My cinnamon rolls are a bit tough! Help!

[cherylbow]

I have read all the posts regarding cinnamon rolls and I, too, want to learn how to bake a good roll; however, while my first try was OK, the rolls' texture was not particularly good, certainly not especially tender and moist, and probably could be considered somewhat tough, even. Can you overmix the dough--like with pancakes in which overbeating makes a tough pancake--or could it be that I perhaps worked in too much flour during the kneading process? I didn't make an effort not to work in extra flour...so....Could anyone out there give me some pointers?
Cheryl

[Headless Chicken]

Yes, over working your dough would definatly make it tough. Flour contains a protein called "gluten" that, when mixed with water and kneaded, creates those elastic strands when you stretch the dough. The more you work the dough, the more gluten develops and the tighter the strands get.

To prevent this, besides working your dough less, let your dough sit for at least 10mins or 1/2 that time in the fridge when you feel that the dough is getting tight. Like your muscle fibers, they mellow out when you rest them. Another thing you can do is to use a softer flour (pastry flour or all purpose). Hard flour contains more of the gluten proteins while softer flours like pastry and cake has less.

Another thing I could suggest. If you not 1 to make things completely from scratch, buy a package of puff pastry and make cinnamon rolls using that as your bread. The best cinnamon rolls I've ever had was made this way with danish or puff pastry.

[KAYLINDA]

Sometimes it's just a bad recipe. I use this one...you might try it.
It's made a little differently than most...but to me is easier.

Add 1 1/2 Tablespoons of yeast to 2 cups water which is 115 degrees.
Let set while you mix up the rest.

Mix together in a mixer:
1 stick melted margarine
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 warmed (not hot) milk
Then add yeast mixture. (It should be a little foamy before adding)

In another bowl place 8 cups flour.
Pour the mixture over it and mix only until all the flour has been moistened well.
Cover it with film wrap and let rise until doubled.
That will be an hour and half to two hours usually depending on the heat in your kitchen.

Flour a work surface and pour the dough out on it. Form it into a roll adding only enough more flour so it won't be too sticky to work with. Flatten it into a rectangle with your hands and then roll it our to about a 1/4 inch thick.

With a pastry brush put melted butter all over it and top it with cinnamon sugar and raisins if you want.

Roll it back into a roll and slice putting the slices either in muffin cups or into a pan. Let rise again until almost doubled...or when they start looking real light.

Bake at 350 for only about 10-15 minutes if in muffin cups....or
15-20 minutes if put next to each other in a pan.

If you try this, let me know how they turned out for you!

P.S....we use this same recipe for our dinner rolls and crescents.