December 30, 2011 - 7:31am
To freeze or not to freeze cinnamon roll dough?
I'm going to make these cinnamon rolls today: http://www.thefreshloaf.com/recipes/cinnamonrolls#comment-9580
I suppose I could make a half recipe; but, question: Could I make a full batch and just freeze half of it?
At what stage should I freeze them? (I'm thinking I should bulk ferment, shape, pan, wrap, and then just freeze them in the pan. When I want fresh cinnamon rolls, thaw, proof, and bake? Or would you bake all of them and just freeze the baked rolls?).
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They freeze fine, just freeze the unproofed cinnamon rolls already rolled. I do this on a sheet pan and then place them into a ziploc bag.
To cook, pull the rolls out and thaw/proof on a sheet pan and bake.
One little tip, add about 1/2t xantham gum or guar gum to the filling mixture before spreading. It will help keep the filling from falling out of the bun(cinnabon uses it).
The rolls you buy in a tube in the supermarket. I think they're co-branded as Pillsbury Cinnabon.
It might be blasphemy to mention it on TFL, but I find those Grands cinnamon rolls to be not half bad, as long as you eat them immediately.
They're like McDonald's french fries: If you let them cool, they turn to something similar to plastic-cardboard.
I've recently done both. You can shape and freeze. Then defrost,rise and bake.
OR
You can shape and proof and then freeze. Bake right from the freezer.
I think I'll try it. Thanks.
I froze after letting the dough go through its first rise, punching it down, shaping the loaves, then wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap and freezing. When you want to make it just let it thaw in the fridge over night, let it rise again and pop it or them in the oven. I imagine this would work just as well with cinnamon rolls, perhaps it would be easier if you froze the whole log before cutting it into individual rolls? Hope that helps!
-Rachel
I remember making a complete mess out of Silverton's Sunshine Buns when trying to slice the roll.
Had to throw them away. (A painful mistake, as the dough was handmade Danish dough that was hours in the making).
I might try freezing the whole roll and then slicing them.
I think the usual recommendation is to use dental floss to slice them instead of a knife.
I wonder if a cake slicer would do? I think it might.
Since my hands are usually oily and slippery when trying to cut rolls using floss, I just find 2 buttons and tie one on each end so I have something to grab. Works like a charm.
Xantham gum is a tool to use in a bakers/cook's toolbox and shouldn't be shunned. It has its place. The problem in industry is that it has been substituted for other quality ingredients to reduce cost when mass producing something. Taste and texture suffers.
I spread my cinnamon roll dough with canned pumpkin and then cinnamon sugar, then I brush a thin coating of melted butter over the tops. When they bake they are moist but not greasy but still taste buttery.Since the pumpkin is water based, it helps to bring the sugar/cinnamon flavor to the palate so you don't need a thick coating of cinnamon/sugar to be very flavorful! The dough is a brioche with butter in it so there is plenty of butter flavor there,too. Sometimes the canned pumpkin is a little watery. Xantham gum may help out in that situation! Excellent idea!
Have delicious fun!