How to Make Cinnamon Rolls Ahead of Time
Ever wondered how to make cinnamon rolls ahead of time? This simple and quick tutorial is for you!
By and large, one of the most frequent questions I get (especially around the holidays!) is:
Can I make these {insert name of favorite cinnamon roll recipe here} ahead of time?
Overnight? Months ahead of time?
And if so, WHAT THE HECK DO I DO AND HOW DO I DO IT?
As in, give me all the details to ensure fluffy, perfect cinnamon rolls the morning of, please and thank you.
Well, today, I have your back! I’m giving you the down low on how to make cinnamon rolls ahead of time. The simplicity of this process might surprise you.
Keep in mind that this overnight/make-ahead method I’m showing you today can be used for most any yeasted roll recipe – sweet or not.
Monkey Bread. Divine Breadsticks. Dinner Rolls.
There are just a few little key tricks/tips to keep in mind, and before you know it, you’ll be pulling out piping hot, fluffy, cinnamon rolls and other baked goods in the morning without having to stay up all night…AND looking like a rock star doing it.
Step One: make your cinnamon roll recipe of choice.
Here are just a few of my favorite cinnamon roll recipes. Many of them have step-by-step photos on the post for making the dough, shaping, etc.
Step Two: place the shaped rolls on the pan specified in the recipe.
I almost always use large, rimmed baking sheets lined with parchment paper and lightly greased with cooking spray.
For average-sized cinnamon rolls, I place about 12 rolls per pan with enough space in between the rolls for rising (but close enough that they’ll bake up with sides touching).
And like I mention in many of my cinnamon roll posts, you can see from the picture below that I usually grab the end of the cinnamon roll and tuck it under the roll so they stay nice and tight while baking.
Now here’s an important step: If you are making them ahead of time, don’t let them rise at room temperature right now like you normally would for the recipe!
Step Three: cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap and immediately pop them in the refrigerator.
They can stay in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours (the longer they are refrigerated, the more the filling might liquify and seep out of the rolls – that may happen to a minor extent anyway, so don’t panic).
You’ll probably notice that when you take the rolls out of the refrigerator to bake, they’ll look puffier and more risen than when they went in.
That’s normal! And good.
Sometimes they’ll rise a lot, sometimes hardly at all. Varying factors: recipe used, warmth of the dough, time in the refrigerator, temperature of the fridge, etc.
Step Four: take the cinnamon rolls out in time to come to room temperature and fully rise before baking.
Usually that means the rolls need to have time to double in size from the original shape (for most recipes) before they go in the oven.
In my kitchen, that generally takes about 2-3 hours after they come out of the refrigerator, give or take.
Once they’re ready, remove the plastic wrap and bake them according to the recipe!
Bonus Tip: here’s one extra hack I’ve used when I don’t want to get out of bed at 4 a.m.
You know, for those mornings when cinnamon rolls need to be baked, frosted and edible by 7:30 or 8:00 a.m.
Sometimes, instead of taking them out 2-3 hours in advance, I take them straight out of the fridge, take off the plastic wrap, and pop them in the cold oven so they can do a “quick come to room temperature and rise” while the oven preheats.
I still bake them for about the same amount of time in the recipe (starting the time after the oven has preheated), but if you’re new to this method, I’d recommend checking on them a minute or two early, because each oven operates a little differently temperature-wise.
This lazy method isn’t completely foolproof. A lot depends on your oven, if it preheats in a standard way or if it has a “rapid preheat” function (that won’t work quite as well).
It also doesn’t produce maybe the same degree of light and fluffy cinnamon roll that the slow rise will do, but I might be the only one to notice the negligible differences. My family has never noticed a thing (shocker!).
For true, I-need-to-look-like-a-rockstar-occasions, I employ the ol’ set my alarm and drag myself out of bed early plan (or just make sure I don’t have to have cinnamon rolls ready by 8 a.m!). Sometimes the ultimate sacrifice of sleep is worth it, but I’m not going to lie, this easy hack has saved me a couple times, too.
