Ideas for what you can do when you don't have time for your cinnamon rolls to rise. Also how to make them ahead of time so you will have enough time for them to rise.
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You really, really want to have freshly made from scratch cinnamon rolls for breakfast. Maybe it's Christmas day.
But you find that you don't have enough time for the dough to rise.
Or maybe it's a couple days before and you want to make them but don't know how you will fit into your schedule. You want to be unwrapping your presnts and enjoying your family. Not spending hours in the kitchen.
In this post we are going to address both of these situations and hopefully help you make your cinnamon roll dreams come true!
⏰ Not Enough Time
If not enough time means you are reading this at 7am on Christmas morning, then making traditional homemade cinnamon rolls, may not be in the cards for you.
I have searched online for what people do in this situation. And there are many recipes out there to try and speed up the process. Or change it all together.
While I have not experimented with each of these, I would like to share with you some options my fellow bloggers have come up with.
Microwave Rising Method
In order to speed up the rising process Erren from Erren's kitchen offers up a method to help the dough rise faster using the microwave, set to a low setting. Only works for certain microwaves. She offers a method to test your microwave to see if you can pull it off.
Microwave Rising Method from Erren's Kitchen
Use Baking Powder Instead of Yeast
To avoid the need for a rise time altogether, replace the yeast with baking powder. You will need to bake them a slightly lower temperature but you can still get the rolls to rise in the oven. These can be made on Christmas morning in about 40 minutes.
Baking Powder Cinnamon Rolls from Kitchen Magpie
Make Biscuits
If it's traditional cinnamon rolls or nothing for you, then instead of nothing try making biscuits. You can roll out the biscuit dough, spread on the filing, and then roll up the them and cut them into rolls. No rise time needed at all. Check out this recipe from the Brown Eyed Baker.
Cinnamon Roll Biscuits from the Brown Eyed Baker
? Dough Rising Problems
One reason, why you may be out of time for your cinnamon rolls is the dough is taking too long to rise. This may be a problem you experience in the past or are experiencing now. The problem may lie in the conditions you are providing your dough to rise in.
Dough rises best in conditions that are:
- Humid
- Warm but not hot
For many of us like myself who live in a northern climate where around Christmas it's going to be neither humid nor warm, we must adapt. Here are some hacks you can do to help proof your dough.
Bread Machine
Got an old bread machine lying around that you never use? It's actually great for rising dough. It should have a dough setting. You can knead the dough in the machine, then it will warm up just enough for it to rise. It's possible that your bread machine may not be big enough and the dough rises up to the lid.
Off Oven Method
Bring a wide pot of water to a boil. Then place the pot in the bottom rack of the oven and shut the door. Then place your bowl with dough in it on the top rack. Make sure the top rack is far enough away from the top of our oven so that it doesn't touch. That's a mess you don't want to have to clean up!
Instant Pot Proofing
Got a yogurt setting on your Instant Pot? Then you can proof dough in it. The temperature for the yogurt setting is the prefect temperature for dough. A few tips for this method:
- Make sure you have it to set a time, not boil!
- Spray the pot with oil before adding the dough so it doesn't stick.
- Cover with the lid.
- Follow the rise time of your recipe.
- You can use the markers on the side of the pot to see if the dough has doubled in size. Note where it is when you put the dough in.
??? Recommendation - Great cinnamon rolls need great cinnamon. We use Royal Cinnamon from Burlap & Barrel.
➡️ Make Ahead
Here is the bottom line, nothing can perfectly replace yeasty cinnamon rolls. It simply takes time to develop the flavor. Which is why I am a huge fan of a slow overnight rise that not only will taste better, but also will make your life easier. All you will need to do on Christmas Day, is bring the rolls out of the fridge and put them in the oven. All the hard work was done the night before.
You can do make-ahead cinnamon rolls with any recipe. On Christmas Eve evening, make the cinnamon rolls all the way up to the point in which you have them cut out and place in the pan. Instead of letting them rise and baking them, cover them with plastic wrap and place in the fridge overnight. They will get a 2nd, very slow rise, which I think makes them taste better in the end.
Then bring the rolls out of the fridge about 30 minutes before baking.
? More Questions Answered
How are more answers to your most frequently asked cinnamon roll questions:
? Make These for Breakfast
Here is some more breakfast inspiration from the blog.
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