Everyone says they've seen the largest cinnamon roll in the world (or just America, sometimes I can't tell the difference) but I'm pretty sure this one would give them all a run for their money. With three fillings and a circumference greater than dinner plates, pictures really just don't do it justice. This would be sure to make a statement for morning breakfast. Or breakfasts, because this will probably last multiple days.
I still can't fathom how amazing this turned out. And with only 2 attempts no less! But a fair warning, this cinnamon roll is not for the faint of heart. My first attempt was horribly underbaked and I nearly lost hope. But with some minor recipe tweaking, and a whole lot of preparation, I think I created my proudest achievement to date.
This sweet dough recipe is largely based on the one I used in culinary school, so it may have some techniques and terminology that are not found in your typical cinnamon bun recipe. But I believe that any baker, no matter their skills or prior experience, can and should attempt making this monstrosity. I truly cannot tell if my breads and viennoiserie chefs would be impressed or ashamed by this creation.
But if you already have a cinnamon roll recipe that you know and love, feel free to try this technique anyways! The three fillings give room for much creativity in recreations and I hope to see some new takes on this. Mine features a cinnamon/chocolate/pecan combination but I think a triple berry filling would also be divine. And if you stand by cream cheese icing on cinnamon rolls, feel free to slather on that as well. When it comes to cinnamon buns and how you like them, I don't judge. Because that's just how the cinnamon rolls (ba dum tss).
Giant Triple Stuffed Cinnamon Roll
Makes 1 roll (obviously)
Sweet Dough
500g bread flour
266g milk, cold
53g sugar
1 large egg
9g instant yeast
9g salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 lemon
77g unsalted butter, cold (preferably European)
Instructions
Whisk together the egg, milk, and vanilla in a small bowl. Pour it in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment.
Add the yeast, flour, sugar, salt, and lemon zest and mix on speed 1 for 3 minutes until the dough forms and starts pulling away from the side of the bowl.
Meanwhile, plasticize* the cold butter by hitting it with a rolling pin to make it pliable.
Increase the mixer to speed 2 and begin adding the butter in small pieces until it's fully incorporated, mixing for about 5 minutes total (do not add the butter in too quickly or in too big of chunks). Once finished, you should have a very soft and slightly rough-looking dough.
Transfer it to a bowl, cover with plastic, and proof for 45 minutes, then give the dough a stretch and fold*, recover, and proof for another 45 minutes. The dough may not double in size, but it should appear puffy and smooth by the end.
Roughly shape the dough into a log (or better yet, place it in a loaf a greased pan), cover well with plastic wrap, and place the dough in the fridge overnight to ferment*.
The following day, proceed with making the fillings before retrieving the dough from the fridge.
*This is why it's preferable to have European butter. Its higher butterfat content gives you the ability to make it pliable while still cold and overall results in a more workable dough.
*We're asking a lot out of this dough with the size and quantity of fillings, so the stretch and fold at this stage is vital to increasing the strength of the dough.
*A cold ferment helps with 2 things: 1- it is far easier to roll and fold this dough when chilled and 2- it creates a better flavor in your end product. The loaf shape also helps with getting you set up to roll the dough the following day. It's easier to create a long rectangle from a log than it is from a circle!
Pecan Filling
45g unsalted butter, softened
60g pecans, lightly toasted
107g dark brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
Add all your ingredients to a food processor and pulse to create a crumbly somewhat wet filling. Transfer to a bowl and set aside at room temperature until needed.
Chocolate Filling
45g unsalted butter, softened
50g dark brown sugar
5g cocoa powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
28g semi-sweet chocolate
Add all the ingredients to a bowl except for the chocolate and mix until thoroughly combined. This should form a thick but easily spreadable paste.
Roughly chop the chocolate into small pieces and set both aside at room temperature until needed.
Cinnamon Filling
50g unsalted butter, softened
87g granulated sugar
10g ground cinnamon
6g bread flour
Add all the ingredients to a bowl and blend until thoroughly combined. This should also form a thick paste and should be slightly thicker than the chocolate filling. Set aside at room temperature until needed.
Glaze
430g powdered sugar
28g corn syrup
100g milk
Whisk together the milk and corn syrup in a microwave-safe bowl.
Heat for 30 seconds before whisking in the powdered sugar. If it is lumpy and feels somewhat stiff, heat for another 30 seconds. This glaze should be very thin, runny, and is best used when warm.
Assembly
Also need: egg wash, flour, baking twine, parchment, and a Dutch oven
1. Prepare the Dutch oven (mine is 6 quarts) by spraying it with non-stick baking spray. Cut 3 pieces of twine so that they fit with excess hanging just outside of the dutch oven. Arrange them so that they overlap in the center and cut a small circle of parchment so that it fits in the bottom of the pan. Place the parchment down on top of the twine and once again spray with non-stick baking spray. Set aside until needed.
2. Retrieve the dough from the fridge and place it on a well-floured surface. Using the loaf shape as a guide, begin rolling the dough, making a rectangle that is wider than it is taller. Roll it out until it is approx. 10” tall and 25” wide.
3. Along the center third of the dough, place the pecan filling in a 3” strip along the full length of the dough, saving a 1-2” gap on the right-hand side blank. Brush a thin strip of egg wash underneath the pecan filling and fold the top third of the dough over to just cover the filling and the egg wash. Press with your finger to help seal the dough.
4. Spread the chocolate filling over the now-folded section of dough, once again leaving the gap on the right-hand side. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate over the chocolate filling and brush a small strip of egg wash just above the chocolate filling. Fold the bottom third of the dough just over the chocolate filling and egg wash and once again press to seal.
5. Lastly, spread the cinnamon filling over the dough and once again leave a 1-2” gap blank on the right side.
6. Starting from the left-hand side, begin rolling the dough onto itself to make a spiral. When you are close to the blank gap of dough, lightly stretch the dough to elongate it and tuck it towards the seam side of the roll. Turn the roll so that it is seam-side down with the dough tucked underneath and transfer to the prepared dutch oven. Cover with the lid, ensuring that the strings are still hanging outside of the pan, and let proof somewhere warm for approx. 1 hour- 1 hour and 30 minutes. Towards the end of the proofing time, preheat the oven to 325°F.
7. You’ll know the cinnamon roll is ready when it has increased in volume and appears puffy. If you gently poke the dough and an indent remains, it's ready to bake!
8. Bake the cinnamon roll covered at 325°for approx. 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the lid and bake for an additional 15 minutes until the exterior is a deep brown shade. To ensure that the center is cooked through, check to see that it is at or above 188°F by temping the very center with a thermometer.
9. Immediately transfer the roll onto a wire rack by using the twine to help lift it out of the Dutch oven. You can also discard the twine and parchment at this stage. Proceed to glazing while the cinnamon roll is still hot.
10. With the cinnamon roll on a wire rack with a cookie sheet, pour the warm glaze over the whole thing, and don’t be shy when it comes to this step. I would suggest scraping the glaze off the cookie sheet after the first pass, reheating it, and glazing the cinnamon roll again if you feel so inclined.
And after all that, it's ready to be torn apart and enjoyed! If you are consuming this monstrosity immediately (and I mean, who wouldn’t?) you might find that some of the glaze will leak out as you cut into it. The more you let the cinnamon roll cool, the more it will set and better hold its shape. But I can’t imagine anyone would have the patience for that.
And there's a lesson here learned for me. Just because I can, does mean I should. And should do I shall from here on out.
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