cinnamon roll to be like the real deal. To the point where my kids don't know the difference between the gluten free and the standard ones I used to sell.
Until I come across something better - for now - this is my taste of GF cinnamon roll heaven!! The sourdough does something a little extra magical but adjustments are possible to make these rolls without it.
Big & Soft Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls – Yeast Enhanced (6 rolls)
Vickie Steenhoek – with Credit to Patrick Auger and Kelly Bejelly
Activate your starter the day before (or 2-3 days if cold) you plan to make and bake your dough.
Whisk and let rest for 10-20 minutes – it will thicken as to pudding:
10 grams Psyllium Husk or 17 grams whole husk
225 grams (1 cup milk) milk or alternative, warmed
50 grams (1) whole egg
6 grams (1 tsp) Vanilla Extract
Mix in mixer bowl while above rests:
275 grams (1 cup) gluten-free starter*(See note)
300 grams (2-1/4 cup) freshly SIFTED Better Batter Original All Purpose Flour Blend**(See note)
50 grams (1/4 cup) sugar
6 grams (1 tsp) salt
7 grams (2 tsp) instant yeast (Optional – helpful is starter is slugish, is a must if flash-freezing shaped dough)
50 grams (1/4 cup) GF instant vanilla pudding
*note: No sourdough? Then add additional 140g water, 140g flour, 3 g yeast)
**note: I have also successfully used Cup4Cup. You should be able to use Bobs Red Mill 1 to 1 Baking Flour or King Arthur Measure for Measure based on what I’ve read.
Add thickened liquid mixture. Mix well.
Add:
4 tablespoons softened butter
Beat for 2 minutes. The dough texture will resemble a sticky cookie dough.
Put bowl in fridge to chill for about 20-30 minutes (or longer is fine).
Chilled dough is easier to work with and time allows any gritty flour ingredients to soften.
While that chills, use your time to prepare the filling, frosting, and countertop for rolling out the dough. Preheat oven to PROOF setting. (Or else set to 100 and then turn off.)
Filling:
3-4 tablespoons butter, softened – set aside (will use to smear across flattened dough)
Mix:
135 grams (2/3 cup) brown sugar
5 grams (1.5 tsp) ground cinnamon
30 grams of flour blend
Dash of ground xanthan gum (optional – helps the filling goo)
Frosting:
¼ cup butter, softened
2 oz. cream cheese, softened
6 grams (1 tsp) Vanilla Extract
13 grams (1/2 Tbsp) corn syrup
1 gram (¼ tsp) lemon juice (optional – cuts the sweet)
150 grams (1-1/4 cup) powdered sugar
Prepare countertop with a sheet of parchment paper (do not use wax paper). On the backside, measure out 12x12 square in a sharpie marker as your guide for dough size. Flip over and grease thickly with Crisco or olive oil inside that area.
Assemble:
1. Finger/palm press with greased hands the slightly chilled dough to the marker shape on the parchment paper. Dough should be about the same thickness over entire rectangle.
2. Smear softened butter over the dough.
3. Sprinkle and spread out the brown sugar mixture. Then palm press the sugar into the dough. Tip: Using clean, dry hands will prevent the sugar from sticking.
4. DO NOT ROLL dough to create a log. We are doing this a little different.
5. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 2-inch strips. Each strip will be 12 inches long by 2 inches wide. You’ll mark off every two inches across the width of the square.
6. Individually roll each strip. Seal the end of the rolled strip by using a fork to press the dough together, and wet fingers to smooth it together.
7. Placed in greased 9x13 pan. (8x11.5 pan is preferred but not commonly stocked.) If flash freezing - see note below)
8. When all 6 rolls are in pan, very lightly palm press each roll down 1/8 inch to help seal the dough.
9. Cover with greased saran wrap and let rise in prepared oven or another warm location.
10. When rolls are swollen (GF dough doesn’t double), they are ready for the oven. (1.5 hours with yeast, 3 hours with sourdough starter only.) If dough starts cracking, get them in the oven right away.
To Bake
Oven preheated to 400 but turn down to bake at 350 once rolls are in the oven.
Bake 30-35 minutes, or until tops are lightly brown and food thermometer reads at least 190.
Immediately frost with a thin layer of frosting.
Let cool 10 minutes and then add the remaining frosting.
Then serve and enjoy the BEST tasting and texture gluten-free cinnamon rolls! No one will know it’s GF!
Can individually freeze rolls in saran wrap. Thaw in microwave at full power for 1 minute, turning halfway, prior to eating.
To freeze raw dough rolls:
Individual rolls can be flash frozen (set on a parchment covered tray in the freezer for about 4-6 hours – until just firm. Set a timer to remind yourself. If you forget overnight and wait too long they will dry out a bit.) Then package in a sealed plastic bag (try to get out most of the air) to keep in freezer to bake later.
To bake later, thaw in greased pan, no longer than 8 hours or the dough will overproof and crack. For best results for morning rolls – if you have time to bake later in the morning – is to thaw overnight in the pan in the fridge, then take out to rise in a warm place for 1.5-2 hours. Avoid thawed rolls going from fridge to oven – the sudden heat will burst the dough.