Cinnamon Roll Wreath

Who doesn’t love to wake up to fresh baked cinnamon rolls? You can bake this Cinnamon Roll Wreath to give as a gift or simply share with your family in the morning. It does require some pre-planning so think ahead!

Cinnamon Roll Wreath
For the dough, you’ll need:
7 oz milk, scalded and cooled
2 teaspoon yeast
1 whole egg and 1 yolk
3 oz sugar
14 ½ oz all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
4oz or 1 stick of butter, softened

In the bowl of a stand mixer, pour in the cooled milk and the yeast to proof. Add the egg and the sugar. Add the flour and salt. Mix this all together with the dough hook. The dough should be stiff. A little at a time, add some butter. Allow the butter to be mixed into the dough before adding more. This step will take some time but the texture it creates is worth it. Once all of the butter is added, the dough should be supple and glossy. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, roll the dough out on a well floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle about a ¼ inch thick and 16 inches long. Brush the surface of the dough with water or melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture below, leaving a 1 inch edge at the top of the rectangle to seal it closed.
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup brown sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

The rectangle should be on the counter with the long side facing you. Carefully start to roll the dough up on itself, trying to keep it tight without ripping the dough. Once at the end, seal along the edge with water (there shouldn’t be any sugar here to get in the way). Carefully transfer your “jelly roll” of cinnamon roll dough to a parchment lined sheet pan. Now start cutting the dough in one inch pieces with a knife or bench knife but don’t but all the way through. Once the dough is cut all the way down, gently move the dough into a circular shape, tucking one end under. Lay the cinnamon roll pieces down slightly so that they overlap and form a wreath. Cover this with plastic wrap and allow to sit in a warm area of your kitchen to proof until doubled in size or the dough feels puffy. While you wait, preheat your oven to 400. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until you have reached your desired color (some people like their cinnamon rolls gooey and not totally baked). Once slightly cooled, you can top the cinnamon roll wreath with a simple powdered sugar and milk icing or even a honey glaze. Serve warm and enjoy!