Recipe(tried): Gandma M's Sugar-Crusted Cinnamon Rolls

Gandma M's Sugar-Crusted Cinnamon Rolls

This recipe is not Grandma M's. While Grandma did teach me to
make yeast breads, somehow I never got her recipe. About ten years
after her death, I started messing around with roll recipes trying to recreate
her sugar-crust cinnamon rolls. While this is not exactly the same as hers,
I think she would approve.

Bread Dough

3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup margarine/butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
2 packages dry active yeast
1/2 cup warm water (110-115 degrees)
1/2 teaspoon sugar
5 1/4 to 5 3/4 cups flour (use the least possible)

Cinnamon-Sugar Filling

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted margarine/butter
1 tablespoon cinnamon

Sugar Topping

4 tablespoons melted margarine/butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Scald milk; add margarine, sugar and salt. Cool to lukewarm. Sprinkle
yeast on warm water. (I usually add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to the water.
This feeds the yeast and encourages the rising action.) Stir to dissolve
the yeast and allow to start working. The yeast water should be
allowed to start foaming.

Pour milk mixture into mixing bowl; add 1 1/2 cup flour and beat by
machine at low speed for one minute or until smooth. (If you are using
a Kitchen Aid mixer, use the regular beater.) Beat in eggs and yeast;
beat until smooth. Allow batter to rest for about 5 minutes.

Kitchen Aid Mixer Directions
Add remaining flour gradually to make a soft dough that leaves the side
of the bowl. It will be necessary to change to a dough hook when a
little more than half of the total flour has been added. Knead by
machine for 8 to 10 minutes. Dough will be smooth and elastic and
not very longer sticky.

Hand Mixing Directions
Beat in as much of the remaining flour as possible; turn onto a floured
board and knead in the remaining flour. Knead by hand. Knead by
rolling the dough away from you, folding it towards you, rolling the
dough with the flat of your hand and finally making a one quarter turn
of the dough. Repeat until dough is smooth, elastic and not sticky.
Oiling your hands lightly will help.

This will take about 12 to 15 minutes. The more you knead; the less
sticky and the better the dough will be; look for little blisters in the
surface of the dough.

Turn the dough into a well oiled bowl; invert to grease top. Cover and
allow to rise in a warm place. When doubled in size, pour on to lightly
oiled surface. Allow to rest 5 minutes.

Mix Cinnamon-Sugar filling ingredients together; set aside.

Divide dough in half. Roll each half into a 16" X 8" rectangle. Spread with
half the Cinnamon-Sugar Filling, roll up jelly-roll fashion, seal if possible.
Cut into 16 one inch slices. (Cut by placing a thread under roll, crossing
the thread on top, and pulling the ends in opposite directions.) Place
slices in a well greased large pan. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover,
and allow to rise until double. Brush with melted butter, add left over
butter to sugar topping and sprinkle over rolls. Bake at 375 degrees for
20-25 minutes. Makes 32 rolls. ( Actually, I bake these in a 10x16 inch stainless steel steam table pan.)