Gluten-Free Cinnabonbon Rolls

Oh yes. Cinnamon Rolls! Not only way easier than traditional, from-scratch cinnamon rolls, but gluten-free to boot. This is the stuff dreams are made of. Well, my dreams, anyway. Is this a copycat recipe to those cinnamon rolls from a certain popular shop? No. But it's on the way. These are GOOD, not just "good enough for gluten-free." They're simply good. And gooey. And yummy.

There are three parts to this recipe, and it does take a bit of time, but it's totally worth it. First part is the Dough. Second is the Filling. Third is the Frosting. I use weight measurements for dry ingredients bigger than a couple of tablespoons, in order to ensure consistency, which is super important in baking. If you love baking, you might want to consider investing in a kitchen scale. I use this one.

Okay. Enough chatter. On to the baking! Ready?

Do this the day before baking day...

The Dough

This dough recipe makes 2 lbs of bread dough, enough for two batches of cinnamon rolls, but the dough can sit in the fridge up to five days-- if you don't use it all up before then. OR you can freeze the dough in 1 lb servings for up to 3 weeks. (Defrost in the fridge the night before you bake.)

Challah recipe from Gluten-Free Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoë François (One of my GF bibles.)

I strongly recommend making this dough the day before baking day, BUT it's SUPER easy and fast. (There's a reason they say it takes 5 minutes a day.)

455 g artisan bread flour (see below)
1/2 Tbsp yeast
1/2 Tbsp (heaping) Kosher salt
1 1/4 cup lukewarm water
1/4 cup honey
2 large eggs, room temp
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted, room temp

1. Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Add wet ingredients and mix all of it together. (This is easiest with a danish whisk, but you can use a spoon or your hands.) 
3. Cover (not airtight) and allow the dough to rest at room temp until it rises (about 2 hours).
4. Once the dough has about doubled in size, cover to prevent moisture loss and pop it in the fridge to chill overnight. 

That's it! No punching, no kneading, no second rise, no dough hooks! You can use the dough immediately after the rise, but it'll be easier to handle if it's cold.

On baking day...

1. Set down wax paper on your work area and sprinkle with rice flour. (Not too much, because too much will dry out your dough, but not too little either, because then the dough will stick to the paper.) 
2. Scoop out about 1 lb of dough (half of the original recipe) and place it in the center of the wax paper. Sprinkle a bit more rice flour on top of the dough, and place another large piece of wax paper on top. 
3. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rough rectangle, where the dough is about 1/4" tall, and carefully remove the top wax paper. 

The Filling

Adapted from http://www.laurenslatest.com/my-cinnabon-cinnamon-rolls/

1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick), melted
125 g brown sugar (I use dark for more flavor)
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup sultana (light) raisins

1. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
2. Pour/spread the butter across the dough, leaving about 1 inch clean at one edge. (I recommend leaving a short edge clean, so that your buns will be short and wide-- unlike the tall, thin buns you see in the photos below.)
3. Sprinkle sugar mixture evenly over the butter and press it gently to moisten the sugar.
4. Scatter sultanas over the sugar.
5. Use the edge of the bottom wax paper on the non-clean side of your rectangle to help you roll the dough into a tight roll. (Note: Do not roll the wax paper into your roll. Just use it to help you handle the dough without touching/ripping it.)
6. Press the clean edge into the roll to seal it.
7. Using a sharp knife, cut the raggedy edges off either end of the cylinder.
8. Slice the cylinder into 8 even pieces. 
9. Prepare a cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper.
10. Place the 8 sections, cut side up, onto the parchment paper. (I like to bake the raggedy edges for nibbling later.)
    
11. Cover the sections with saran wrap or parchment paper, and allow them to rest for about an hour. During this time, preheat your oven to 350F.
12. Remove cover and bake the rolls at 350F for about 25 minutes or until the rolls get a little golden.
13. Remove tray from oven and cool the entire tray on a cooling rack.

The Frosting

Adapted from http://bit.ly/1M5Z1bv  (Makes a double batch.)

4 oz cream cheese, softened
4 Tbsp butter (1/2 stick), softened
98 g (3/4 cups) confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. While the cinnamon buns are cooling, combine cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small mixing bowl.
2. Mix thoroughly using a hand mixer, until the frosting is smooth.
3. Spread over the cooling cinnamon rolls. (There will be plenty of extra.)

See? Ooey-gooey Heaven.

A single batch makes 8 heavenly cinnabonbon rolls. Enjoy! (Keep in an air-tight container, if they last more than a day-- They barely do in my house.)

Artisan Bread Flour Recipe

from Gluten-Free Artisan Bread in Five Minutes A Day by Jeff Hertzberg & Zoë François
(Seriously, run to your nearest bookseller or use the link above to go to Amazon, and get this book.)

1,020 g white rice flour 

455 g sorghum flour

225 g tapioca flour / starch

225 g potato starch (NOT potato flour)

40 g Xanthan gum OR ground psyllium husks 

(I use psyllium and I am quite happy with the result, but the Xanthan will give you better stretch.)

Mix thoroughly and store in a large, air-tight container.