Double-Stuffed Cinnamon Rolls Twice the amount of cinnamon-brown sugary butter in the middle surrounded by "soft as clouds" sweet rolls.

 My homemade Double-Stuffed Cinnamon Rolls are stuffed with TWICE the average amount of brown-sugar and cinnamon gooey goodness! Warm cinnamon rolls slathered with vanilla icing are classic comfort food. I'm sharing all my shortcut and pro tips with you for these soft, pillowy layers of sweet rolls.

As if the enticing smell of sweet yeast rolls baking, mixed with the persuasive aroma of cinnamon-sugar-butter combination isn't enough, then there's the mounds of vanilla icing poured generously over the clouds of soft, pillowy baked layers of dough......Are you hungry yet?

Our reaction to these sights and smells of baked cinnamon rolls is exactly why places like Cinnabon bakeries in malls are huge successes. They are irresistible and the bigger the better!

Shortcuts

I'll go ahead and tell you upfront, this is not one of my quick shortcut recipes but I still have shortcuts to share!

• Shortcut to rising dough in almost half the time (keep reading).
• Also, the dough only rises once. Often the dough/rolls will rise twice.
• I'm also using fast-rising yeast which speeds things up a bit!

This is a full-blown, from-scratch recipe but I do promise to give you all of my tips expert tips along the way to make it as easy as possible to make because they are soooo worth a little extra time to make.

How to make eggs room temperature in 5 minutes

To bring the eggs to room temperature without waiting 30 minutes is to place them in a small bowl of very warm (not boiling) tap water for 5 minutes.

Room temperature eggs really will make a difference in the texture of your dough which affects the end result.

 How to make the dough

Unless I am working with a yeast dough that is going to rise overnight in the fridge (like my No-Knead Yeast Rolls), I like to use instant yeast, also known as Rapid Rise or fast-rising yeast. Why not?

The only difference is that the active dry yeast takes a little longer to rise and I don't want to wait any longer than I have to before I sink my teeth in these babies.

It's common to dissolve the active dry yeast in warm water, then add it to the rest of the ingredients. I developed this recipe to stir the fast rising yeast into the dry ingredients, then just stir in the hot milk mixture and beat on medium-low to dissolve the yeast to save a step.

The milk mixture needs to be hotter (125 degrees to 130 degrees) rather than (105 degrees to 115 degrees) where you dissolve the yeast directly into the liquid.

Pro tip:

The milk mixture is hotter because the temperature will immediately reduce and it needs to be still be hot enough to dissolve and activate the yeast. You can use an instant read thermometer .

Pro tip:

Use a heavy-duty stand mixer with a dough hook. If you don't have the dough hook, it's ok to use the regular paddle for this recipe because the dough is not as stiff as, say, a loaf of bread.

The stand mixer will allow you to mix the dough longer without adding unnecessary flour needed to turn it out and knead it. Too much flour makes the end result dry and crumbly.

Divide the dough in half on a lightly floured surface. Keep the remaining half under a kitchen towel to prevent it from drying out. Roll out the dough to a 14"x12" rectangle. The dough should be tender and not stretchy.

How to make the filling

Here's where we slather on the brown sugar/cinnamon/butter mixture-twice the amount of most cinnamon roll recipes!

I've tested a lot (and I mean a lot) of cinnamon roll recipes over the past 30 years either in the Oxmoor House test kitchen, Coastal Living/Cooking Light, and TIFS (Time Inc Food Studios-now owned by Meredith) or just for my own baking pleasure.

I created this version to satisfy my craving for MORE sweet goodness on the inside of the soft pillowy rolls.

Starting at the short end, roll the dough up into a log.

In the test kitchen, we used to edit this method "jellyroll fashion" but these days, I'm not sure how many people are making jellyroll cakes. Pinch the edges together to form a seam, then roll the log so that seam is on the bottom.

Trick to slicing perfect cinnamon roll dough:

Here is my best tip for slicing this tender, chock-full-of-filling cinnamon roll log.

Dental floss is the key.

If you have a super sharp knife, you might be able to slice through the dough without mashing it but if you are a good dental patient, you will have some dental floss in a drawer somewhere!

