No-Knead Cinnabons: Cinnamon Rolls without kneading

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Another recipe for lazy people, from the series of no-knead dough recipes. Yes, it will take a lot of time to prepare, albeit not active. But the result will definitely be a worthy reward for your efforts.

Perfect, melt-in-your-mouth, twisted cinnamon rolls. Covered with a delicate, sweet and salty glaze made from a mixture of cream cheese and butter with citrus notes.

The specified amount of ingredients will make 8-12 rolls. This may seem like a lot, but only until the first bite.

Rumor has it that the concept that formed the basis of the theory of relativity came to Einstein precisely at the moment when he cooked cinnamon rolls using this recipe. And although it’s complete BS, it shouldn’t stop you from making them.

As with most other no-knead dough recipes, it makes sense only if you don’t have a stand mixer or other kitchen device capable of kneading dough. And if for some reason you don’t want to do it by hand.

At the same time, no one prohibits taking the same set of ingredients and kneading the dough by hand or in some other way. Then the total preparation time will be slightly reduced, and you will gain a slightly better texture.

⏱ Cooking time — ~5 hours overall. Includes 45 minutes of preparation and cooking + 4 hours and 15 minutes unattended.

🥣 Ingredients

🍽 For 8-12 servings:

Sourdough starter:

• 130 g sour cream (15-20% fat content)
• 120 ml milk (2.5-3.5% fat content)
• 100 g all purpose wheat flour
• 20 g white sugar
• 5 g (1 tsp.) yeast

Dough:

• 300 g flour
• 80 g sugar
• 1 egg
• 85 g unsalted butter
• 1 tsp. salt

Filling:

• 100 g unsalted butter
• 150 g white sugar (for a more interesting taste, use brown sugar)
• 15 g (1 tbsp.) ground cinnamon

Glaze:

• 175 g cream cheese (Philadelphia or equivalent)
• 55 g unsalted butter
• ¼-½ lemon (juice + zest, to taste)
• 100 g powdered sugar
• pinch of salt

Ingredients, substitutes and alternatives

Sour cream – 15-20% fat content, can be replaced with the same amount of milk, but the texture will be slightly different. Adding sour cream to the dough makes it more tender, moist, and soft.

Milk – 2.5-3% normal fat content, warm. The temperature should be around 36-37 degrees Celsius and not more than 40, otherwise, there is a risk of killing the yeast.

Flour – I always mean all-purpose wheat flour of the highest grade, unless otherwise specified. You can sift the flour beforehand, but it is not necessary.

Sugar – regular white granulated sugar, brown sugar can be used to obtain a light caramel aroma, but it is not a guarantee that you will notice the difference.

Butter – 82% fat content, softened, room temperature. The butter should be soft but not liquid. Do not melt it to a liquid state. It is desirable to take it out of the refrigerator a couple of hours before cooking (at least an hour). You can soften it in the microwave, in 5-second bursts and then stirring.

Yeast – I use Saf Instant, rapid-rise dry yeast.

Egg – large size, room temperature.

Cinnamon – cinnamon can be true from Sri Lanka and Chinese. As you might guess, the cinnamon that is sold in most supermarkets is Chinese. Their aroma is not critical, but it does differ. It is also believed that Chinese cinnamon is harmful to health, while Sri Lankan cinnamon is almost medicinal. It’s up to you to decide which one to use. Ideally, use Sri Lankan, but you can’t buy it at the store around the corner, you have to order it online or look for it in specialty stores.

Cream cheese – I use Philadelphia, you can replace it with any other neutral cream cheese. Of course, without additions in the form of herbs and other things.

 🔪Directions

Prepare the sourdough starter

Pour 120 ml of normal-fat milk into a small saucepan and place it over medium heat. Heat for 10-15 seconds, try it with your finger, it should be warm but not hot. Remove from heat.

Add 20 g of sugar and stir until dissolved.

In a large bowl, measure 100 g of flour, add 5 g (1 tsp.) of yeast, and whisk together. (I use instant yeast, if you use regular dry yeast, you need to activate it first. Read the instructions on the package.)

Pour in the warm milk, add 130 g of sour cream (15-20% fat content), and stir. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and place in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Knead the dough

After half an hour, take the bowl with the sourdough starter and add 1 tsp. of salt and 80 g of sugar, beat in 1 egg, and mix.

Add 85 g of softened butter and mix.

Add 300 g of flour, adding it in thirds and thoroughly mixing each time. Bring to a homogeneous consistency so that there are no dry flour particles left in the bowl. Cover and place in a warm place for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle a work surface with flour, place the dough on it and shape it into a ball. If the dough sticks to your hands or work surface, add a little flour, but only a little.

Return the dough ball back to the bowl, cover and place in a warm place for 1.5-2 hours.

In the meantime, prepare the filling

In a small deep dish, mix 100 g of softened butter with 15 g (1 tbsp.) of ground cinnamon and 150 g of sugar, mix until homogeneous and set aside.

Roll out the dough

After 2 hours, transfer the dough to a floured work surface and roll it out into a rectangle with sides of approximately 40 by 30 cm.

If desired, you can level the edges by trimming off any excess dough.

Spread the mixture of butter, sugar, and cinnamon evenly over the surface of the dough.

Carefully roll the dough into a log, making sure not to make it too tight.

Using dental floss, cut off the ends of the log. You can also use a knife, but dental floss will result in a neater cut.

Divide the log into 8-12 equal parts. For greater precision, you can measure the width of one piece and mark the log with a knife.

Place the pieces on a parchment-lined baking sheet, tucking the tail end underneath.

Repeat with the remaining pieces.

Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rise for 40 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) with both top and bottom heat on. Bake for 30 minutes.

Prepare the glaze

While the cinnamon rolls are baking, prepare the frosting.

Mix 175 g of cream cheese (Philadelphia or similar) with 55 g of softened butter, 100 g of powdered sugar, and the zest and juice of ¼ to ½ a lemon.

Stir until smooth, taste, and add more lemon juice if desired.

If the cinnamon rolls in the oven are browning too quickly and heavily, remove the baking sheet from the oven halfway through baking, cover the cinnamon rolls with foil, and return them to the oven. This will prevent them from burning and drying out.

Remove from the oven and immediately brush the cinnamon rolls with half of the glaze.

Apply the remaining glaze when the cinnamon rolls have cooled down or just before serving.

How to store finished cinnamon rolls?

First of all, let the cinnamon rolls cool completely at room temperature.

To prevent the cinnamon rolls from drying out, you can either tightly wrap them in plastic wrap/foil or place them in an airtight container.

Since the cinnamon rolls are topped with frosting, the first option may not be the best. Instead, you can place them in a dish with high walls (higher than the cinnamon rolls) and cover the dish with plastic wrap, ensuring that the wrap does not touch the rolls and protects them from drying out.

Store the cinnamon rolls in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

How to reheat cinnamon rolls?

Cinnamon rolls are usually eaten at room temperature or slightly warm.

If they have been stored in the refrigerator, take them out for 30-40 minutes and let them come to room temperature.

You can also reheat cinnamon rolls in the microwave for 10-15 seconds or in the oven at 150°C (300°F) for 5-10 minutes.

Can cinnamon rolls be frozen and how?

Yes, you can freeze cinnamon rolls. To do so, pack them in an airtight container, zip-lock bag or simply wrap them tightly with plastic wrap and place them in the freezer.

Store for up to 3 months.

To reheat, remove the cinnamon rolls from the freezer and let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight. Then, follow the reheating instructions mentioned above.