A note about freezing
At this point, you can freeze the unbaked rolls instead of refrigerating.
You can freeze them right on the tray and a) keep them on the tray in the freezer OR pop them off the tray once frozen and store them in a ziploc bag in the freezer.
I also find that sometimes the yeast flavor can be more pronounced after freezing and then thawing and baking. I don’t recommend keeping them in the freezer any longer than 3-4 weeks.
Pro Tip: I hardly ever freeze unbaked sweet breads or rolls because of a hack my Aunt Marilyn taught me that I’ve mentioned before. Bake and frost the cinnamon rolls per the recipe and then place individual cooled rolls in a quart-sized freezer bag. Close the bag (yes, it’s a little messy) and freeze.
When ready to eat, remove the roll from the bag (it’s easier than it seems – it will pop right out!) and warm on a plate in the microwave for 1-2 minutes. Hot, fresh, single-serve cinnamon rolls whenever you like. Dangerous!
I know all this info about how to make cinnamon rolls ahead of time isn’t really rocket science type stuff. Most of you probably already follow a similar method.
But I thought it would be handy to have a placeholder tutorial like this so that when I get questions…or when you wonder about the meaning of life and cinnamon rolls…I have a easy, helpful place to point you.
Now what are you waiting for!
Go make some cinnamon rolls!
And as always, leave any additional questions or comments below. I’ll add to this tutorial, if needed, as questions come up!
And one more time, in case you missed it, here’s that handy dandy list of my favorite sweet roll recipes:
124 Comments on “How to Make Cinnamon Rolls Ahead of Time”
Hi,
So I made my cinnamon rolls last night around 9:30pm that’s Thursday and rolled.. but put them in the refrigerator. I want to bake Saturday night right now it’s 8:44 am Friday morning. Could I still put them in the freezer? What do you suggest. Because if I leave them in the fridge until tomorrow they would have been there for more 24hrs
Sorry the delayed response. What did you end up doing?
If covered very well, can baked cinnamon rolls be frozen in pan. I have a 4 at glass pan I’ve used in the past but have never frozen.
Having several family members for Christmas breakfast.
Thinking I could take rolls out of freezer the night before.
Or would covered very well rolls keep ok if made and baked the afternoon of December 23, and not frozen?
Yes, you can freeze the baked cinnamon rolls! I freeze the frosted and baked rolls in individual bags all the time and they reheat beautifully in the microwave for a warm, gooey cinnamon roll. If you are wanting to serve them on Christmas morning, I’d probably bake, frost, and refrigerate tightly covered and then warm them lightly in the oven Christmas morning.
I would like to do your fridge overnight method. When I take them out of the fridge to rise do I leave the plastic wrap on or take it off ? Just in the raising process. Thanks
I leave the plastic wrap on while they rise.
I am making cinnamon rolls to take to my children’s house Christmas morning. We will need to be at their house by 7 AM to watch the grandkids open gifts from Santa. So should I make the rolls that day ahead and reheat them on Christmas morning? Otherwise I would have to get up at 3 AM to let the rolls rise and then bake them. We live in a very cold climate so I wouldn’t think taking them out in the cold to bake them at my son’s will work.
Baking them the day before and reheating the day of seems to make more sense in your situation!
As a newbie, I appreciate all of this!
Question – I need to make 5 dozen cinnamon rolls (using the Cheryl’s recipe) to package individually and give out on Sunday morning. I can’t make them Friday or Saturday because I’ll be out of town, so I’m planning to make them (at least partially) today. I could make them completely, frost and freeze and pull them out Saturday night to thaw. Or I could make them up to the shaping step, freeze the unbaked rolls and my teen daughter could bake them for me on Saturday. Which do you think would turn out best? I know you mention freezing frosted baked rolls and then microwaving before serving, but what if they aren’t being microwaved? Do they thaw perfectly or end up soggy? WWYD? 🙂 Thank you!
