Description
This delicious Cinnamon Roll Wreath is a festive twist on classic cinnamon rolls, featuring soft, buttery dough rolled with cinnamon sugar, shaped into a beautiful wreath perfect for sharing. Topped with a smooth vanilla icing, this recipe creates an impressive centerpiece for breakfast or brunch with friends and family.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk
- 2/3 cup (135g) granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 tablespoons Platinum Yeast from Red Star instant yeast (2 standard size packets)
- 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and cut into 4 pieces
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 4 and 1/2 cups (563g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled), plus more for hands/work surface
Filling
- 6 Tablespoons (85g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons ground cinnamon
Vanilla Icing
- 1 cup (120g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) milk
Instructions
- Make the dough: Heat the milk to about 95°F (35°C) using a microwave or stovetop. Pour the warm milk into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Whisk in the sugar and yeast, cover with a towel, and let sit until the yeast is foamy, about 10 minutes. On low speed, beat in the softened butter until slightly broken up. Add the eggs one at a time, then add the salt. Gradually add the flour on low speed. Once all flour is added, beat at medium speed until a soft dough forms, then increase to medium-high speed and beat for about 6 minutes until dough is soft and supple.
- Knead the dough: Continue kneading in the mixer for 5 more minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes. If dough is sticky, sprinkle flour sparingly to get a slightly tacky dough. After kneading, the dough should be soft and spring back slowly when poked. Perform a windowpane test to confirm proper kneading.
- First rise: Form the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or foil and let rise in a warm place (like inside a turned-off oven preheated to 200°F) until doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours.
- Shape dough: Line a large baking sheet with lightly floured parchment paper. Pat the dough into a 10×20-inch rectangle with floured hands, smoothing the surface evenly.
- Add filling: Spread softened butter over the dough evenly. Mix cinnamon and sugar together and sprinkle all over the buttered dough. Tightly roll the dough into a 20-inch long log. Cut into 20 1-inch rolls, slicing about 3/4 through so they remain connected at the bottom.
- Form the wreath: Turn the first roll on its side, place the next overlapping it slightly, and continue to form a circle with all rolls overlapping. Place a ramekin in the center to hold shape.
- Second rise: Cover wreath loosely with plastic wrap. Place on a baking sheet and let rise in a warm environment until puffy, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
- Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Bake the wreath for 25 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes.
- Prepare icing: Whisk together confectioners’ sugar, vanilla extract, and milk in a bowl. Drizzle the icing over the warm wreath before serving.
Notes
- Overnight Instructions: Prepare dough and shape through step 6. Instead of the second rise, refrigerate the wreath up to 14 hours. Remove from fridge, let rise for 1 hour at room temperature, then bake as directed.
- Freezing Instructions: Freeze shaped wreath before second rise for up to 3 months, thaw overnight in fridge, then let rise 1.5–2 hours before baking. Another method is par-baking for 10 minutes, cooling, then freezing; thaw and finish baking before serving. Fully baked wreath can also be frozen and reheated in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes.
- Let the wreath cool completely on parchment paper before freezing or storing.
- If the yeast does not foam during proofing, start over with fresh yeast to ensure proper rising.
- Use kitchen shears for easier cutting when forming the wreath to avoid damaging dough.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 4 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 45 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 45 mg
