Brioche Cinnamon Rolls for a Crowd

Most people have had a cinnamon roll in their life that sticks out as THE best.  From 1990-2009, THE best cinnamon roll in my life was from my elementary school cafeteria.  I know, I know, hard to believe, but they were better than your average cafeteria and at that time my idea of a cinnamon roll didn't go beyond Grands from a can.  In summer 2010, my cinnamon roll world changed completely.

My husband and I took a road trip to Yellowstone National Park and stayed at the Headwaters of the Yellowstone Bed & Breakfast in Gardiner, MT which sits at the north entrance to YNP.  It is a quaint B&B set along the Yellowstone River with a beautiful mountainside in the background.  The B&B is run by the Reid family.  They are extremely friendly, down to earth and knowledgeable about Yellowstone.  Mr. Reid is a Yellowstone Park Ranger so he knows the park like the back of his hand.  Every morning Charissa (Mrs. Reid) cooks a scrumptious breakfast and everyone sits around the large table with the family to talk about their plans in the park for the day.  During our time, there were also guests from NYC, England and Australia.  It was quite the conversation at the breakfast table that culminated in the idea that Americans don't take enough vacation time (I quite agree).

Although every breakfast we ate was absolutely delicious, the cinnamon roll breakfast was just the best.  I finally came to understand what a cinnamon roll is and what every cinnamon roll should be.  It was moist, full of sweet cinnamon layers.  It had chew, it had crunch, it had everything you could want in a cinnamon roll.  And it did NOT have raisins!  In my opinion, Charissa should never have let her recipe go public, but at the same time, I'm thankful she did. because I can continue to enjoy the best cinnamon roll in my very own home.  

Believe it or not, this recipe is actually possible for the novice baker to accomplish.  I do recommend using a stand mixer but I have done it once by hand and it is possible, just prepare for your arm to be sore the next day.  It's a good recipe to make when you have guests as it makes a lot of cinnamon rolls (if I cut the them to be about 2-3 inches then I can get 12-20 rolls out of one recipe).  It's also convenient that the dough has to rest in the refrigerator over night, because then it doesn't take you as long in the morning to finish it up.  I would say the recipe takes 2 hours total but only 1 hour of hands-on time.  Here are a few tips to help you along the way:

1. Add the yeast to the water then sprinkle the sugar on top.  Do not stir!  I am always tempted too, but trust me, the yeast will activate much better if you do not disturb them.  Those little buggers do not like to be pushed around.  The picture on the left is right after I've sprinkled the sugar on top.  The picture on the right is about 7 minutes later. 
   
2. In step 5, after I sprinkle the brown sugar/cinnamon mixture onto the buttered dough, I rub it around with the back of a spoon.  I think this creates a much more even cinnamon interior so that you get the same great flavors in every bite.
3. If you do not have a warm place for the cinnamon rolls to rest in step 6, you can place the pan on a heating pad set on Low.
4. My cinnamon rolls always tend to bake pretty fast, so I suggest starting to check them after 20 minutes.  This is how mine look when they are done.  Notice the bubbling butter on the side, yum! 
   

Some people might not like icing on their cinnamon rolls (I don't understand people like that) so you can serve them naked with icing on the side.  In my house we prefer icing so no naked rolls here.  Cream cheese icing is our favorite, any will do, as long as it's homemade, don't waste your time on the store bought stuff.  Serve with coffee and enjoy every bite!

Here is the handy dandy printable recipe card.