If you aren’t reheating them, I don’t think I’d bake, frost and freeze. They won’t be as fresh tasting as trying to bake them on Saturday or Sunday.
Okay so I have been reading all your comments about making the night before vs the morning, freezing them, not freezing, etc. My God! Just make the damn rolls the day before, eat one or two when they are at their best then store the rest in tupperware. In the morning, microwave for 20 seconds and BOOM you’ve got delicious warm cinnabons! Done!
My Nina! Seems to me Mel’s method of refrigerating overnight is better for those of us preparing orders for customers who sell our freshly baked soft, fluffy, moreish cinnamon rolls (with tea/coffee) at Farmers’ markets.
I wasn’t sure for how how long I could refrigerate them overnight. Now I know. So helpful. 🙂
Loved the tips and insight, Mel!!
I am planning to make pumpkin cinnamon rolls (one of my favorite things to make this time of year) for my sister’s birthday breakfast, so this blog will come in so handy!! Thank you! 🙂
also, of the many cinnamon rolls recipes you posted, what’s your favorite? I see so many that look so good!
That’s a tough question! I’d say right now it’s probably Chery’s cinnamon rolls (or the yukon gold ones).
Hi Mel, I just let my cinnamon rolls sit for 6 hours at room temperature. are they still ok to bake?
It all depends on how warm your kitchen is – if they’ve over risen, they may flatten in the oven when they bake.
Hey Mel! I am a boy fan. I love the “Gloria’s famous cinnamon rolls” recipe. We have made them for various church and family events and get requests all the time. At Christmas we tried making the dough the night before and rolled them out and shaped them in the morning. It worked really well! I would say it’s a great hybrid between the shaping them the night before and the waking up at 4am method. You still get the great fluffy texture but in less time. I didn’t wait for the dough to warm up before I shaped them. It was cold dough, but I felt they the rolls were more uniform that way. Plus we didn’t have the filling leak issue.
So good to know – thanks for sharing, Meg!
Thanks! This is why I checked out the comment section. It’s already 10:21, and I just don’t have the energy, or time to roll them out and shape them tonight. This is what’ I’ll do. Thanks!
So with this method, do you make the dough, let it rise and then put it in the fridge? Or just make it and pop it in?
Thanks!
If I’m refrigerating the dough at any point, I don’t let it rise before putting it in the refrigerator.
I love this method and will definitely try it. I’m wondering how long you left the rolls to rise then in the morning after filling and shaping?
This Blog is excellent! I’ve never read such precise instructions (and with picture tutorial!).
Can I just make the dough and then take it out of the fridge and shape them then let them rise again?
Sure! The dough will be easier to work with if you let the dough come to room temperature before shaping the rolls.
Hello, I want to make the cinnamon 2 days in advance (like today haha). Can I make them, freeze the first night, the second put them in the fridge (tomorrow) and bake them on Christmas morning?
O should just let them 2 days in a row in the fridge? Is that possible?
Thanks a lot!
I would probably freeze them vs keeping them in the fridge unbaked for more than a day.
What if I’ve already let them rise the second time? Do I have to cook them or can they be refrigerated for a couple of days
You’ll have to cook them. They’ll continue to rise even in the fridge, and so waiting will cause them to rise too much.
It would be best to bake them. They’ll most likely over rise in the fridge and that can cause them to flatten when they bake or develop a yeasty flavor and texture.
Have you or anyone else reading tried partially cooking cinnamon rolls (around 10 minutes?) then cooling, wrapping and freezing. Then thawing in fridge and completing the bake when ready to serve? I just wondered if this would work and if would be better than freezing after the complete bake. Timing just never works well with my adult family so I do not get to make their favorite treat as often as they would like.
I have never partially cooked them – I’m not sure how that would work or if the texture would be as light and fluffy once they are thawed and fully baked.
