Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

Who doesn't love a good cinnamon roll? I remember going into Cinnabon and buy one of their large rolls with extra frosting. Of course that was way back when. See with the rain comes endless amounts of time spent in the office or at home. In my case, on this particular day, it was spent in my home office. The rain pouring and I'm trying to do some writing for a new script, but with no success. So into the kitchen I go.  I was originally going to make my usually loaf of bread, but then I got the sudden urge to make cinnamon rolls.

I've always had the regualr white bread versions of them and I thought why not have a wheat version. It's still bread, right? I make the dough and waiting for it to proof. I get all my other ingredients ready.

Once ready, I roll it out into a large rectangle. Spread some butter, sugar and cinnamon and "massage" into the dough. Then I roll it up and cut it into 12 pieces and bake. Now I couldn't leave it with just that. You need to have frosting to go with cinnamon rolls. It's like the quintessential ingredient that makes it so good to eat. I go for a cream cheese frosting on this one. Luckily, I still had some cream cheese left in the fridge.  I patiently wait for the rolls to bake. you can smell the cinnamon wafting through the air. Who need an airfreshener when you have the sweet smell of cinnamon inhabiting the room?

Once bake, I spread the frosting and dig in. Really good. A cinnamon roll is a cinnamon roll with a tiny twist. I think I'll go have another one right now.

Makes roughly 12 rolls.

Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

Dough
2 c All-Purpose Flour or bread flour
2 c wheat flour
1 package of rapid rise yeast
6 Tbsp olive oil
2 c lukewarm water (120˚F-130˚F)
6 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt


Cinnamon filling
1 1/2 Tbsp unsalted butter - plus extra
1/3 c sugar
1/4 c cinnamon
1 c chopped walnuts


Frosting (optional)
4 Tbsp cream cheese
4 Tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract


Combine the yeast and water in a small bowl. Add a teaspoon of sugar and stir once. Let it sit for 5 min.

Combine the flour, remaining sugar, butter or olive oil and salt in a large bowl and add the yeast. Mix it all together until it form into a dough blob.

Remove from the bowl and on a well-floured flat surface, knead the dough for a good 8 min until it feels elastic.

Lightly oil another bowl, place the dough in it and cover with plastic wrap and a towel and place away from light. Roughly 1 1/2 to 2 hrs or until the dough doubles in size.When the dough has doubled, punch down the dough to let the gases out and knead it again for a couple of minutes.

Preheat oven to 375˚F

On a lightly floured surface, rolls out the dough into a rectangle 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. Spread the butter evenly over the surface, then sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon. With your hands or spatula mix all three over the surface. Sprinkle the walnuts o top and carefully the dough into a log. Cut them into 12 pieces and place them on a lightly grease a baking sheet or pan. Before placing them in the oven baste the tops of each rolls with a little bit of butter.

Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

To add frosting: combine all cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until well blended and spread a generous helping on each cinnamon rolls.

Serve warm.