Using a stand mixer, beat the eggs until they are fluffy and light yellow.
Add the sugar and beat again.
Add the butter and beat again.
Add the salt, the water, and the yeast. Beat again.
Switch to a dough hook.
Add half of the flour and mix until just incorporated.
Add the remainder of the flour. Beat until the dough comes together. The dough will be soft.
If the dough is too sticky, add a little bit more flour.
Put the dough in an oiled bowl, and cover with a clean towel. Let rise until the dough has doubled in size. (About 2 hours.)
Punch the dough down and roll it out into a 18x22-inch rectangle on a lightly floured surface.
Spread softened butter on the rolled out dough. Leave a ½ inch space at the top unbuttered so it can seal when rolled.
Sprinkle on the sugar and cinnamon and then roll up into a jelly roll shape.
Cut the rolled dough into 16 rolls. Make them even by cutting the large roll in half, then the two remaining rolls in half, then in half again, and so on. I use dental floss for this.
OVERNIGHT CINNAMON ROLLS
Place the rolls in a 9x13-inch cake pan and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
In the morning, take the rolls out of the refrigerator. I usually place the covered pan on a baking sheet and let it warm on top of the oven as the oven is preheating to 350℉/175°C This helps the rolls to rise a little faster.
Let them rise for about 40 minutes, up to two hours. You want the rolls to be touching.
Bake at 350℉/175°C for 28 to 35 minutes, until golden brown.
PRO-TIP: I always use a probe thermometer to check the internal temp. There is nothing worse than doing all this work and having underbaked rolls. The middle rolls should be 190°F/88°C.
BAKE SAME DAY CINNAMON ROLLS
Place the rolls in a 9x13-inch cake pan and cover tightly with plastic wrap.
Let them rise for about 2 hours. You can speed this up if you have a proofing setting on your oven. You can prove the rolls until they have doubled in size.
Bake at 350℉/175°C for 28 to 35 minutes, until golden brown.
Frosting
Beat the cream cheese and butter together until fluffy.
Add sugar, vanilla, and cream.
Spread on warm cinnamon rolls.
Video
RECIPE TIPS
Make-Ahead: Make these the night before and have them ready in the morning. To make these cinnamon rolls the night before, cut the cinnamon rolls and place them into a pre-greased cake pan. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. In the morning, take them out of the refrigerator to rise. Preheat oven to 375℉. Pro tip: I usually place a kitchen towel over them and place the pan on top of my oven while it is preheating. The warmth of the oven heating up allows them to rise pretty quickly. Lighter Cinnamon Roll Icing:Mix the powdered sugar with milk or orange juice. I just use a fork to mix. You will want the consistency to be like honey. VariationsPecan Sticky Buns: Add about a half of a cup of chopped and toasted pecans to the filling.Orange Sweet Rolls: Just a few substitutions. Use half a cup of orange juice and half a cup of water or milk for the liquid in the dough. For the filling, you are going to want to fill these with butter, sugar, and 2 tablespoons of orange zest. You'll substitute this filling for the cinnamon filling. For the frosting add orange juice and orange zest or orange extract. Pineapple Rolls: I have an entire post of these Hawaiian Pineapple Sweet Rolls. Trust me, you do not want to miss out on this recipe.Glazed Cinnamon Rolls: If you're not into the heavy cream cheese frosting and like a lighter glazed cinnamon roll, no problem. Simply add milk or even orange juice to the powdered sugar. Add about 3 tablespoons to start and then continue to add more liquid until the glaze is the consistency of a thick honey. I like to glaze the cinnamon rolls while they are still warm.