Hi Mel. I need to make 3 dozen cinnamon rolls and I wanted to get them started the day before.. I don’t have enough refrigerator space to shape them into rolls before placing them in the refrigerator. If I refrigerate the dough and shape them in the morning do I need to let the dough warm up before rolling them out?. If so about how long?
Thank you for all of your fabulous recipes.. I know I can always count on you for something yummy!
Yes, if you refrigerate the dough in mass the night before, it will work better (and roll out better) if it has the chill off before rolling out. Maybe letting it sit at room temp for about an hour? A lot will depend on the container it is in and the temperature of your kitchen.
If I am following the method of refrigerating a bowl of unshaped dough and I leave it on the counter to warm up for an hour or so, once I form the Cinnamon Rolls and put them on a tray, do they need to rise again for 2-3 hours in a warm place or does the time on the counter taking the chill off count as rise time, reducing the time needed for the second rise?
Yes, the shaped cinnamon rolls still need to rise so they can be super fluffy after baking.
Just a note, but freezing them works fab! I have been making our Christmas morning cinnamon rolls weeks in advance and freezing them right after rolling and shaping them ( this year’s were made a week ago). I freeze them before the second rise covered in wax paper and a tight layer on foil. I pull them from the freezer right before we go to bed which is typically 12 or 1, post party clean up. I leave them on the counter all night and they are ready to bake whenever we get up. Its one of my favourite Christmas hacks for our Christmas morning brunch. My second favourite:https://www.melskitchencafe.com/hash-brown-egg-breakfast-casserole/. We’ve been making it since you posted it three years ago and we LOVE it. I serve it with hollandaise on the side. It is time to indulge after all. 🙂
Hi Annie! I will to do that. Wanting to know what would happen if you do it.
I’ll Freeze them today and tomorrow night take them out of the fridge, and in the morning bake them.
Thank you for the tip! Any extra you recommend?
I have been making this recipe for years and love it!
Wondering if you have tried doing a bulk rise on the dough overnight in the fridge then shaping and baking them in the morning?
I haven’t tried that, but you could!
I REALLY needed this information!
I want to make my “famous (i.e., the Cinnabon recipe) cinnamon rolls” for our church’s hospitality table tomorrow and since I have a rather loud stand mixer and don’t want to wake hubby up at 4 a.m., I’ve been trying to figure out how to mostly make them tonight and bake them tomorrow morning. And now I know how to do it.
Thank you!
It’s almost midnight and I don’t want to bake these tonight so i had to come to the internet for help…and there you were, just the person I needed at this hour! I’ll not set my alarm, I’ll just let my husband take them out of the fridge. I’m a first time cinnamon baker, so I appreciate your hel!
Hi i was wondering if my cinnamon rolls still good after 2 days? . I left them in a plastic bag
If they were frosted with a cream cheese frosting, they probably needed to be refrigerated for that amount of time.
Hi quick question! I accidentally let them rise (2nd rise) and then refrigerated them!! Will this affect them at all, in taste or texture?! It only took 30 mins are so to 2nd rise but your instructions said to stick them in the fridge after the first rise… did I just mess up bad? Or can I bring them to room temperature and bake as normally instructed?
Hi Shay – the rolls may develop a yeastier flavor and/or continue to rise in the fridge and then collapse if they over rise. But then again, they might be fine depending on how much they rose during the 2nd rise. It’s hard to know.
Hi, I was wondering what would happen if I refrigerated my prepared, formed, cut but uncooked rolls for more than 24 hours? Say 2-3 days. Will they not come out correctly?
Thanks!
They might have an overly yeasty flavor and sometime the dough can get a spongy texture if refrigerated too long.
I have heard that if you refrigerate cinnamon rolls over night (up to 16 hours) the filling will run out. This if my first time making homemade rolls, so I am wondering if anyone has suggestions! Thank you 🙂
Hi Meagan, yes, the filling does seep out a bit if they are refrigerated overnight but I still do this because it saves so much time the morning you want to serve them! And every cinnamon roll recipe is a bit different – some don’t have filling that gets quite as runny as others.