I won't tell on you if it is the free sample the dentist gives you and it is still unopened. As you can see, that's what I use.

Simply slip the dental floss under the log, crisscross the floss (no need to tie it off). Pull the floss in opposite directions and it makes a perfect slice without making a misshaped, mashed slice. Repeat with the other log.

Place 15 of the cinnamon rolls close together in a 13x9 inch baking pan or dish. If you like the outside edges of your cinnamon rolls to have more of a firm edge/crust, then space them further apart.

I like to cut mine about 1 1/4" wide to make tall, impressive-sized rolls which yields almost 20 rolls.

If you want to make an even 2 dozen, just make 12 (1-inch) slices on each log and place them in rows of 3x4 in two 8-inch baking pans or dishes and bake them slightly less. Cover them with a kitchen towel and let them rise until double their original size.

Shortcut: Creating a proofing oven.

That's right! A proofing oven cuts the rising time significantly, but how many of you have a proofing oven?

Typically, it takes yeast dough 45 minutes to 1 hour to rise to double in size,  if left on the counter, and even more if you like your A/C on the colder side.

To create the perfect dough-rising environment (which is 85 degrees, free from drafts and slightly humid) turn your oven into a proofing box or "drawer". (Note: Some ovens have this setting on them, now)

Adjust top oven rack to the middle position and the bottom rack on the bottom.

Simply turn your oven on 350 degree for 30 SECONDS-set a timer.

Turn oven off. You now have a proofing oven ready to rise the dough.

Place the cut cinnamon rolls, uncovered, on the middle rack.

While oven heats up, place a 2-cup glass measuring cup or microwave-safe bowl with 1 cup water in it in the microwave. Microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes. Place the measuring cup to the right or on the rack underneath the pan of rolls, but to the far side so it doesn't create heat directly under the pan. You're just trying to create a little bit of humidity. Too much steam may melt the butter in the filling.

Do all the cinnamon rolls fit in one pan?

Now, you may be thinking I did my math wrong, but I realize I have about 5 rolls without a home to bake in at 1 1/4" slices.

I actually like this set up because this allows me to bake the remaining rolls in a small disposable pan I buy at the Dollar Tree.

I keep these pans on hand so I can gift them to others like church members, friends, neighbors. My husband is always wanting to take goodies to the office, too.

Can I freeze unbaked cinnamon rolls?

Yes. You can freeze these extra rolls individually on a baking sheet before proofing/rising.

Then, once frozen, place them in a freezer plastic bag or air tight container. Freeze up to 3 months.

How do I bake frozen rolls?

Let them thaw and rise on the counter for several hours until doubled in bulk. Keep them covered with a kitchen towel.

Once risen, bake according to the printable recipe below.

Just look at those big beautiful cinnamon rolls! The dough bakes up into pillowy soft rolls.

How to make the icing

This is the most fun part of making these Double Stuffed Cinnamon Rolls!

Don't hold back on the icing and make more if you feel the need! Better yet, make a second batch of icing just for extra dipping!

I guarantee these Double-Stuffed Cinnamon Rolls will not be around long. They are irresistible warm, still yummy at room temperature, and tasty the next day warmed in the microwave.

Make these this weekend and make some friends!

Can Double-Stuffed Cinnamon Rolls be made ahead?

I made these again when my daughter came home from college to visit.

• Make the dough the night before and refrigerated it covered.
• Turn it out onto the counter and let it stand for 30 minutes-covered with a towel.
• Roll it out and proceed with the recipe.
• Let the risen rolls stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or until doubled in size before baking.

Note: I feel sure I could go through the process of cutting the rounds and placing in the dish and let them rise in the fridge overnight but haven't tried it. They might need to set on the counter for awhile to continue to rise if they are not doubled in bulk straight from the fridge.

Other breakfast or brunch recipes you may enjoy

Homemade Copycat Krispy Kreme Donuts

Bacon Sausage Strata

King Cake Pancakes

If you make this recipe I'd love to see it! Tag me on social media with #gritsandgouda or @gritsandgouda. Leave a comment below the printable recipe if you have questions or tell me how you liked the recipe. Don't forget to give the recipe a rating of 5 stars if you love it!

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