Soft & Fluffy Fresh Milled Flour Cinnamon Rolls
These fresh milled flour cinnamon rolls are incredibly soft, fluffy, and topped with a rich cream cheese frosting. They're perfect for holiday mornings, weekend breakfasts, or anytime you're craving a homemade treat.
Servings 12 cinnamon rolls
Equipment
- Grain mill
- Kitchen scale
- Stand mixer
- 9 x 13" baking dish
- Rolling Pin
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup whole milk warmed to 105-110°F
- 2¼ teaspoons instant (fast rise) or active dry yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons salted butter melted and slightly cooled (57 g)
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 410 grams hard white wheat berries
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- oil for greasing the bowl
Filling
- 4 tablespoons salted butter softened (57 g)
- ⅔ cup packed brown sugar light or dark
- 2½ teaspoons ground cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened (112 g)
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons salted butter softened (28 g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mill the FlourMill the hard white wheat berries. Whisk together the freshly milled flour, salt, and cinnamon (1 tsp). Set aside.
- Mix the Wet IngredientsWarm the milk to 105–110°F. Stir in the yeast and let it sit for 5 minutes. (If using active dry yeast, let it sit 5–10 minutes, or until foamy.)Add the sugar, cooled melted butter, and eggs. Whisk until well combined, or use the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, making sure the eggs are fully broken up before adding the flour.
- Mix the DoughSlowly add the flour mixture until a shaggy dough forms.Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 20 minutes. This gives the freshly milled flour time to fully hydrate before kneading.Switch to the dough hook and knead on medium speed for at least 10 minutes. Stop to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. (I use speed 6 on my KitchenAid.)The finished dough should be soft, smooth, and slightly sticky, beginning to pull away from the sides of the bowl. It will be softer than you might expect—that's normal! Resist the urge to add more flour, as the softer dough is what creates light, soft, and fluffy cinnamon rolls.
- First RiseLightly grease a large bowl with oil.Transfer the dough to the bowl, cover, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1–2 hours. Mine takes an hour in my oven with only the light turned on.
- Fill and RollMix together the brown sugar and cinnamon (2 ½ tsp).Roll the dough into a 12×18-inch rectangle.Because the dough is softer than a traditional cinnamon roll dough, spread the softened butter a little at a time. I like to put just a small amount of butter on my butter knife and gently spread it over the dough before adding more. This makes it much easier to cover the dough without stretching it too much or tearing it.Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture over the butter and gently press it into the butter with your hands.Starting with the long edge, roll the dough into a tight log and cut into 12 equal rolls.
- Second RisePlace the rolls into a greased or parchment-lined 9×13-inch baking dish.Cover and let rise until puffy, about 45 minutes, though this can vary depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
- BakeBake at 350°F for 20–22 minutes. If using a glass baking dish, start checking the rolls around 18 minutes, as they may be done closer to 20 minutes. My metal pan took about 22 minutes. Since every oven bakes differently, use these times as a guide and keep an eye on the rolls.
- FrostLet the rolls cool for about 10 minutes.Beat together the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth.Spread over the warm cinnamon rolls and, if you can resist, let them cool another 10 minutes before serving.