Thank you so much for answering this. I’ve only done refrigerated rolls twice and both times it seems like a lot of the filling seeped out both times. I wasn’t sure if I was going something wrong or what.
This is helpful, but what if I let my rolls ride before sticking them in the fridge last night? They didn’t rise more in the fridge – can they be put straight in the oven or do they still need to come to room temperature?
Yes, they can go directly in the oven. Sometimes if they go into the oven chilled (without coming to room temperature) they can have a different texture when baking – it’s hard to describe. When I’ve done this, the dough sometimes get a pitted texture. However they should still taste great (and there’s a chance they’ll bake up just fine!)
we are going up to a friends cottage this weekend. I need to make the rolls on Friday to be eaten on Sunday morning. Can they stay in the fridge that long?
They’ll probably be ok – not quite as fresh-tasting and moist but if they are lightly warmed up before eating, they should be fine!
I know this may not make it to u in time. I am needing to make 3000 yes 3000 cinnamon rolls. The person who use to make them left
All all instructions and recipes left with her. HELP
I would suggest making them in advance and freezing. I can’t imagine making that many fresh. That is a lot of cinnamon rolls!
So glad I found this post. I’m planning to make savory filled rolls (with olive tapenade, roasted eggplant & tahini) I need to bring it to work on Tuesday AM but can only spend the time to make it on Sunday. I was searching the internet to see if I can refrigerate for the 2nd proof for one day until baking on Monday PM.
I made it before but proofed both same day out of the fridge.
Your post convinced me that it’s possible. I’ll take out of the fridge for the 2-3 hrs, brush with egg wash and bake. Will post the results.
Thank you so much for the detailed post. Now, I HAVE to check out your entire blog.
Thanks again.
Update: after 24 hours in the fridge, there was a strong smell of alcohol and the buns were very puffy. I smooshed them a bit and baked after 2.5 hours in room temp.
They came out bigger but ok. There was a bit bitter taste. Not sure why.
I think I like same day 2nd proof better. But if needed, will do it again.
Thanks again for your amazing blog.
These instructions are fabulous – THANK YOU!
Thanks, Jen!
I want to prep a whole batch in advance and then re-heat the whole batch for holiday gatherings/sleepovers etc.
If I prebaked -say the Gloria recipe- and then refrigerated the pan, what would be the best way to re-heat the whole pan in the oven as opposed to the oven—I’m wondering if doing at like 170-200 until heated through would work.
I really appreciate this post btw. I’ve bookmarked almost all of your cinnamon bun recipes but just don’t usually have time for the multiple rises or sitting at room temp…need them in the oven and ready to eat by 8/9 and I’m not good at early rising.
Sorry- that was supposed to say reheat in the oven as opposed to the microwave.
Hmmm, I’ve never reheated a whole pan of baked rolls like that; I’m a little afraid the baked rolls will dry out in the refrigerator (bread often does if refrigerated). I’d probably reheat them, covered loosely with foil, for about 10-15 minutes at 225 degrees or so. Let me know how it goes if you try it!
I love your recipes and used them all the time. However, I have never made your cinnamon rolls. We are getting ready to our yearly month long RV trip and one of the things my kids love is cinnamon rolls. Which of your recipes freezes well or do you know of one that is fail proof? I have an oven, so that is not a problem. I am looking to make a few pans and freeze them and pull them out when ready. Let me know and keep the recipes coming.
Hey Crystal – they all freeze well…but I’d say for a no-fail recipe I’d go for Gloria’s Perfect Cinnamon Rolls or the Vanilla Pudding Cinnamon Rolls.
Hi Mel! An issue I’ve been having lately with cinnamon rolls: As they bake I feel like half the filling seeps out and leaves a sugar crust on the bottom of the rolls as it cools. Any way to avoid this? It leaves the dough kinda bland since much of the filling oozes out! I pat the filling in gently and all! Help!
