Over the years I have tried a lot of different recipes for cinnamon rolls, and the outcome almost always falls short of expectations. I want a cinnamon roll that is light, moist, fragrant, sweet but not cloying, and that freezes without complaint. The closest I've gotten to my ideal so far is the formula by Marion Cunningham in her classic The Breakfast Book. Her recipe is simplicity in a single bowl and produces a much more satisfying treat than the overworked brioche-based entries from otherwise superb sources such as Nancy Silverton and Rose Levy Beranbaum. But even granting Marion Cunningham her due, this recipe for Yukon Gold Cinnamon Rolls at Epicurious, brought to my attention this week by a friend, exceeds the high standards she established. It is -- drumroll -- decidedly the best in category within my admittedly not exhaustive but not so shabby experience. Which is to say that after one round the print-out of the recipe has taken a privileged spot in my kitchen: in my acrylic recipe holder among about two dozen or so other pages of recipes that are just too good to tuck away in my black three ring binder where I might forget about them.
The recipe as provided does however benefit from some adjustments. Kitchen notes follow without further ado.
1. The 2 cups water for boiling the potatoes is way too much. Instead 1 and 1/2 cups is more than enough.
2. In place of active dry yeast, I used 1 and 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast.
3. Since I used instant yeast, I also changed the assembly of the dough. After making the mashed potato-salt-butter-eggs-flour mixture, I combined 3 cups flour, yeast, sugar, and peel from one orange in the bowl of my stand mixer. Then I added the potato mixture, and worked it with a dough hook. The additional 1/2 cup water again was too much. Instead add just enough to get the dough going, and then flour as necessary after a couple of minutes to get a very very very sticky dough. Definitely keep the dough wet!
4. I baked these in jumbo aluminum muffin tins, and got 24 total, and even then some of them were overflowing too much the tins. But however one slices the dough, I think a reasonable yield is anywhere from 18 (still really big) to 30 (a bit small, but then more treats to share).
5. For the glaze I just thinned confectioners sugar with fresh squeezed orange juice and added a big pinch of fleur du sel. The overall hint of orange is subtle and satisfying and suits just right. And anything more complicated I think is not necessary and perhaps out of balance.
6. Did I mention that these cinnamon rolls love the freezer?
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