Organic Cinnamon Roll Recipe

While Greg Attkinson was creating a morning recipe for Islandwood, an environmental learning center near his house where children would be spending four days and four nights, he decided that organic cinnamon rolls were the way to roll.

ORGANIC ISLANDWOOD CINNAMON ROLLS

DOUGH

1 cup warm water

2 TBS (2 packets) active dry yeast

1/3 cup sugar

5 cups unbleached organic flour

1 1/4 cups organic milk

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted organic butter

2 organic free range eggs

2 TBS kosher salt, or 1 TBS table salt

FILLING

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted organic butter, softened to room temperature

2 cups organic brown sugar

1/4 cup unbleached organic white flour

3 TBS ground cinnamon

TOPPING

2 cups organic powdered milk

2 TBS milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

1.  In a bowl, stir together warm water, yeast, and sugar.  Permit the mixture to stand until the yeast is softened for about 5 minutes.  Next, stir until the yeast is completely dissolved.  Whisk 1 cup of the flour and let theyeast mixture stand.

2. Warm the milk in a saucepan until it is steaming hot, but not boiling.  Turn of the heat and stir in the butter, eggs, and salt.  The mixture needs to be warm to the touch.  Whisk in 1 cup of the flour.  Then stir in the milk mixture into the yeast mixture.

3. Mix in 2 cups of the remaining flour one cup at a time in order to make the dough soft and pliable.  Kneed the last cup of flour into the dough, pressing and folding until it is smooth and springy.  Sprinkle with additional flour if necessary.

4. Rub the inside of a bowl with canola oil and place the kneaded dough in the bowl.  The entire ball of dough should be slightly coated in oil.  Cover the dough with kitchen wrap and place in a warm location until the dough is double in size (about an hour).

5. While the dough is rising, combine the ingredients for the filling.  Next, on a lightly floured surface, roll the risen dough into a large rectangle measuring 12 by 24 inches.  Cut the rectangle in half making two 12-inch squares.  Spread the filling over each square, allowing a 1 inch strip along one side uncovered.  Roll the dough to make a 12 inch long log finishing at the uncovered end.  These logs can be covered and refrigerated overnight or can be placed in the oven immediately.

6. Preheat oven to 350º F and line baking sheets with baker's parchment.  Cut softened dough log into 12 slices and put them onto the baking sheets.  Allow the roles to rise at room temperature for 20 minutes and bake until browned.  The filling should be bubbling in the middle.

7. Finally, in a medium bowl, mix the topping ingredients together and frost the cinnamon rolls while they are hot.  Serve cinnamon rolls warm.  Makes 2 dozen rolls.  

photo credits: http://cutznpatch.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/cinnamon-bun.jpg