Hey Tanya – are you using melted butter or softened butter? One tip I’ve tried after making the Yukon gold cinnamon rolls is to add a tablespoon of flour to the brown sugar mixture helps with this!
This is what I did making your Yukon Gold Cinnamon Rolls for this past Christmas morning. I had made a double batch and left one batch with my daughter and one with us. They were incredible!
THanks for the tips! I’ve taken your recipe for buttermilk rolls- with mashed potato in the dough- added some sugar, and adapted it to be my cinnamon roll recipe. They are moist, soft and absolutely delicious!
I simply love you!
I wanted to comment on the 10th year anniversary post (not for the contest, already entered), but it is closed. I read on your newsletter that you were thinking about compiling a list of readers favorites and that would be awesome! I enjoyed reading some of the comments, looking for good ideas, but I had to get back to work 🙂
Again, thanks for a great blog!
Hi Betsy – I’ll definitely be posting the top reader favorite recipes!
What cinnamon roll recipe would you recommend making that doesn’t require a heavy duty mixer? I have to make them by hand and want the easiest-to-work-with dough Also, what recipe produces the softest baked roll? Thanks for putting this post together, it’s a real big help!
I would recommend a half batch of Gloria’s cinnamon rolls (they also produce a super soft cinnamon roll).
Well, here I am searching for an answer to my dilemma at 3:45 am on Christmas morning 2020….my sticky buns were left out and have risen perfectly….unfortunately they’re not to be baked until 6:30am!!! WHAT TO DO?
Bake now? Put in the fridge, pull out and bake at 6:00?
I sure hope I dont ruin these, they’ve risen beautifully.
Hi Kris, sorry I’m just now seeing your comment. Did the rolls work out?
Now I want a cinnamon roll! Over Christmas I made both the perfect cinnamon roll (Gloris’s) and the vanilla pudding cinnamon rolls from your blog. Both were delicious,, but I have been wanting to make the lemon sticky buns since you first posted them. I love lemon, so I may make them today and freeze half for later. Thanks for another great post!
Hope you like the lemon sticky rolls, Teresa!
Love this post! So useful! And I LOVE Gloria’s rolls, going to have to make them soon again after reading this post 🙂
Thanks, Melanie!
Freezing a baked and frosted cinnamon roll and reheating in the microwave is the game changer of all game changers! Talk about kitchen rock star status!
I’m devoted to Gloria’s cinnamon rolls, but I’ll try the yukon gold ones one of these days, because I basically do whatever you tell me to do in the kitchen 😉
🙂 Seriously, I totally agree about game changer status on reheating baked, frozen cinnamon rolls. And let me know what you think of those Yukon cinnamon rolls! The jury is still out for some readers but they might be my all time fave.
Thanks for this handy dandy, one stop shop, all about cinnamon rolls post! My mouth is watering after looking at all the delicious sweet roll pics!
Thanks, Jenn. 🙂
I did this for Christmas last year! Made the rolls the day before, formed them and refrigerated overnight. Not because I wanted them done early, but because I decided I’d rather make and clean up the mess the day before. Worked very well! Oh, and my sister in law commented later “You know you’re going to have to make these every year now, right?” Because apparently in our family, if you do it once, it’s a tradition. Haha.
Haha, that made me laugh. Be careful what you do well!
Hi Mel, A perfect cinnamon roll is my all time favorite treat. I have made all of your cinnamon roll recipes and I have not been disappointed. They all are good in different ways. My question is that every time my rolls come out of the oven they look like cones (center is really tall) and then fall (the rolls are now indented) when I frost them if they are warm still. I am hoping you can help me figure out what I am doing to these poor rolls to cause this ;). They taste great but I would love to make a pretty cinnamon roll that looks like yours :).
Hey Rachel – if they are baking up like that (the center rises so much higher), I think it’s probably because they are rolled too tight so as the dough bakes and puffs, it has to rise up instead of spreading out a bit. I’d try rolling them slightly looser than normal (although not gappy!).
