Dough for a small batch:
- 1/2 package of yeast (this would be 1 1/8 teaspoon but my mom uses 1 1/4 teaspoon)
- 1 1/2 Tab water
- 1/2 cup milk (can be whole or low-fat)
- 2 1/2 Tab butter
- 1 1/2 Tab sugar
- 1/2 of a large egg
- 1/2 teas salt
- 2 cups (or a bit less) bread flour
- 1/8 teas cinnamon
- 1/16 teas nutmeg
- 1/16 teas ginger
For cinnamon rolls:
- 1 Tbsp (or maybe less) softened butter to spread on the dough
- Cinnamon and sugar mixed — heavy on the cinnamon
- nuts — preferring pecans and preferring cookie-size pieces
- currants
For icing:
- 1 teas butter (this keeps the icing soft)
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 Tbsp milk or cream
Pan:
Well-buttered (glass is good) baking pan about 7×11 inches.
Use a standard bread maker mix cycle to make the dough, or without a bread maker: Make the dough and let it rise until doubled, the punch down and shape. Once the dough is ready, roll it into a rectangle about 14×12 inches. Butter the dough with the softened butter. Sprinkle on the cinnamon-sugar, then the nuts and the currants. Roll up and then slice off the cinnamon rolls. Nine or twelve rolls is about right but this can vary quite a bit, depending on your preference. I like to refrigerator overnight so that the rolls are ready in the morning. In the morning, warm the oven to a low (not yeast-killing) temperature, turn off the oven, and put in the roll pan. I like to cover with a cloth. When the dough is light and the pan warmed, remove the pan from the oven. Then heat the oven to 425°F. (If you like the look of an egg wash, see the Hot Cross bun instructions.) Bake for 15 minutes. If the rolls start to get too dark, make a foil tent to protect them.
After the rolls are done, swirl on icing and serve.