Golden Rum Raisin Super Soft Cinnamon Rolls
Believe me when I tell you that all you want for Christmas are these Dark Rum Golden Raisin Cinnamon rolls! These rolls are soft, warm and pillowy, like any good Christmas morning should be. As you could’ve guessed, I used golden raisins instead of dark and used dark rum instead of white rum for a warmer note. I smeared them in a classic butter cream cheese icing, with a bit of booze just to make the morning even more fun! This dough is so soft, you can bake these the day before and still have pillowy buns the next day. I know it sounds crazy but you have to trust me on this one my friends. You are going to understand when you give these rolls their first bite!
How can you fully bake perfectly softened pillowy cinnamon rolls a day ahead and still have super soft and pillowy cinnamon rolls the next day? Well, when I developed this recipe I made two things to make sure you could finish all your baking the day before serving and not having stale or tough rolls one, two, even three days after. First, I made a sponge based on the Tazangohn method. This is a Japanese method where you cook some of the flour from the recipe with some liquid until the mixture has a pudding-liken consistency. This technique forces moisture into the flour so the dough retains it longer, including baking time and shelf life. That’s why even a few days after baked, these rolls will still be soft and tender.
The other thing I did? I took the best of both worlds by using both all-purpose flour and bread flour. We all know all-purpose flour makes soft and tender rolls given its lower protein content, therefore less gluten formation. But bread flour brings that chewiness quality that gives these rolls a yeasted bread texture, not just a cakey-bread texture. We have to thank the higher amount of protein of bread flour which gives gluten a better chance for developing. This better formation of gluten is what gives that particular bite to bread. You can make the recipe with just all-purpose flour or just with bread flour.
Now, for what you are really here, the rum raisin part!! I used a Puerto Rican dark rum (of course!) to soak the raisins with a bit of rum extract, plus a bit more for the cream cheese glaze. Traditionally the rum taste in rum raisin is pretty strong but here is way more subtle, mostly because some of it will evaporate during baking. Of course you can leave the booze out. You just need to hydrate the raisins with water or juice instead. In any case, the raisins should be soaking for about two hours, the time it will take to prepare and proof the dough.
Making cinnamon rolls the day before
I have experienced a lot with overnight cinnamon rolls recipes where you leave the cut rolls in the fridge and bake them the next morning. Even if it’s still a great shortcut, I always felt I wasn’t really advancing the process that much. I still would have to deal with raw dough and flour dusted all over the place the next morning after everything is cleaned up already. I still would have to wait about two hours because it’s an hour to make them come down to room temperature and then about another hour to rise. And the reality is the rise is not as perfect as when you do the whole thing at once.
That’s what I love about this recipe and making the sponge! These rolls end up so soft and pillowy that they will taste fresh, soft and pillowy the morning after you bake them, and they will remain like that for almost a week. You have to trust me in this one. You have to trust this recipe. Don’t fear your rolls will be stale or dry the next morning. Just make them the night before and warm them during the morning before glazing them. It’s way much easier this way!
How to Make the softest cinnamon rolls
Melt the butter: the first thing you must do is to melt the butter so it has cooled down when you are ready to add it to the dough.
Soak the golden raisins in the rum and rum extract: this way they’re going to be super plumped when the recipe is ready for them. They usually need two hours to get fully hydrated.
Make the sponge: mix water with some flour in a measuring cup and heat in the microwave a few times (exact amounts below in the actual recipe).
Gather the rest of the ingredients while the sponge cools down a bit.
Transfer the sponge to your mixing bowl and mix in the wet ingredients, the sugar and the instant yeast. Then you’ll incorporate the flour mixture to make the dough. This is a tacky dough.
Soften the butter for the filling: while the dough is on its first rise, take out the butter to soften and about 10 minutes before rolling the dough out prepare the filling by mixing the sugars and cinnamon and strain the raisins (do not discard the rum).