I am so glad you posted this! On Sunday, I read through a ton of comments on your Aunt Marilyn’s cinnamon roll recipe to figure out how to do this, as in, make the dough ahead of time. And then, when I was halfway finished mixing up the dough for the rolls, a jar of coconut oil fell out of my cabinet onto my stove, shattering the glass top disaster of all disasters. I threw the dough away because I was afraid it might have glass shards in it. When I get my range fixed, I am making these!!
Oh my gosh, that sounds like a nightmare, Michelle. Yikes!
Mel- Thank you for posting! I am making cinnamon rolls for a meeting at school next week and was actually going to experiment with this over the weekend but now I don’t have to! I have used this method numerous times with other yeast rolls but not the cinnamon ones. A trick I use to speed up the rising process in the morning is to put a pan of boiling water in the bottom shelf of my oven (turned off) and then put the try on the middle shelf. The steam really helps the rolls rise faster and it adds some moisture as well! Plus it never seems to take more than 30 minutes. I then take them out and bake them for normal amount of time. I have a double oven so I have the other oven preheated and ready to put the rolls in when they come out of the water bath rise.
Thanks again for all your amazing recipes and kitchen tips!
Great tip, Jessica! Thanks for sharing!
Mel,
Do you thaw the frozen rolls overnight in the fridge before baking, or just take them out of the freezer and bake when thawed and risen?
I’ve done both, Mona. On the counter, they can take upwards of 8 hours to thaw and come to room temp…and longer in the fridge, but either way works.
You have so many good cinnamon roll recipes on your site that it is hard to pick one to make; however, not having to use yeast and waiting for a rise make the Flaky Buttermilk Biscuit rolls a favorite. Have made these several times and they are so good. We usually put them in the refrigerator overnight, but I have not let them come to room temp because of the no yeast. Should I? Will it make them even flakier and better?
Great question, Sheila! Those buttermilk biscuit cinnamon rolls do GREAT baked right out of the fridge, so I’d keep doing what you are doing! 🙂
Thanks for this awesome tutorial, Mel. I don’t know if you have a caramel (or caramel pecan) roll recipe in your back pocket, but I’d sure love to have it, if you do. My family and I love your recipes and appreciate all your hard work in perfecting and sharing your wonderful recipes.
I don’t have one posted, but I plan to get a best-ever caramel roll recipe posted very soon!
Can’t wait!!
I’ll second that request, pretty please !
I’ve been here for all 10 years and will be sticking around for good! You’ve trained me to become a wonderful cook. A heartfelt thank you for all you do for the families all over the world to … get dinner on the table, entertain company, celebrate holidays, provide treats and take in meals for neighbors, throw a party, find healthy made from scratch meals and satisfy a sweet tooth. You’re an angel. Congratulations and happy birthday!
Thank you so much, Kira! So glad you are still here. 🙂 You’ve shared so many great things with ME over the years (the recipes and your mom’s book, for instance!).
I was driving myself crazy at Christmas with this dilemma..I knew my kids couldn’t wait 3-4 hours for them to come to room temperature and rise on Christmas morning so I put them uncooked on the baking sheet and froze for a day. Christmas Eve night before I went to bed, around midnight, I put them on the counter to thaw and rise. I find they are a little flatter and the filling is a little runnier. Don’t get me wrong, I still loved each and every bite . I guess the ideal way is just make them on Saturdays and have them for dessert…or dinner .
I hear ya, Gigi. I’ve had the same experience with the rolls kind of flattening after being frozen.
We all told you our favorite recipes (or five favorites) over the last couple days, but I must as you…what is yours???? If you had to pick one? And what if you got to pick 50? That would make a great post.
I loved reading comments from other readers over the past couple days. You have a great legacy !!!
Thank you, Danielle! I actually thought of doing a favorite 25 or 50 post. Maybe I’ll just go ahead and do it, even if I’m the only one excited about it. 🙂
No I think we all would. But I would love to pin you down and make you pick one 🙂
Yes! Do it please!!!
