Recipe: Harry's Roadhouse Cinnamon Rolls (make ahead)

HARRY'S ROADHOUSE CINNAMON ROLLS

"This is the recipe that makes me feel like a magician. It is not that difficult, but it takes planning: you need to make the dough a day ahead. But when these beauties come out of the oven, all worth it. We serve cinnamon rolls on Saturday and Sunday mornings only. It's one of the rituals I love about the restaurant. Because they take a while to rise, the rolls usually don't come out of the oven until close to 8:00 a.m. The counter at Harry's is usually packed by this time, and all the customers "ooh" and "aah." That makes it worth getting out of bed at 5:30 a.m. on a weekend morning!

This recipe makes 6 large cinnamon rolls and can easily be doubled."

FOR THE DOUGH:
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water
1/2 tablespoon sugar
3 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup butter
3 egg yolks
1 1/4 cups milk

FOR THE FILLING:
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 cups brown sugar
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans

In a large bowl, mix yeast in water. The water should be lukewarm (about 100 degrees F), not hot, or it could kill the yeast. Mix in 1/2 tablespoon sugar and set bowl in a warm place. If your yeast is good, the mixture will foam up in a few minutes. If not, get some fresh yeast and start over.

TO MAKE THE DOUGH:
Put flour, salt, and 1/2 cup sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Turn on low until ingredients are just combined. Cut butter into little pieces and add to dry ingredients. Turn the mixer motor on low and let butter incorporate until the mixture is crumbly. Add egg yolks, then the risen yeast mixture, and finally the milk. These additions should happen quickly so the dough does not become too wet for the milk to be incorporated well. Put dough in a large plastic container with room to grow, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.

WHEN READY TO ASSEMBLE ROLLS:
On a floured surface, roll dough into a rectangle about 20- by 30-inches (if dough is too sticky knead a little additional flour into it before rolling). Brush with a thin layer of melted butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, and chopped pecans. Roll up the dough starting on the short side to create a log. With your hands, shape the log into an evenly thick roll and cut into 6 equal pieces. Grease the muffin tin cups and place each slice into a cup. Put in a warm place to rise. This usually takes about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how warm the spot is. The dough will be soft and a little spongy when ready to bake.

Cover the rolls with foil and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees F. Then uncover and bake for 15 minutes more, until the rolls are golden brown au over. Flip the tin upside down and the cinnamon rolls will come right out. Let sit for a couple of minutes and then invert the rolls and serve warm with butter. Ahhhh!

Makes 6 large cinnamon rolls
Source: Harry's Roadhouse Cookbook by Harry Shapiro and Peyton Young