White Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls
- September 2, 2009
- Breads - Yeast Breads, Breakfasts, Recipes
- 51 comments
Cinnamon rolls aren’t the healthiest breakfast treat – but that’s probably why they’re considered to be a breakfast treat in the first place and not a breakfast staple. But homemade cinnamon rolls give you a little more control over what goes into your treats and you can do things like make them with a little bit less butter or, like these rolls, with some whole grain flour instead of all white flour. It’s not a huge change, but it can help cinnamon rolls work their way into the breakfast rotation a little more often.
A great substitution for all purpose flour in yeast breads is white whole wheat flour, as it has lots of whole grains but is close to the look and feel of all purpose flour. Regular whole wheat flour can make breads a little bit dense and, since it has less gluten in it than all purpose, breads can be a little bit crumbly. This isn’t really the case with the white whole wheat, which falls somewhere between the two extremes. The rolls aren’t too heavy, but are tender and soft, with a subtle nutty, whole grain flavor to them.
The dough was great, very easy to work with. It requires a slightly long first rise, then is rolled out and filled with butter, cinnamon and sugar. The dough is rolled up into a log, sliced into individual rolls and place in a baking dish. Once you reach this point, the dough can either be refrigerated overnight (my preference, so I can have the rolls in the morning) or let them rise and bake right away. I top mine with a simple glaze made with confectioners’ sugar, milk and vanilla extract. It adds just the right amount of sweetness without making the rolls too gooey or hard to handle.
White Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls
2 1/2 tsp (.25 oz) active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water, about 100-110F
3 – 3 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
2 tsp ground cinnamon
2/3 cup brown sugar
3 tbsp coarse sugar/regular sugar
In a large bowl, stir together active dry yeast and warm water. Let stand for about 5 minutes, until bubbly.
Add in 2 cups white whole wheat flour, sugar, buttermilk, butter, vanilla and salt. Stir well, until dough is smooth.
Gradually add in remaining white whole wheat flour until dough comes together into a slightly sticky ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until dough is smooth. Add additional flour if dough becomes too sticky. Dough should be “tacky” but not wet.
Place dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 – 2 hours.
Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking pan.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Press dough gently into a rectangle. Roll dough out into a sheet about 12 x 16-inches.
Spread rolled out dough with softened butter, leaving a 1/4-inch border. Sprinkle evenly with cinnamon, brown sugar and coarse sugar.
Working with one of the long sides, roll dough up tightly into a log. Pinch the seam down to seal. Cut off any excess from the ends of the log. Divide log into 12 even pieces and cut with a very sharp knife, taking care not to smush the log. Transfer slices into the prepared pan, making rows three down and four across. Leave equal spacing between the rolls.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
Place refrigerated rolls on the counter for about 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 400F.
Bake for about 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
Cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.
Makes 12
Vanilla Glaze
2/3 cup confectioners sugar
2-3 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Whisk all glaze ingredients together in a small bowl. Add additional milk or confectioners’ sugar, as needed, to make glaze pourable.
Drizzle over cinnamon rolls while still warm.
51 Comments
I love cinnamon rolls.. and the sound of whole wheat makes it even better!
I love cinnamon rolls.. and the sound of whole wheat makes it even better!
BTW I love your blog!
Yummm. I go crazy for homemade cinnamon rolls.
Ooo excellent healthier variation on one of my favourite treats!!
I made these this morning. They are so yummy! and it was my first time making cinnamon rolls! great recipes!
I’m anxious to try your version with the whole wheat flour. I just love cinnamon rolls, but ones that are a “little” better for you is making me itchy to get started on them!
lot about you
It is the coolest site, keep so!,
Very cute
))),
Great site. Keep doing.,
ss.txt;0;0
Great. Now i can say thank you!,
Very cute
)))
It is the coolest site, keep so!
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
Perfect work!
I bookmarked this link. Thank you for good job!
If you have to do it, you might as well do it right.
It is the coolest site, keep so!
Great site. Keep doing.
Perfect work!
Great. Now i can say thank you!
It is the coolest site, keep so!
Excellent site. It was pleasant to me.
I bookmarked this link. Thank you for good job!
I want to say – thank you for this!
Excellent site. It was pleasant to me.
It is the coolest site, keep so!
Great site. Keep doing.
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
If you have to do it, you might as well do it right.
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
Excellent site. It was pleasant to me.
I bookmarked this link. Thank you for good job!
If you have to do it, you might as well do it right.
Great site. Keep doing.
Very interesting site. Hope it will always be alive!
Perfect work!
If you have to do it, you might as well do it right.
Very cute
)))
It is the coolest site, keep so!
Perfect work!
wondering if i can use bread flour or all purpose flour to substitute?
I’m in search for white whole wheat.
What are some namebrands available in the grocery stores nowadays ?
Love the glazed ones. Thanks for posting these recepies.
I made these 2 days agao, YUM! My office demolished them in about 5 minutes.
I made these but they came out pretty dense and heavy. I guess this is what I’d expect from a whole wheat cinnamon roll, but if you are looking for a light fluffy role you might be a little disappointed. I do have to add the disclaimer that I’m not a pro at making cinnamon rolls so it is possible it is just me . . .
Have you tried using dental floss to cut the cinnamon rolls? It really works…even if you use the minty kind! (no you can’t taste the mint) Just get a long string of dental floss and put it under the cinnamon log. Then just put the floss up and together. It makes it so the rolls don’t squish and gives it an even edge.
BTW, I’m totally excited to make these for dinner. We are having cinnamon rolls and chili in a throwback to elementary school lunches.