Quick Cinnamon Rolls with Buttermilk Icing

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS: Our first step in developing a lower-fat cinnamon roll recipe was to eliminate some of the butter. Next we set out to find a replacement for the cream called for in most dough recipes, settling on buttermilk, to which we added a little baking soda. Baking soda reacts with the acid in buttermilk to produce carbon dioxide gas, which causes lift. The acid in the buttermilk gave the buns a more complex flavor and tenderized the gluten in the dough, making the interior airy and light. For the glaze for our lower-fat cinnamon buns, we combined buttermilk and light cream cheese, then sifted confectioners’ sugar over the mixture.

Make sure that you knead the dough for a full 30 seconds here. We were surprised to find that kneading made the dough not only easier to work with, but it also gave the finished rolls a better rise and a great texture. Also, don’t be afraid to use a little extra flour on the counter when shaping the buns, if the dough seems a little sticky. The rolls are best eaten as soon as they are iced, but they hold up well at room temperature for up to 2 hours.

1. Adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 425 degrees. Spray an 8-inch-square baking pan and a wire rack with the vegetable oil spray; set aside.

2. FOR THE FILLING: Mix all the ingredients together; set aside.

3. FOR THE DOUGH: Whisk the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk the buttermilk and 2 tablespoons of the melted butter together. Stir the buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon until the liquid is absorbed (the dough will look very shaggy), about 30 seconds. Transfer the dough to a floured work surface and knead until just smooth and no longer shaggy, about 30 seconds.

4. Pat the dough with your hands into a 12 by 9-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the remaining tablespoon of melted butter. Sprinkle evenly with the filling, leaving a ½-inch border of plain dough around the edges. Following the illustrations below, press the filling firmly into the dough. Using a bench scraper or metal spatula, loosen the dough from the work surface. Starting at the long side, roll the dough, pressing lightly, to form a tight log. Pinch the seam to seal. Roll the log seam-side down and cut it evenly into 9 pieces with dental floss. With your hand, slightly flatten each piece of dough to seal the open edges and keep the filling in place.

5. Arrange the rolls in the prepared baking dish (3 rows of 3 rolls). Cover the baking dish with foil and bake for about 12 minutes. Remove the foil and bake until the edges of the rolls are golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes longer.

6. Use an offset metal spatula to loosen the rolls from the pan. Wearing oven mitts, place a large plate over the pan and invert the rolls onto the plate. Place a greased wire rack over the plate and flip the rolls onto the rack. Let the rolls cool for 5 minutes before icing.

7. TO ICE THE ROLLS: While the rolls are cooling, line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (for easy cleanup). Set the rack of cooling rolls over the baking sheet. Whisk the cream cheese and buttermilk together in a large nonreactive bowl until thick and smooth (the mixture will look like cottage cheese at first). Sift the confectioners’ sugar over the mixture; whisk until a smooth glaze forms, about 30 seconds. Spoon the glaze evenly over the rolls.

STEP-BY-STEP

MAKING CINNAMON ROLLS

1. Pat the dough into a 12 by 9-inch rectangle and brush it with melted butter. Sprinkle the filing evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Press the filling firmly into the dough.

2. Using a bench scraper or metal spatula, loosen the dough from the work surface. Starting at a long side, roll the dough, pressing lightly, to form a tight log. Pinch the seam to seal.

3. Roll the log seam-side down and, using dental floss, cut the formed roll into 3 even segments. Then cut each segment into 3 rolls, for a total of 9.

4. With your hand, slightly flatten each piece of dough to seal the open edges and keep the filling in place.