Punching and stretching: punch the dough and stretch it to a rectangle. Spread the softened butter and sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture and raisins on top. Roll into a log and cut the rolls. I like to use the dental floss method to make a clean cut but you can use a very sharp chef’s knife as well.
Rise again: transfer rolls to baking tray to rise again. I used a 10” x 15” jelly roll pan which is not the size of the standard cookie baking tray. You can use a 9” x 13” pan and end up with taller rolls (which will take longer to bake) or a regular cookie sheet where rolls will end up flatter (which will take shorter to bake, risking them to end up dry). I strongly suggest you try to get the 10” x 15” tray, it’s pretty common and really makes the perfect sized rolls and bakes them in the perfect time.
Bake rolls for about 20 to 22 minutes. Take them out and let them rest on the tray. I like to cover them tightly and store them in the oven overnight after it has completely cooled down.
The morning after: for serving the next morning, preheat oven to 300° while you gather the ingredients for the cream cheese glaze. Remember to take out the rolls from the oven if you left the tray inside overnight.
Warming up: When ready to make the glaze, place baked rolls uncovered in the oven to warm up. They should be in the oven for about 7 to 10 minutes.
Making the cream cheese glaze: make the glaze by mixing the butter with the cream cheese and confectioner’s sugar. Pour some rum from the bottle or use the one where the raisins sat. Totally your call. You may want to add a drop of rum extract as well if you feel the rum faded overnight.
Spread glaze over warmed rolls and wait about 5 minutes just to let the glaze set in.
EAT: Have a big bite and enjoy your morning!
Now, I can’t decide when it would be better to bake these again, Christmas morning or New Year’s. What do you think??
Can’t wait to hear how much you enjoyed this recipe my friends!
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Golden Rum Raisin Super Soft Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Sweet dough
◯ Golden raisins - 1 cup
◯ Dark rum - ¾ cup
◯ Rum extract - 1 Tsp
◯ Unbleached all-purpose flour - 2 cups (290g)
◯ Unbleached bread flour - 2 cups (290g)
◯ Water - ½ cup
◯ Butter - 7 TBSP, melted and cooled down
◯ Buttermilk, at room temperature - ¾ cup
◯ Fine sea salt - 1 Tsp
◯ Eggs, large and preferably organic and cage free - 2
◯ Natural granulated sugar - ½ cup (105g)
◯ Instant yeast - 1 packet
◯ Vanilla extract - ½ Tsp
◯ Extra butter to grease the pan
Rum Raisin Cinnamon Filling
◯ Natural granulated sugar - ½ cup
◯ Dark brown sugar - ½ cup
◯ Saigon cinnamon - 2 TBSP
◯ Butter, softened - 6 TBSP
◯ Soaked raisins - 1 cup
Cream Cheese Glaze
◯ Cream cheese, softened - 4 oz
◯ Confectioner’s sugar, sifted - 2 cups
◯ Butter, softened - 4 TBSP
◯ Dark rum (you may use the one where the raisins were soaked or mix new rum with a bit of rum extract) - 1 to 2 TBSP
Details
Yield:
12 - 1½” rolls
Total time:
5 hours, mostly raising time for the dough and baking
Prep time:
20 minutes to prepare the dough, 15 minutes to fill and cut the dough, 10 minutes to make the cream cheese glaze.
Baking time:
20 minutes
Equipment:
stand mixer, 10” x 15” jelly roll or similar baking pan, parchment paper, rolling pin, large bowl
Steps
Start by soaking the cup of the golden raisins in the half cup of dark rum and the teaspoon of rum extract. Set aside.
Making the dough:
In a large bowl mix the 2 cups of all purpose flour with the 2 cups of bread flour.
In a measuring cup mix ½ of water with 3 tablespoons of the flour mixture. Heat in the microwave until you have a smooth pudding-like paste. Start with two 15-second intervals and keep heating in 10-seconds intervals if necessary to prevent scorching the mixture. Set aside to cool down.
