Rolls

• Proof the yeast: Heat the milk in a small pot on medium heat or for about 1 minute in the microwave to be slightly warm. It should be about 110° F - 115℉. Pour the milk into a large mixing bowl (if mixing by hand), the bowl of a stand mixer, or the bowl of a bread machine (I use the dough function of my bread machine or my stand mixer). Add the yeast to the milk and one tablespoon of granulated sugar. Stir to combine, and let it rest for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, the yeast should form a creamy foam on the surface. This means the yeast is active.
• Make and knead the dough: To the milk/yeast mixture, add the remaining 2 Tablespoons of granulated sugar, melted butter, egg, salt, and flour. Mix everything using a stand mixer (with the dough hook attached and set on low speed), bread machine (set to dough setting), or with your hands to form a dough. Then set the stand mixer to medium speed and continue kneading the dough for 2 minutes. Keep kneading for 2 minutes with the bread machine if that's what you're using. If making the dough by hand, knead the dough on a clean and floured working surface until smooth and elastic while sprinkling on tiny bits of flour as needed. It's okay for the dough to be a little sticky as that will yield soft cinnamon rolls. Add 1 tablespoon of softened butter and keep kneading the dough on medium speed until the butter is incorporated.
• Let the dough rise: Butter a large mixing bowl and place the dough inside. You could remove the dough from the bowl of your stand mixer and butter the stand mixer. Turn the dough around to ensure the butter coats all the sides. Keep in a warm place to rise until doubled in size. It takes about 1 hour. I love turning on my oven for about 2 minutes and then turning it off. Then, I'll place my dough in the oven to rise. It works perfectly every time! You could also leave the dough in the oven to rise with the oven lights on (the oven should be turned off).
• Grease pan: While the dough rises, butter a 9 by 13 baking dish.
• Roll out the dough: Once the dough has risen, punch it in the middle to remove excess air. Flour a clean working surface. Place the dough on the floured working surface and shape it with your hands into a rectangle. Use a rolling pin to further roll out the rectangle to be about 10 by 18 inches.
• Fill the dough, roll it, and divide it into rolls: Dot the dough with the butter for the filling. Spread the butter over the dough using a butter knife, ensuring it is evenly distributed across the dough while leaving a 1-inch border around it. Sprinkle the brown sugar and ground cinnamon as evenly as possible over the butter spread. Roll the dough into a log. Trim the ends of the log so the ends look neater (save the trimmed dough to bake later). Using a sharp knife or a dough scraper, cut the log into 12 equal-looking portions,
• Let the rolls rise: Place the 12 portions into the buttered baking dish. Cover them with a clean kitchen cloth and let them rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes or until they are about double in size. You could use your oven again with the lights turned off to help the rolls rise faster.
• Preheat oven. While the rolls rise, or after they have risen (remove the rolls from the oven if they were rising in the oven), preheat the oven to 350° F.
• Bake. Place the risen rolls in the preheated oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown and the outside of the dough is firm to the touch and not doughy.
• Make the cream cheese frosting. While the rolls bake, place all ingredients for the cream cheese frosting into a medium mixing bowl. Whip them together using an electric handheld mixer on medium speed until well combined and smooth. Keep beating the cream cheese frosting until it becomes fluffy and has a whipped look. Alternatively, you can use the stand mixer with the whisk attachment fitted. With the stand mixer, start by beating the cream cheese, butter and sugar on low speed until combined, then increase the speed to medium and beat until the frosting is whipped.
• Frost the cinnamon rolls. As soon as the cinnamon rolls are out of the oven, evenly spread the cream cheese frosting on them.
• Serve. Enjoy cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting while still warm. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. Reheat each cinnamon roll in the microwave for 15 seconds or until soft. Or reheat in the oven at 300℉ for 10 minutes or until warmed through. See the freezing instructions below.