Giant Cinnamon Raisin Yeast Rolls

From The Great Holiday Baking Book (Ojakangas) comes the first cinnamon bun that wasn’t too dry.  I’ve had rough times with the rolled up buns, usually too dry or over baked.  I did tweak the recipe to refrain from pecans and increased the butter a little, I think that was the ticket for a moist cake-like roll. Those in accredited online culinary colleges would agree that this was the key.

Adapted from Giant Cinnamon-Pecan Rolls by B. Ojakangas

Dough

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 tpo salt
• 1 Tbsp yeast
• 1 1/8 cup milk
• 3 Tbsp butter

Filling

• 2 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp bread crumbs
• 3/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup raisins

Pre-heat oven to 375ºF.  Prepare a baking dish with brown sugar and butter, about 2 Tbsp in small pieces scattered over the sugar.

Warm the milk and melt the butter.  Mix the dry ingredients and add the milk and butter.  Stir until a ball forms then leave it covered for 10 minutes.  Turn out on a floured surface and roll out the dough.  Smear with butter.  Sprinkle with filling.  Roll and cut even size pieces.  Snuggle the rolls into the pan and cover to rise until doubled, about 25 minutes.  Bake for 25-35 minutes.  Test that the center is cooked with a skewer.  The texture of this roll is a hybrid of yeast bread and cake, I might of let it rest too long in the initial stage that made it more like cake than bread.  But hey, it’s goooood!

Optional icing as shown was from a can, you can leave it off if you like.

This recipe was added to the Sweet As Sugar Cookie link party here!