Food & Drink

SWE-Dishes: Ann Sather’s Cinnamon Rolls

There is no better smell than fresh, hot-out-of-the-oven cinnamon rolls. They make the perfect sweet breakfast treat and could be a great addition to your next fika.  And Swedes absolutely love them: Swedes eat an average of 316 of the tasty rolls in a year, according to the Swedish Institute.

To make your own cinnamon rolls at home, try using this recipe from Chicago staple Ann Sather. Or, if you’re in the Chicago-area, save yourself some dishes and go try one out for yourself at one of its three locations.

This recipe makes 18 rolls.

Ingredients:

Dough
1-1/4oz. envelope active dry yeast
1 tsp. sugar
1/4 c. warm water (110° F)
1 c. milk, scalded, cooled
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/3 c. sugar
1 ½ tsp. salt
2 ½ to 3 c. all-purpose flour

Filling
1/4 c. butter, room temperature
1/2 c. brown sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon, ground
Powdered-Sugar Glaze, if desired

• In a large bowl, stir the yeast and 1 tsp. of sugar into the warm water and let stand for 5 minutes to soften.
• Stir in milk, melted butter, 1/3 c. sugar, salt and 1 c. of flour. Beat with a spoon or an electric mixer until smooth.
• Gradually stir in 1 ½ c. of flour, keeping the dough smooth. If the dough is still moist, stir in 1 tbsp. of flour at a time to make a soft dough.
• Cover with a dry cloth and let it rise in a warm place until it is doubled in size, about 1 hour.
• Divide the raised dough in half. On a lightly oiled surface, roll out (with a lightly floured rolling pin) and stretch one piece of dough to make a 12” x 8” rectangle.
• Spread 2 tbsp. of the soft butter over the top of the dough. Sprinkle with half of the brown sugar and cinnamon.
• Beginning with the long side, roll the dough to form a cylindrical jellyroll shape.
• Repeat steps 5-7 with remaining half of dough.
• Cut rolls into 2-inch slices and place on greased, floured baking sheets. Let the dough rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.
• Bake at 350° F for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. Take the rolls out of the oven and allow them to cool on a wire rack.
• Top the rolls with a powered-sugar glaze immediately, if desired, and cool – or serve warm, as you like.