Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Glaze

I made a few changes to a very trusty cinnamon roll recipe, and the results were delicious. I sold pans and pans of these happy little buns at the Farmer's Market last weekend. They were a big hit! Buttery, rich, and delicious with a delicate maple glaze on top.

Cinnamon Rolls
adapted from the Bread Baker's Apprentice

6 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of fine sea salt
5 1/2 tablespoons butter flavored shortening
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 1/4 cups whole milk

6 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1 cup powdered sugar
3-4 tablespoons pure maple syrup

In an electric mixing bowl, cream the sugar, salt, and shortening. Add the egg and the vanilla extract and continue to beat until light and fluffy. Finally, add the flour, the yeast, and the milk to the mixture and blend until a soft dough forms. Use your dough hook to knead the dough at medium speed for about 10 minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 12 minutes. The dough should be supple and tacky, but not sticky. As you knead, add flour or water as needed to obtain this consistency in the dough.

Oil a large bowl and transfer the dough into it, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise for about 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in bulk.

Mist your clean counter with cooking spray and transfer the dough onto the counter. Roll your dough out into a large rectangle, about 9 inches by 18 inches. In a small bowl, combine the cinnamon and sugar. Sprinkle evenly over the dough.

Next, roll the dough upstarting at one of the longer ends and finishing at the other end. Place the dough seam-side down on the counter.

Using a sharp knife, slice the dough into rolls about 1" thick and place the rolls onto a greased baking sheet or round oven-safe dish, about 1/2" apart. Cover with saran.

At this point, you can either refrigerate your rolls for up to 2 days if desired. If you do this, then remove the rolls from the refrigerator about 3-4 hours before you plan to bake them so that they can come to room temperature and rise.

Otherwise, go ahead and allow the shaped rolls to rise for 75-90 minutes, until they double in size.

Preheat your oven to 350 derees. Bake the rolls for about 20 minutes. or until they begin to turn golden brown. Cool for 10 minutes before removing them to a cooling rack.

In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar and maple syrup, mixing to form a thin glaze. Drizzle over the warm buns just before serving. Enjoy!