Having overnight guests is a great excuse to make a big batch of cinnamon rolls. But sometimes you only want one or two. With a little advance planning, this recipe will keep you in fresh-baked rolls for weeks.
Directions
Follow the recipe for mall-style cinnamon rolls right up to the step where you cut them. Put the rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper, with room between the rolls.
Put the baking sheet in the freezer for at least a half-hour, until the rolls are completely frozen. Wrap each roll individually in plastic, then put the wrapped, frozen rolls in a zip-top freezer bag and store in the freezer.
IMPORTANT NOTE: In the original recipe, the rolls rise one last time on the baking sheet before you bake them. If you throw a frozen roll in the oven it won’t rise. It’ll be tasty, but flat and dense. Let it thaw and the yeast will get going again. Check out the before and after:
That took about two hours at room temperature. So no, you can’t jump out of bed and have one of these ready by the time you get out of the shower. Unless you take reeeeeeeeeeeeally long showers.
SECOND IMPORTANT NOTE: If you’re only baking one, you might get the bright idea to do it in the toaster oven. Great idea. But don’t use the same temperature and time from when you did a big batch. And don’t put the roll directly on a baking sheet. I did that the first time and the bottom burned.
This time I put a piece of foil on the broiler pan to keep it away from the heating element.
Just 15 minutes at 350° and it was done.
Even though I only did one, it was still big enough that I had to share.
And that’s it.
