
Cinnamon rolls. My goodness, you can make them so many ways. Regular, raspberry, blackberry, peach….help me, Jesus.
These are my go to cinnamon rolls. I’ve tried so many other recipes (even the Pioneer Woman’s, *gasp*), but this one, this one takes the trophy every.single.time.
I never measure things, and neither do the old-fashioned Mennonites. This recipe was actually adapted from an old recipe that a beautiful Mennonite woman gave to me. I had to learn, quite often, how to adapt recipes that I tried at home when trying to replicate Mennonite recipes from the cute little Mennonite store I used to work at. But, it has made me a better cook and baker because of it!
Note: if you want to put these in the fridge to bake the next morning, simply place the made cinnamon rolls in the pan into the fridge (before the second rise) until the next morning. When you pull them out, allow them to rise before placing them in the oven.
Old Fashioned Mennonite Cinnamon Rolls
Dough Ingredients:
1/2 cup warm water
2 Tbs of yeast
- Stir together in small bowl (or your stand mixer) and let sit while mixing the rest of the ingredients.
1/2 cup salted butter
2 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
6-7 cups flour
- Heat butter, milk, and sugar in a saucepan until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Let rest until lukewarm.I actually just let it set for about 5 mins and then go ahead and use it.
- In a stand mixer, combine butter/milk mixture and yeast mixture.
- Add 6 cups of all purpose flour, slowly. Your dough should be a little sticky, but still firm. You can also knead by hand. If dough is still too sticky, then add up to another cup of flour in half cup increments. Knead until smooth and elastic
- Put dough in a greased bowl and lightly grease top of dough. Let rise for about 45 mins or until doubled. I like to use a heating pad to speed up the process, or I put the bowl on top of a towel over the burner that I was using to melt the butter mixture. Makes it rise quicker.
While the dough is rising….
FILLING:
1 stick butter
sugar
cinnamon
- Set out 1/2 to 1 stick of butter to soften while dough rises.
Once dough has risen….
- Once dough is risen, divide dough in half and roll each half out into a ½” to 1″ thick rectangle. If you’ve done it right, you’ll notice that your dough is very light and airy feeling as you roll it out.
- Spread 1/2 of the stick of butter onto the dough.
- Sprinkle a thin layer of sugar and cinnamon across the butter layer.
- Starting from a long side, begin rolling your dough tightly into a long cinnamon roll log.
- Once rolled, take a piece of thread (or use a sharp knife) and cut ¾” to 1” cinnamon rolls, depending on what size you’d like. Place in a buttered pan (I use 4+ round cake or pie pans, but you could use a rectangle baking dish). Let rise for approx. 15 minutes and then bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes OR until tops are start to color around edges. You do not want your cinnamon rolls brown on top. As soon as they start to turn, take them out. This keeps them extra moist. Allow to cool until warm to the touch, then add frosting while still warm.
- You can use the other half of the dough to make more cinnamon rolls, or you can use them as dinner rolls.Now comes the best part…the frosting!
Frosting. It’s the best part of cinnamon rolls, isn’t it? This frosting is super simple and easy.
FROSTING:
3 Tbs soft butter
4-6 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2-3 tbsp milk
- Stir together all ingredients, starting with just 4 cups of p. sugar.
- Add sugar gradually until frosting is “spreadable”.
- Frost rolls when they are still warm but not too hot. This allows the frosting to start melting, but still keeps frosting on top of rolls.
I hope that you and your family enjoy this recipe as much as my little family has!!
Other Posts You May Enjoy:
- Homemade Mennonite Yeast Dinner Rolls
- Creamy Sweet Potato Casserole with Oatmeal Topping
- Easy Old Fashioned Soft Pumpkin Cookies with Icing
- Old Fashioned Apple Cake | A Family Heirloom
- Easy Blueberry Cobbler with Fresh Blueberries
- Easy Sourdough Pie Crust
- Sourdough Dinner Rolls (Long-fermented)
- Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls (Long-fermented)
Old Fashioned Mennonite Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
- DOUGH:
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 2 Tbs of yeast
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 2 cups milk
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 6-7 cups flour
- FILLING:
- 1 stick butter, softened
- sugar
- cinnamon
- FROSTING:
- 3 Tbs soft butter
- 4-6 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 2-3 tbsp milk
Instructions
Stir together warm water and yeast in small bowl (or your stand mixer) and let sit while mixing the rest of the ingredients.
Heat butter, milk, and sugar in a saucepan until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved. Let rest until lukewarm.I actually just let it set for about 5 mins and then go ahead and use it.
In a stand mixer, combine butter/milk mixture and yeast mixture.
Add 6 cups of all purpose flour, slowly. Your dough should be a little sticky, but still firm. You can also knead by hand. If dough is still too sticky, then add up to another cup of flour in half cup increments. Knead until smooth and elastic
Put dough in a greased bowl and lightly grease top of dough. Let rise for about 45 mins or until doubled. I like to use a heating pad to speed up the process, or I put the bowl on top of a towel over the burner that I was using to melt the butter mixture. Makes it rise quicker.
Once dough is risen, divide dough in half and roll each half out into a ½” to 1″ thick rectangle. If you’ve done it right, you’ll notice that your dough is very light and airy feeling as you roll it out.
Spread 1/2 of the stick of butter onto the dough.
Sprinkle a thin layer of sugar and cinnamon across the butter layer.
Starting from a long side, begin rolling your dough tightly into a long cinnamon roll log.
Once rolled, take a piece of thread (or use a sharp knife) and cut ¾” to 1” cinnamon rolls, depending on what size you’d like. Place in a buttered pan (I use 4+ round cake or pie pans, but you could use a rectangle baking dish).
Let rise for approx. 15 minutes and then bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes OR until tops are start to color around edges. You do not want your cinnamon rolls brown on top. As soon as they start to turn, take them out. This keeps them extra moist. Allow to cool until warm to the touch, then add frosting while still warm.
You can use the other half of the dough to make more cinnamon rolls, or you can use them as dinner rolls.Now comes the best part…the frosting!
Stir together all ingredients, starting with just 4 cups of p. sugar.
Add sugar gradually until frosting is “spreadable”.
Frost rolls when they are still warm but not too hot. This allows the frosting to start melting, but still keeps frosting on top of rolls.
I recently had a cinnamon roll at the The County Cafe in Chico, California a M
ennonite cafe and they were delicious. I want to make some at home.
These look amazing, Do you have a printer friendly version of this?
Hi, I’d love to try this! Could you tell me what type of yeast to use?
Also, how much salt?
Thank you!
I just made these and only used the salted butter that you buy in the store. They rose beautifully. It’s a nice dough.
How much salt?
Can you put a printing icon on your recipes? There’s no way to print them out without many pages.