Cinnamon rolls are a fantastic sweet treat for breakfast or special occasions like Christmas morning. Cinnamon rolls have diverse flavors as the dough is lightly sweet, soft, and moist, and the fillings have a sweet-buttery taste blending with the woody fragrance of cinnamon. Yum!
But what happens if your homemade cinnamon rolls turn out hard? If this happens, then we can help! Scroll on down to find out why and how to fix it for the next time you bake.
Why Are My Cinnamon Rolls Hard?
There are many reasons that might make rolls turn dry and tough. We will start by walking you through the five most common reasons, including too much or not enough flour; over mixing the dough; using melted butter; letting the dough rest in a bowl without oil cover and over baking.
1. Did Not Measure Flour Correctly
Every so often, when you are measuring flour for recipes, you may add too much or too little flour. Measuring flour incorrectly is a common reason for cinnamon rolls to turn out hard and dry. Always double check measurements.
2. Mixing The Dough Improperly
What else can cause tough cinnamon roll dough? The next reason is over mixing the dough. So, how do you know if your cinnamon bun mix is combined enough? The dough will start to pull away from the sides of the bowl. You can touch it to test the stickiness. An adequately mixed dough is slightly sticky to the touch.
3. Using The Improper Butter Type
Another reason for dry cinnamon rolls is to use the wrong butter type.
Many cinnamon roll recipes call for melted butter for making the cinnamon filling. However, this butter type will not work well as softened, room-temperature butter combined with other ingredients.
Thus, in the subsequent baking time, let’s use softened butter instead of melted one as it helps to create a smoother filling that you can spread more evenly over the dough.
4. Forget To Raise The Dough In Hot And Oiled Bowl
Why are my cinnamon rolls dry?
Dry cinnamon rolls might happen because you do not place the dough in a clean and oiled bowl when it completes its first rise.
This extra step helps moisturize the dough and rise higher as it will not stick to the bowl. Besides, this step makes it easier to remove the dough after proofing.
5. Overbaking The Cinnamon Rolls
A big mistake leading to dry homemade cinnamon rolls is overcooking them.
The sweet spot for baking cinnamon rolls is at 375 °F (around 190 °C). If you have set the oven temperature over that, then do not be surprised when your cinnamon rolls become too dry and tough.
So, how long to bake cinnamon rolls? How to tell if cinnamon rolls are done?
The baking time varies depending on your recipes; however, if you see the rolls feature golden brown, take them out and check them.
4 Cooking Hacks On Making Cinnamon Rolls
Now we will reveal some secret cinnamon roll tips for making perfect homemade cinnamon rolls.
1. Use Bread-flour Instead Of All-purpose Flour
When it comes to suitable flour types for making this delicious dessert, all-purpose flour and bread flour are the most common options.
The main difference between these two is a matter of protein. The protein amount in bread flour is higher than all-purpose flour, as it comes in white and whole wheat varieties.
What is the best flour for cinnamon rolls?
If you want softer and fluffier rolls, we suggest using bread flour instead of white flour. For substitution in your recipe for the yeast doughs, you can make a 1:1 substitute with a little extra water.
2. Let The Dough Rise Overnight
Usually, you cover the bowl containing the dough and place it in a warm spot for proofing, right?
That works great; however, if you have some time and want the cinnamon rolls to come out with a more complex flavor, opt for letting the dough rise overnight in the fridge.
A cold fermentation process enables the yeast to release carbon dioxide much lower, leading to a more robust taste.
3. Slice The Rolls Using Floss
Have you ever struggled with cutting the rolls using a knife? An improperly sharpened blade might squish your perfect cinnamon rolls and leave you with unattractive pieces.
How to cut cinnamon rolls properly?
It would be best to use a piece of dental floss to loop around the dough and divide it into small chunks.
4. Let The Cinnamon Rolls Cool Before Icing
After baking the rolls, you need to let them cool for 5 to 10 minutes before frosting.
That is because when you top the icing or cream cheese frosting on a hot sweet roll, it will melt quickly. However, a gentle warm roll lets the icing flow slowly over the top and get in place before enjoying.
