Description
This Cinnamon Roll Wreath is a festive and delicious twist on classic cinnamon rolls, shaped into a beautiful wreath perfect for holidays or special breakfasts. Soft, fluffy dough is rolled with a cinnamon-sugar butter filling, baked golden, and topped with a sweet vanilla icing.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
- 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons Platinum Yeast from Red Star instant yeast (2 standard size packets)
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and cut into 4 pieces
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 and 1/2 cups (563g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for hands/work surface
Filling
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
Vanilla Icing
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) milk
Instructions
- Make the dough: Heat milk to about 95°F (35°C) using a microwave or stovetop. Pour the warm milk into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Whisk in the sugar and yeast manually, cover with a towel, and let sit until yeast is foamy, about 5-10 minutes. Beat in softened butter on low speed until slightly broken up, add eggs one at a time, then salt. Gradually add flour on low speed, then beat on medium speed until soft dough forms. Increase to medium-high speed and beat for about 6 minutes until dough is soft and supple.
- Knead the dough: Continue beating dough in mixer for 5 more minutes, or knead by hand on lightly floured surface for 5 minutes until dough is soft, elastic, and passes the windowpane test. Add flour sparingly to prevent stickiness.
- First rise: Form dough into ball, place in lightly greased bowl, and cover loosely. Let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours. A warm oven (200°F then turned off) works well as a rising environment.
- Shape dough: Line large baking sheet with lightly floured parchment paper. Place dough on parchment and pat into roughly a 10×20-inch rectangle, smooth and even thickness.
- Add filling: Spread softened butter evenly over dough. In a small bowl, mix cinnamon and sugar, then sprinkle evenly over buttered dough. Tightly roll dough into 20-inch log.
- Cut rolls and form wreath: Slice log into 20 1-inch rolls, cutting 3/4 through so they remain connected at bottom. Use kitchen shears if needed. Arrange rolls overlapping side-by-side into a circle to form a wreath. Place a ramekin in the center to hold shape.
- Second rise: Cover wreath loosely with plastic wrap and slide baking sheet underneath. Let rise in warm environment until puffy, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Bake wreath for about 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove and cool for 10 minutes.
- Prepare icing: Whisk confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and milk together until smooth.
- Serve: Drizzle vanilla icing over warm cinnamon roll wreath and serve.
Notes
- Overnight instructions: Prepare through shaping (step 6) and refrigerate up to 14 hours instead of second rise. Bring to room temperature and let rise 1 hour before baking.
- Freezing instructions: Freeze shaped wreath before second rise, thaw overnight, then rise 1.5–2 hours before baking; or par-bake 10 minutes, cool, freeze, thaw and finish baking; or freeze fully baked wreath wrapped well.
- To prevent dry dough, add flour sparingly while kneading. Dough should remain soft with slight tackiness.
- Use kitchen shears for easier slicing and shaping of rolls into wreath.
- Warm environment for rising can be created by heating oven to 200°F and turning it off.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll
- Calories: 350 kcal
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 200 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 60 mg
