It is 8 a.m. on a holiday morning, there are people to feed, and nobody wants to spend the first 3 hours of the day making dough. Overnight cinnamon rolls solve that. All of the mixing, kneading, rolling and cutting happens the evening before. The shaped rolls rest in the refrigerator overnight, and the morning job is to take them out, let them finish rising for about an hour, and bake them for 25 minutes.
The cold rest does more than save time. Yeast keeps working slowly in the refrigerator, giving the dough a fuller flavor, and the chilled butter in the filling stays in its swirl instead of leaking out. This recipe makes 12 large rolls from scratch in a 9×13-inch pan, with a cream cheese frosting.
The Overnight Cinnamon Rolls Schedule
The evening session takes about 2 1/2 hours, most of it waiting for the first rise. The morning session takes about 1 1/2 hours, almost all of it hands-off.
If the rolls need to be ready earlier, start the morning rise in a slightly warm spot, such as an oven with only the light on, which is usually around 80 to 90°F (27 to 32°C). They will be ready in 45 to 60 minutes.
Making the Dough the Evening Before
This is an enriched dough, meaning it contains milk, eggs, butter and sugar. These make it soft and tender, but they also slow the yeast slightly and make the dough stickier than plain bread dough.
Warm the milk, but not too much
Heat the milk to about 110°F (43°C), warm to the touch but not hot. Yeast works best between about 75 and 110°F; above roughly 130°F it starts to die. If the milk is too hot, let it cool before adding the yeast.
Knead until smooth
In a stand mixer with a dough hook, knead on medium-low for 6 to 8 minutes. By hand, knead on a lightly floured counter for about 10 minutes. The dough is ready when it is smooth, slightly tacky and springs back slowly when poked. Add flour a tablespoon at a time only if it is sticking badly; too much flour makes dry rolls.
First rise
Let the dough rise, covered, in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. This first rise must happen before chilling; dough that goes into the refrigerator unrisen may not rise enough overnight.
Shaping Cinnamon Rolls From Scratch
Roll the dough into a rectangle about 16 by 12 inches on a lightly floured counter. Spread the very soft butter evenly to the edges, leaving a 1/2-inch strip bare along one long side. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar over the butter and press it in lightly with your palm.
Starting from the long side opposite the bare strip, roll the dough into a tight log. A firm, even roll gives defined swirls; a loose one leaves gaps where the filling melts and pools. Pinch the seam closed against the bare strip.
Cut the log into 12 equal rolls, each about 1 1/3 inches thick. Unflavored dental floss slid under the log, crossed over the top and pulled tight cuts cleanly without squashing the spirals. A sharp serrated knife with a gentle sawing motion also works. Arrange the rolls cut side up in a greased 9×13-inch pan, three rows of four, with small gaps between them; they fill the gaps as they rise.
Storing: The Overnight Rest and the Freezer
Because this recipe is built around storage, the details here matter as much as the baking.
In the refrigerator
Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 16. Within that window, the rolls rise slowly, roughly by half. Much beyond 16 hours, the dough can over-ferment, rising too far and collapsing in the oven, and developing a boozy taste.
In the freezer
Make ahead cinnamon rolls for a later date by freezing them straight after shaping, before the overnight rise. Wrap the pan in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze for up to 1 month. The night before baking, move the pan to the refrigerator to thaw overnight, then follow the morning instructions, allowing an extra 30 to 60 minutes for the rise.
After baking
Frosted rolls keep for 2 days at room temperature, covered, or up to 5 days in the refrigerator, because of the cream cheese. Warm individual rolls in the microwave for 15 to 20 seconds, which softens the bread and the frosting.
Baking in the Morning
Take the pan out of the refrigerator and remove the plastic. Let the rolls stand at room temperature until they look puffy, have risen to fill most of the gaps, and spring back slowly when gently pressed, about 60 to 90 minutes. Cold dough straight into the oven bakes unevenly, with doughy centers.
Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 25 to 30 minutes, until golden brown on top. The center roll is the slowest to cook; an instant-read thermometer pushed into its middle should read about 190°F (88°C). If the tops brown before the center is done, lay a sheet of foil loosely over the pan for the final minutes.
Let the rolls cool for 10 minutes, then spread with frosting. Warm rolls melt the frosting slightly so it seeps into the swirls; frost them hot and it runs off entirely.
When the Morning Does Not Go to Plan
Overnight dough is forgiving, but a few situations come up often enough to plan for.
Rolls barely rose overnight
A very cold refrigerator, or a pan placed at the back near the cooling vent, can slow the yeast almost to a halt. That is not a failure; the rolls simply need a longer morning rise. Give them up to 2 hours at room temperature, or 60 to 75 minutes in an oven with only the light switched on, until puffy.
Filling leaked into the bottom of the pan
Some caramelized filling in the pan is normal and delicious. A large pool usually means the butter in the filling was melted rather than softened, or the log was rolled loosely. Spread very soft, not liquid, butter, and roll firmly. Spoon the syrup over the rolls after baking.
Centers of the rolls are doughy
The middle roll in a crowded pan is surrounded by others and heats last. If the outer rolls are golden and the center still reads below 185°F (85°C), cover the pan loosely with foil and bake 5 minutes longer. Next time, let the rolls warm up fully during the morning rise; cold dough is the most common cause.
Tops browning too fast
Ovens with a strong top element can brown enriched dough quickly because of its sugar and butter. Bake on the center rack and lay foil loosely over the pan once the rolls are a light golden color.
The Recipe
Makes 12 large rolls in a 9×13-inch pan. Total time includes the overnight rest.
The recipe
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
Soft enriched-dough cinnamon rolls shaped the evening before, rested overnight in the refrigerator, risen and baked in the morning, and topped with cream cheese frosting.
- Prep
- 50 min
- Cook
- 28 min
- Total
- 14 hr
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
Dough
Filling
Frosting
Method
- Mix the dough (evening). In a stand mixer bowl, whisk the warm milk, yeast and sugar. Add the eggs and butter, then the flour and salt. Knead with the dough hook on medium-low for 6 to 8 minutes (or by hand 10 minutes) until smooth and slightly tacky.
- First rise. Cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- Fill and roll. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll the dough to a 16×12-inch rectangle. Spread with the soft butter, leaving a 1/2-inch bare strip on one long side, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Roll tightly from the opposite long side and pinch the seam closed.
- Cut. Cut into 12 rolls with floss or a serrated knife and arrange cut side up in a greased 9×13-inch pan.
- Chill overnight. Cover tightly and refrigerate 8 to 16 hours. (Or wrap well and freeze up to 1 month; thaw overnight in the refrigerator.)
- Morning rise. Uncover and let stand at room temperature 60 to 90 minutes, until puffy and springing back slowly when pressed. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Bake. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, until golden and the center roll reads about 190°F (88°C). Tent with foil if browning too fast.
- Frost. Beat the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth, adding milk to loosen. Cool the rolls 10 minutes, then spread with frosting.
Notes
- Total time includes the overnight rest.
- Frosted rolls keep 2 days at room temperature or 5 days refrigerated.
Oven temperatures are for conventional ovens; for convection, reduce by about 25°F (15°C).
Variations
Add 1 cup of chopped toasted pecans or walnuts to the filling. For an orange version, add the finely grated zest of an orange to the dough and replace the milk in the frosting with orange juice. For a simple glaze instead of cream cheese frosting, whisk 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar with 3 to 4 tablespoons milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until thick but pourable.