Yes! Do this!!
I would love that post! I didn’t post for the give away, and feel like asking for a favorite is like choosing a favorite child and we all know that changes daily, so I will pick the recipe that 4 out of 5 of us absolutely love…cheesy chicken Kale and sweet potato skillet, although just about anything I make from your site is a hit.
What if you did half the second rise before you put them in the fridge. Then they would only have to come to room temperature and rise a tad before popping them in the oven. i have had good luck with doing cold rises in the fridge with bread but rolls usually are a more enriched dough. Seems like a half rise first might do it.
I will give it a try and report back. (My family loves this kind of “research”!)
I’m going to experiment along these lines also. Like Beth, I very often do a cold rise for bread and then put it straight into a preheated oven/dutch oven, i.e. both are at the baking temp. I get great oven spring with that method. So, I’m wondering how the rolls might do straight from the fridge into a hot oven.
I’ll be back 🙂
Great tutorial, Mel! My favorite is the Lemon sticky buns with some blueberries added but I haven’t made them all and the orange are on my list.
Beth and Liz, you’ll have to report back! I’ll be curious how that goes for you! I tried it once or twice and it was probably because my kitchen was too warm OR I let them rise too much before popping them in the refrigerator, but they OVER rose in the fridge and then deflated in the oven when I baked them. Total baker error, I’m sure. I have had the best luck letting the rolls come all the way to room temp before baking (unless I do the hack where I put the cold rolls in the cold oven to preheat with the oven). So anyway, all that rambling is to say, BE SURE AND LET ME KNOW if/when you experiment!
Reporting back 🙂
The short story is a refrigerated rise (8 hours) and then direct into a preheated oven worked very well for me. Baking time at same temp as recipe states was an extra 8 minutes and maybe should have been only an extra 5 min.
The longer story – I used the Lemon Sticky bun recipe adding blueberries, 1/4 of the flour was white whole wheat and I added 3T of potato flour for extra fluff. I wrote a detailed blog post. I did the test during the day so I could keep an eye on the cold rise. My thinking is that for a cold rise the shaped rolls should go immediately into the frig. At 8 hours, my rolls on a bottom (warmer) shelf were ready to bake and maybe would have been over risen if they had gone 10-12 hours. If I did it again and wanted a little wiggle room on time, I would make sure to put them on a colder top shelf.
The other thing that I think is important. I reviewed the link in the recipe to your tutorial on working with yeast doughs and refreshed myself on look and feel of properly floured dough. I just might have over floured if I had not reviewed that tutorial.
It was fun and the rolls are delicious 🙂
Thanks for the report back, Liz! I’m definitely going to check out your detailed report. This kind of stuff is fascinating!
re the cold/cold after reading your comment: My guess is that the dough has to be strong enough to support the oven spring that happens when the cold dough goes right into a hot oven … so a perfect first rise, close to perfect flour amount seem critical. And good yeast.
You really do have the best food blog out there. I have made the Yukon gold cinnamon rolls twice and they are wonderful, and that frosting is the best. I love these educational posts. Thanks!
Thanks so much, Michelle!
I LOVE Gloria’s cinnamon rolls – so so good! I make them twice a year at conference time and make enough to freeze for the next several months (and pass out to neighbors and friends). I freeze them in foil pans and pull them out for special occasions. They ALWAYS thaw perfectly.
Thanks, Mel, for so many great recipes!
That’s awesome, Liz (and I’m sure your neighbors LOVE you!).
So I have to ask, which of these is your very favorite cinnamon roll recipe to make? Thank you for the great tips!
Ack, Melissa! That’s like asking me to pick a favorite child. 🙂 Right now I’m pretty much only making the Yukon Gold recipe, but Gloria’s is a solid go-to for me (especially if making them for a crowd), and the buttermilk recipe is a looooong-term favorite. So yeah, I don’t think I answered your question, but those are the ones I’m loving the best right now!