These rolls are a Christmas and Easter morning tradition. We also LOVE making them as gifts for neighbors and teachers for Christmas (instead of cookies). This is a cleaned up version of The Pioneer Woman. To view her recipe, click HERE. YOU CAN MAKE THESE AS CLEAN-or as naughty-AS YOU WANT. Easy to adapt to your needs.
LIGHTLY GREASE 2 8x8 or 1 9x13 pan of your choice.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 cups Raw Milk, Goat Milk or Milk Alternative
- 1/2 cup Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup Organic Sugar or Coconut Sugar
- 1 package Active Dry Yeast (2 1/4 tsp)
- 4-5 cups (Plus 1 Cup Extra, Reserved) Organic White Spelt OR ancient grain of your choice **see notes at bottom of recipe on my stand with this particular flour and gluten.
- 1 teaspoon (heaping) ALUMINUM Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon (scant) ALUMINUM FREE Baking Soda
- 1 Teaspoon (heaping) Sea Salt
- Plenty Of Melted Organic Butter (I love Organic Valley brand)
- 2 cups Organic Sugar, Organic Sucanat and/or Organic Coconut Sugar (LOW GLYCEMIC OPTION: Coconut Sugar or you can also drizzle Organic Agave Nectar)
- Generous Sprinkling Of Cinnamon
- OPTIONAL: Organic/pure extract of choice. I LOVE using Almond Extract.
- OPTIONAL: ground flax
GLAZE INGREDIENTS
- 2 cups Sugar of Choice (organic sugar, organic coconut, organic sucanat)
- 2 tsp of tapioca starch
- 1 tsp of organic extract of choice (I use organic almond) *Optional
- 1/4 cup raw milk or milk alternative
- 2 tbsp of melted organic butter
- 2 tbsp of organic room temperature brewed coffee
- pinch of salt
1. In a medium glass bowl, pour in milk, olive oil, and sugar and stir. Put in microwave around 1 1/2 min-2 minutes...JUST ENOUGH TO BE A LITTLE WARMER THAN LUKE WARM. You do NOT want it too hot yet needs to be warm enough.
2. Sprinkle yeast on top of milk mixture and with a fork, gently stir in. LET SIT UNTIL NICE AND BUBBLY ON TOP! This can take 5-10 minutes. While its resting, move on to step 3.
3. In Kitchen Aid Mixer bowl (w/ HOOK attachment) add: 4 CUPS FLOUR, BAKING POWDER, BAKING SODA, SALT. Use a fork to mix.
4. Make a well and add the bubbly yeast mixture. With a spatula, "fold" in the yeast just a little bit...about 4 times. TURN ON MIXER W/ HOOK ATTACHMENT AND LET KNEAD 5 MINUTES.
5. Check dough. Is it too sticky? Add more flour, about 1/4 cup at a time. Knead several minutes more. Continue this process until a dough ball begins to form but it should err on the sticky side. Ok, I know this sounds hilarious...but I know my dough is perfect when it feels like a boob. HA! Or a baby's bottom. Kind of mushy, soft and slightly sticky yet can maintain a ball shape. You can lightly flour your hands to make it easier to work with as you turn it out. Use the dough right away, or place in a mixing bowl and refrigerate for up to 3 days, punching down the dough if it rises to the top of the bowl. (Note: dough is easier to work with if it’s been chilled for at least an hour or so beforehand.) IF YOU ARE MAKING ROLLS NOW, MOVE ON.
6. Turn dough out into a lightly greased bowl and cover w/ tea towel for 1-2 hours or until its a little less than double in size.
TIME TO ROLL IT OUT!
1. Generously flour your rolling surface and flour your rolling pin. There is an "art" to rolling out dough. Place your dough in middle of surface area. Using your hands, smash it down to a rectangle shape. Now, take your rolling pin and always work CENTER-OUT. In other words, you never roll all the way across. As you roll, you are trying to maintain a long rectangle shape. It won't be perfect...so be ok with that! Roll it out VERY THIN.
2. I LOVE gooey rolls. And around here we don't say know to good fats like real, organic, grass fed butter! Melt 1 stick of butter (you can always melt more if you feel you need it! I think I usually end up melting 1 1/2 sticks)
3. In a separate bowl, combine 2 cups of whatever sugar you are using (I use a combo of organic sugar and organic sucanat/coconut), 1 HEAPING tbsp of cinnamon, and 2 tsp of extract of choice. (optional) **You can also add some ground flax for a nutritional boost!
4. Pour the melted butter all over the rolled out dough and use a brush or spatula to gently spread it.
5. Sprinkle Cinnamon/Sugar mixture all over. Don't hold back!
6. Beginning at one of the SIDES of the rectangle (the short side, not the long side) gently start rolling it up. I kind of pull it towards me and then roll, pull towards me then roll. And yes, the butter and sugar will ooze out the sides...don't worry!
7. Once you get the end, pinch the ends onto roll to kind of "seal" it.
8. Cut rolls about 1/2 inch thick and place cut side up in LIGHTLY GREASED pan.
9. YOU CAN NOW FREEZE (up to 3 months) OR REFRIGERATE ROLLS (up to 3 days). When we give these as gifts, I always freeze in disposable pans and baking instructions so the receiver can bake when they are ready.
HOMEMADE GLAZE:
1. In a magic bullet or food processor, combine 2 cups of ORGANIC SUGAR of your choice and 2 tsp of TAPIOCA STARCH. Turn on high until it is a very FINE consistency. Ta-Da! You just made homemade powdered sugar!
2. Dump powdered sugar in kitchen aid w/ MIXER attachment. Add the remaining ingredients.
3. MIX ON HIGH for several minutes. The consistency should be slightly "runny"...if it is too thick add a small splash of milk.
4. Once fully incorporated, pour your glaze into a ziplock bag (or multiple if you are giving away). You can freeze along with rolls at this point!
BAKING INSTRUCTIONS:
Thaw overnight in the frog if frozen. (MAKE SURE ICING IS W/ THE ROLLS) If pulled from the refrigerator, let sit on counter for 20 minutes and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes. Take out AND INSERT A FINGER TOWARDS THE CENTER TO TEST THE DOUGH. If it feels raw, continue to bake in 2 MINUTE INCREMENTS UNTIL DOUGH FEELS DONE.
GLAZE: Open the thawed bag of icing just enough for air to escape. Squeeze all the icing into the corner and cut off 1/4 inch. Squeeze icing onto rolls. Glaze can be applied fresh out of the oven.
ARE YOU CELIAC OR GLUTEN-INTOLERANT? You might want to read THIS article! As a Certified Loomis Digestive Health Specialist, I have worked with CLINICALLY DIAGNOSED CELIAC's who absolutely can tolerate WHOLE GRAINS...some of them even SPELT! This article can help "clear the air".
