Cinnamon Rolls

I'm not sure why, but the warm perfume of cinnamon sugar rolls makes me want to crawl under my blanket and eat the entire batch all by myself :).  Greed, I know.  But hey, it's cinnamon sugar.  I can't think of any better pairing.  These two are definitely a match made in heaven.

And as you would have expect, my cinnamon rolls are also chock-full of raisins, another favourite in our household.  Drizzled with sugar glaze, these gooey, swirly cinnamon rolls are absolutely decadent, irresistible and addictive.  Don't ask me how many rolls I ate.  Hint: I think I already put on 1 kg eating these this morning.  But there's no stopping me now, I am already planning my next batch, for which I am going to add a hint of cinnamon powder to the bread dough, and swap half the raisins for pecans.

You will need:
Dough
140 ml fresh milk
200 g bread flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp instant yeast
35 g butter, at room temperature

Filling
150 g raisins
1 tbsp sugar mixed with 2 tsp cinnamon powder
Adequate butter to smear, at room temperature

Sugar glaze
1/2 cup icing sugar mixed with 2 tsp water (or more) to reach the desired drizzling consistency

Preparation:
Put all the ingredients (except for the butter) in the pan of the bread machine according to the manufacturer's instructions.  Select the dough function.  Add the butter after about 5 minutes. 

You can also knead the dough by hand.  To do so, simply put the flour, sugar and yeast in a bowl. Stir to combine.  Add the salt, and stir again.  Make a well in the centre of the flour. Pour milk into the well, and mix to make a soft, moist dough.

Place the dough onto a clean, lightly floured surface and, with lightly floured hands, knead for 5 - 10 minutes, until it is smooth and elastic.  Add the butter into the dough, and continue to knead for another 10 - 15 minutes until the dough is no longer sticking to the surface and your hands.

Place the dough into a large, lightly oiled bowl. Cover with cling film and leave to rise in a warm place for about 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in size.

When the dough program has finished (if using machine) or the dough has doubled its size, take the dough out of the machine / bowl.  Place it onto a clean floured surface and punch down. Shape into round, and let rest for 10 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface, pat the dough out into a long rectangle.  Spread generously with butter. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar, followed by the raisins over the rolled-out dough.  From the long side of the rectangle, roll the dough up in swiss roll style.  Cut the rolled-up dough into 7 equal portions, and place them cut side up on a lined baking tin.  Cover and leave aside to proof for another 30 - 45 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 180 deg C about 15 minutes prior to baking.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the buns are golden brown.  Let cool for a few minutes and carefully remove the rolls from the pan.  Drizzle sugar glaze over the warm rolls.