Pretzel Cinnamon Rolls: The Best of Both Worlds
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When cinnamon rolls and soft pretzels combine, the result is sheer perfection. This brilliant recipe comes from Izy Hossack, author of the London-based blog Top With Cinnamon and the cookbook Everyday Delicious: Super Tasty Breakfasts, Brunches, Mains, Desserts, and Snacks, published in February 2017. Imagine a classic cinnamon roll with a pretzel-like crust and a sprinkle of salt on top. Are you drooling yet? I am.
The secret to successfully making this recipe is starting with the recipe for basic bread dough and sweetening it with a few extra tablespoons of sugar. In the intro to the bread dough recipe in Everyday Delicious, Izy says, "'You have to LOVE the dough.' This is what my mum tells anyone any time they make simple bread dough. What she means by this is knead it by hand; leave the machines out of it. It will literally take ten minutes of your time and I promise you, will ensure a better loaf. It's 100 percent mum-guaranteed (and no one can argue with their mum about this kind of thing)." True.
The next time you are hosting Sunday brunch or just want to treat yourself with an upgraded afternoon snack, discover the magic that happens when you mash up two of the best carb-loaded things in the world.
Pretzel Cinnamon Rolls
INGREDIENTS
- Basic Bread Dough:
- 450 grams (1 pound / 3 1/2 cups) plain (all-purpose) flour, plus more for kneading (or use half plain and half wholemeal/whole-wheat flour)
- 7 grams (1/2 ounce) sachet dried yeast
- 1 tablespoon honey or sugar (use 4 tablespoons for a sweet recipe)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 egg
- [Makes enough for 1 large loaf or 12 rolls]
- Pretzel Cinnamon Rolls:
- 1 quantity of Basic Bread Dough (made using 4 tablespoons sugar)
- 100 grams (3 1/2 ounces / 1/2 cup) dark brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 75 grams (2 1/2 ounces / 1/3 cup) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tablespoon bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)
- Kosher salt, for sprinkling
INSTRUCTIONS
Basic Bread Dough: In a large bowl, stir together the flour, yeast, honey or sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center of the ingredients, crack in the egg, and pour in 250 milliliters (8 1/2 ounces/1 cup) lukewarm water. Stir with your hands, then tip out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for 10 minutes, adding a little more flour if needed, until you have a smooth, slightly sticky ball of dough.
Oil the bowl and place the dough in it. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Pretzel Cinnamon Rolls: Grease a large, deep ovenproof dish with sunflower oil. On a lightly floured surface, roll the proved dough into a rectangle, 50 x 32 centimeters (20 x 12 1/2 inches).
Stir the sugar and cinnamon together in a bowl. Spread the butter over the surface of the dough and top with the cinnamon-sugar. Starting with a short edge, roll the dough into a 32-centimeter (121/2-inch) log, then cut the log into 12 even pieces and arrange each piece in the greased dish. Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F / Gas 4).
In a small bowl, stir together the bicarbonate of soda and 3 tablespoons of hot water. Remove the plastic wrap from the rolls and use a pastry brush to cover the rolls with the bicarbonate of soda mixture, then immediately sprinkle with salt. Bake for 35-45 minutes until dark brown and well risen.