With a paper towel oil with vegetable oil the inside of a large bowl. Place parchment paper on baking tray (see notes above) and butter it well.
In a mixing bowl pour the 7 tablespoons of melted butter, the ¾ of buttermilk and mix the teaspoon of fine sea salt. Add the 2 eggs, the ½ cup of sugar, the instant yeast, the ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract and the cooled down sponge. Mix using the whisk attachment.
Pour 3 cups of the flour and mix until combined. Switch to the hook attachment and add the remaining flour. Knead in medium-slow speed (#2 in the Kitchen Aid) for 10 minutes. Dough should not stick to the walls but it will stick to the bottom. Transfer to oiled bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and loosely wrap bowl with a puffy kitchen towel or throw blanket. Place in a warm area of your home where there is no air draft (I always place it in my nightstand besides my bed and close the door). Let the dough rise and double in size, about 1 ½ to 2 hours.
About 5 minutes before working with the dough, mix in a bowl the ½ cup of sugar, the ½ cup of brown sugar and the 2 tablespoons of cinnamon.
Stretching and making the rolls:
When the dough is ready, dust with enough flour a clean flat surface. Punch the dough (it will deflate) and turn it out over the surface. Dust flour over your rolling pin and over the dough, making sure the corners and all dough areas do not feel tacky. Using your hands (you may dust and rub some flour into them as well) stretch the dough into a rectangle as much as you can. Then roll it into a 20” x 18” rectangle, dusting more flour on your rolling pin and over the dough as needed.
Spread the 6 tablespoons of softened butter. Next sprinkle the sugar cinnamon mixture across the dough, leaving clear about ¼” of all four borders. Toss drained raisins as well.
Working from the longest side, pull up the dough and roll into a log as tight as you can. To prevent ruining the sugar mixture, I like to pull up the dough and kind of drop it over it instead of rolling in a pushing-forward motion. Pinch the seam at the end and, if not already, accommodate it below the log. Using a piece of dental floss or a very sharp knife cut rolls into 1 ½”.
Transfer each roll to prepared baking tray, leaving some space between them. Loosely cover with plastic paper again, making sure it’s sealed to keep air out. Wrap again with a piece of cloth and put them again to rise, about 1 to 1½ hours. (Note: if you see bubbles forming on top of the rolls after the first 1+ hour, they could be over proving and it’s time to bake).
When approaching the last 20 minutes of rising, preheat oven to 375°.
Baking the rolls:
Bake rolls 20 to 22 minutes, until top is golden brown and the center is not doughy. If the dough still looks a bit raw but they are turning dark brown, cover the rolls with aluminum foil during the last 5 minutes of baking. Try to not over bake. They will still keep cooking a bit after you take them out.
Take out rolls and let them cool down completely (let the oven cool down completely as well). After that, let the cooled down rolls in the cooled down oven, covered with a kitchen towel.
The next morning take the rolls out of the oven and preheat it at 300°. Gather your cream cheese glaze ingredients (recipe follows).
Place rolls in the oven and warm them for about 7 to 10 minutes while you whip up the glaze. Pour glaze over rolls and serve warm. Sit and enjoy one of the best rolls you’ll ever have!
I like to store them in the same oven for the days they last. You may store them in an airtight container. If you live in a high humidity environment, store them in the fridge and warm them in a counter top oven or microwave, letting them come down to room temperature before if possible.
Making the cream cheese glaze:
Place cream cheese in the mixing bowl and using the whisk attachment or the beaters if using an electric hand mixer, beat it in medium-slow speed, just until light and airy.
Start adding the confectioner’s sugar, waiting until an addition is incorporated before adding more. If it’s becoming too stiff, add a bit of the rum that you are using.
Add the softened butter, about a tablespoon at a time.
Add a tablespoon of the rum and if needed because of texture or flavor, add the second one.
As always, if glaze is to runny add a bit more of sugar; if it’s too stiff add a bit of liquid.
