Cinnamon rolls
Cinnamon rolls have been gaining popularity for a while now. They are originally from Scandinavia, but by now you will find many varieties all over the world. For example, the traditional Swedish kanelbullar ('cinnamon buns') are made with cardamom added to the yeast dough and pearl sugar on top. Thanks to IKEA, this version is going around the world. You can find them in the freezer section of their Swedish shop to bake off at home. Since the rolls are shaped like a snail house, the Danes call them 'kanelsnegle' or cinnamon snails. Meanwhile, they are also often braided instead of rolled. The American cinnamon rolls are usually made with vanilla flavouring added to the dough and with lots of icing or glaze on top. They often even use cream cheese frosting. Besides these two most well-known versions, you will sometimes find varieties made with puff pastry or with extra fillings such as nuts, dried fruits and zest. The recipe below is my personal favourite, but feel free to experiment for yourself with different flavours.
These cinnamon rolls are 100% plant-based. For the plant-based milk, we use soy milk, and for the fats we use sunflower oil. This gives a lighter result than with butter or margarine. Sunflower oil contains much less saturated fats. In addition, the production of butter and margarine accounts for a great deal of deforestation, respectively for soy as animal feed and for palm oil as a solid fat. These cinnamon rolls are therefore not only a lot lighter, but also much more sustainable than the versions with cow's milk, eggs and butter or margarine. But of course, the most important thing is that they are incredibly tasty first and foremost. Lucky for us, that's the case! The dough is nice and fluffy and the filling adds the deliciously sweet and spiced taste. When you bake these cinnamon rolls at home, you get a nice extra: you can eat them warm and fresh from the oven. Highly recommended!
Ingredients
Directions
Heat up the plant-based milk in a pan or in the microwave. Let it get warm but not hot. If it gets too hot, it will kill the yeast, so in that case you should let it cool down again until it's lukewarm. Then add the dry yeast. Set aside for a few minutes to allow the yeast to activate.
Meanwhile, mix the flour, sugar, vanilla sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Then add the yeast mixture and oil and mix until combined. The dough should be slightly sticky but cohesive. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside in a warm place to rise until it has almost doubled in size. Depending on the environment, this takes 1 up to 2 hours.
Tip: You can also let the dough rise overnight in the fridge. The low temperature makes it ferment slowly, so the dough will be ready for the next step in the morning.
Dust a clean work surface with flour and pour the dough on top. Slightly dust the top of the dough with some more flour and roll it out with a rolling pin to a rectangle with a thickness of about 1 cm. If you don't have a rolling pin at home, use a clean glass bottle with a straight edge, like a wine bottle.
Mix the ingredients for the filling and spread it over the dough, all the way up to the edges. Cut the dough into 8 equal strips and then roll them up. By cutting first and then rolling, your rolls will be more nicely shaped. This dough can be easily cut with a dough scraper or spatula instead of a sharp knife. This way you can avoid damaging the work surface underneath.
Put the rolls in a silicone baking mould, flatten them slightly and make sure to leave enough space around them. The rolls will almost double in size again as they rise. Cover once again with the clean kitchen towel and let them rise in a warm place for 30 to 40 minutes.
When the rolls have risen, put them in the oven at 175°C / 350°F. After about 20 to 30 minutes they are ready: when they are golden brown, remove them from the oven. If necessary, bake them for a little longer.
Gradually add the plant-based milk to the powdered sugar. It's best to start with a little less, because you'll quickly have too much. Mix until you have a smooth icing that still feels firm but flows from your spoon in a thin line. Pour the icing over the slightly cooled but still warm cinnamon rolls.
These cinnamon rolls are at their best when they are still slightly warm. You can also store them at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Or up to a week in the fridge. You could also freeze them and thaw them later or reheat them in the oven. Enjoy!
Ingredients
Directions
Heat up the plant-based milk in a pan or in the microwave. Let it get warm but not hot. If it gets too hot, it will kill the yeast, so in that case you should let it cool down again until it's lukewarm. Then add the dry yeast. Set aside for a few minutes to allow the yeast to activate.
Meanwhile, mix the flour, sugar, vanilla sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Then add the yeast mixture and oil and mix until combined. The dough should be slightly sticky but cohesive. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and set aside in a warm place to rise until it has almost doubled in size. Depending on the environment, this takes 1 up to 2 hours.
Tip: You can also let the dough rise overnight in the fridge. The low temperature makes it ferment slowly, so the dough will be ready for the next step in the morning.
Dust a clean work surface with flour and pour the dough on top. Slightly dust the top of the dough with some more flour and roll it out with a rolling pin to a rectangle with a thickness of about 1 cm. If you don't have a rolling pin at home, use a clean glass bottle with a straight edge, like a wine bottle.
Mix the ingredients for the filling and spread it over the dough, all the way up to the edges. Cut the dough into 8 equal strips and then roll them up. By cutting first and then rolling, your rolls will be more nicely shaped. This dough can be easily cut with a dough scraper or spatula instead of a sharp knife. This way you can avoid damaging the work surface underneath.
Put the rolls in a silicone baking mould, flatten them slightly and make sure to leave enough space around them. The rolls will almost double in size again as they rise. Cover once again with the clean kitchen towel and let them rise in a warm place for 30 to 40 minutes.
When the rolls have risen, put them in the oven at 175°C / 350°F. After about 20 to 30 minutes they are ready: when they are golden brown, remove them from the oven. If necessary, bake them for a little longer.
Gradually add the plant-based milk to the powdered sugar. It's best to start with a little less, because you'll quickly have too much. Mix until you have a smooth icing that still feels firm but flows from your spoon in a thin line. Pour the icing over the slightly cooled but still warm cinnamon rolls.
These cinnamon rolls are at their best when they are still slightly warm. You can also store them at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Or up to a week in the fridge. You could also freeze them and thaw them later or reheat them in the oven. Enjoy!