Sleigh bells ring. Are you listening? In the lane, the sun is glistening… Whoa, wait a minute! It’s not December yet. If you’re one of the many people who start counting down to the next holiday season on December 26th, then you’ll know only six months are left to gather Christmas goodies. It was only half-a-year ago that I shared my sinful recipe for Apple Pie Cinnamon Rolls.
I can honestly say I haven’t made cinnamon rolls since last December. A stop on the bathroom scale after New Year’s Day was a contributing factor. But! I’m back on the cinnamon roll wagon. I’ll blame Wheel of Fortune’s recent Christmas in July episodes for getting my mouth drooling and mind thinking about all things cinnamony and spirally. So in honor of Christmas in July, I present to you Sausage Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Icing.
Just like the Apple Pie Cinnamon Roll recipe, this variation relies on a Tangzhong Starter. This cooked mixture of flour, water, and milk helps retain moisture in the roll’s dough. The dough hasn’t changed, but the filling has–breakfast sausage! A tube of store bought breakfast sausage works perfect, or you can get adventurous and make your own. My recipe for homemade Breakfast Pork Sausage is here.
Prepare according to the recipe and roll the dough out to about 1/4″ in a rectangle measuring roughly 24″ by 18″. First smear on a layer of butter, and then another layer of cooked, crumbled breakfast sausage, brown sugar, cinnamon, and more butter. (I think I hear my bathroom scale calling suey, suey…) Roll into a log, and cut out 12-2″ long slices.
You’ll want to let these rolls double in size during a second rise. They will crowd each other in their greased pan. That’s completely okay to help these swirls of piggy goodness stay moist.
These rolls rise to about double their size, and will crowd each other in the pan. That’s completely okay to help these swirls of piggy goodness stay moist. Let them cool slightly and then smear on the Maple Cream Cheese Icing! The pillowy dough, sausage bits, and maple-flavored icing is definitely an early Christmas present, all wrapped up in sugary, salty packaging. Walking in a not-winter wonderland.
Sausage Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Cream Cheese Icing
The best of both salty and sweet worlds–a spiced breakfast sausage rolled up between tender cinnamon roll dough layers. And the final nod to all things breakfast? Maple cream cheese icing is reminiscent of fluffy pancakes dripping with syrup and a side of sausage.
- Cook Time: 27 to 30 Minutes
- Total Time: About 2-1/2 Hours
- Yield: 12 Rolls 1x
Ingredients
For Tangzhong Starter:
5 tbsp. water
5 tbsp. whole milk
3 tbsp. + 1 tsp. bread flour
For Dough:
All of the Tangzhong Starter
4 cups + 2 tbsp. bread flour
3 tbsp. nonfat dry milk
1–3/4 tsp. salt (kosher, table or sea)
1 tbsp. instant yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm whole milk (105 to 115 degrees F)
2 large eggs
6 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (Use to spread over rolled dough.)
For Sausage Cinnamon Filling:
2 cups cooked breakfast sausage, crumbled
1–1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tbsp. ground cinnamon
For Maple Cream Cheese Icing:
3 cups powdered sugar, sift if necessary
8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 tsp. salt (table, kosher, or sea)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. maple flavoring
Instructions
To Prepare Tangzhong Starter:
In a small saucepan, whisk together water, milk and flour until smooth. Whisking constantly, cook the mixture over medium heat until thick. The whisk will leave lines in the thickened starter. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
To Prepare Dough:
In a large bowl, using a standing or hand-held mixer or by hand, combine the Tangzhong Starter, and all of the dough ingredients. Mix until everything comes together. Cover the dough and let rest for about 20 minutes to allow the flour to absorb the liquids.
Knead the dough by hand, using the hook attachment on a standing mixer, or in a bread machine. Dough should be smooth, elastic and slightly sticky.
Form dough into a ball. Place into a lightly greased bowl and turn to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth towel or greased plastic wrap. Place bowl in a warm location and let dough rise for 60 to 90 minutes, or until dough has almost doubled in size. Prepare Sausage Cinnamon Filling while dough is rising.
To Prepare Sausage Cinnamon Filling:
In a bowl, blend breakfast sausage, brown sugar, butter, and cinnamon until evenly combined. Set aside.
To Form Rolls:
Spray a 9-X 13-inch baking pan with nonstick spray. Line the bottom and long sides of the pan with parchment paper, allowing the paper to hang over the pan sides. Set aside.
Gently deflate dough with your fingertips. On a lightly floured board, roll the dough into a 18-inch by 24-inch rectangle about 1/4-inch thick.
Spread the additional 1/4 cup unsalted butter across the dough to all edges. Evenly spread Sausage Cinnamon Filling over the butter.
Starting with the edge closest to you, roll the dough into a tight log. Pinch the seam shut with your fingers. Use a serrated knife to cut the log into twelve 2-inch slices. Place cut slices into the prepared 9-X 13-inch pan. If they appear crowded, this is okay.
Again, loosely cover the pan and place in a warm location. Let rolls rise until doubled in size, about 45 to 60 minutes. They will crowd one another and is okay. As dough is in its final rise, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place uncovered pan in the preheated oven. Bake rolls for 27 to 30 minutes or until they feel set. The internal temperature of the dough should be between 188 and 190 degrees F. The rolls may have a pale golden color. To maintain the moisture in these rolls, it’s okay to slightly under bake them.
As rolls bake, prepare the Maple Cream Cheese Icing:
Using a hand-held mixer or a standing mixer, combine powdered sugar, cream cheese, butter, salt, vanilla and maple. Beat at medium speed until smooth.
Spread Maple Cream Cheese Icing over hot rolls. Serve immediately. Store cooled rolls in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days at room temperature…or until they’re gobbled up. Whichever comes first. To reheat rolls, loosely cover them with aluminum foil and place in preheated 350 degree F oven until warm.
IMNPB
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