Brown Sugar Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls

Name: Brown Sugar Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 290 min
Total time: 305 min
Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients: 3/4 cup (6 fl. oz/180 ml) warm whole milk (110&#176;F/43&#176;C); 1 package (2 1/4 tsp.) active dry yeast; 1 Tbs. granulated sugar; 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature; 1/3 cup (2 1/2 oz./75 g) plus 1 Tbs. firmly packed dark brown sugar; 2 to 3 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup); 4 cups (17 oz./480 g) bread flour, plus more as needed and for dusting; 1 tsp. kosher salt; 6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) (3 oz./90 g) unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature, plus more for greasing; Vegetable oil for greasing; 8 Tbs. (1 stick) (4 oz./125 g) unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature; 1 cup (7 oz./220 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar; 1 Tbs. ground cinnamon; 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla bean paste; 1 tsp. kosher salt; 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) heavy cream; 1/4 cup (2 oz./60 g) sour cream; 1 cup (7 oz./220 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar; 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) (2 oz./60 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature; 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste; 3/4 tsp. kosher salt

Nothing kicks off a cool morning better than the smell of warm cinnamon rolls baking in the oven. They take some advance planning, since the dough needs to rise twice before baking, but you can do almost all the work a day in advance. If you’d like to bake them first thing in the morning, let the rolls rest overnight in the fridge. Just be sure to pull them out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before baking to ensure the dough comes to room temperature.

Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 290 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients

For the dough:

3/4 cup (6 fl. oz/180 ml) warm whole milk (110°F/43°C)
1 package (2 1/4 tsp.) active dry yeast
1 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
1/3 cup (2 1/2 oz./75 g) plus 1 Tbs. firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 to 3 very ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
4 cups (17 oz./480 g) bread flour, plus more as needed and for dusting
1 tsp. kosher salt
6 Tbs. (3/4 stick) (3 oz./90 g) unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature, plus more for greasing
Vegetable oil for greasing

For the filling:

8 Tbs. (1 stick) (4 oz./125 g) unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
1 cup (7 oz./220 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 Tbs. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla bean paste
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) heavy cream

For the icing:

1/4 cup (2 oz./60 g) sour cream
1 cup (7 oz./220 g) firmly packed dark brown sugar
4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) (2 oz./60 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste
3/4 tsp. kosher salt

Directions

To make the dough, in a bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the milk, yeast and granulated sugar. Cover with a kitchen towel and let stand until foamy, about 8 minutes.

Add the egg, egg yolk, brown sugar and bananas to the bowl. Fit the mixer with the paddle attachment and beat on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds.

Switch the stand mixer attachment to the dough hook. With the mixer running on low speed, gradually add the flour and salt. Add the butter 1 Tbs. at a time, beating just until combined after each addition. Increase the speed to medium and knead until a dough forms, about 10 minutes. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to mix until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl, 4 to 5 minutes more. The dough will feel slightly softer than normal but should still be elastic and only slightly sticky. If the dough is too wet, add more flour, 2 Tbs. at a time, and mix until the dough comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a floured work surface. Knead a few times and shape the dough into a ball. Grease a large bowl with vegetable oil and transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm spot until doubled in size, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

While the dough proofs, make the filling: In the clean bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the clean paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, salt and cream until whipped and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the salt as desired.

Butter the bottom and sides of a deep 9-by-13-inch (23-by-33-cm) baking dish.

Punch down the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured work surface. Roll out the dough into a 12-by-14-inch (30-by-35-cm) rectangle with a long side toward you. Using an offset spatula, spread the butter mixture evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/4-inch (6-mm) border uncovered on the long side farthest from you.

Starting at the side of the dough that is closest to you, roll the dough into a log. If the dough starts to shrink, gently pull on the edges to maintain its shape. Pinch the seams to seal. Using a bench scraper or serrated knife, cut the log crosswise into 8 equal slices, each about 1 1/2 inches (4 cm) thick.

Arrange the slices in a single layer in the prepared dish. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest in a warm spot until doubled in size, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C).

Remove the plastic wrap from the baking dish. Using a pastry brush, brush the rolls with the heavy cream, pouring any extra cream into the gaps between the rolls. Bake until the rolls are golden brown and jiggle slightly when you shake the pan, 28 to 32 minutes. The rolls will appear soft in the center, but they will firm up as they cool. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 20 minutes.

While the rolls cool, make the frosting: In the clean bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the clean paddle attachment, beat together the sour cream, brown sugar and butter on medium speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and salt and beat on low speed until combined, 1 minute.

Spread the rolls evenly with the icing and serve warm or at room temperature. Makes 8 rolls.

Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen