Gooey Goodness

Many of you know my parents, and you know that they are AMAZING in the kitchen.  (Check out my Dad's blog)  My mom is known for her bread and especially her yummy cinnamon rolls.  So, when I came across this recipe http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2011/03/cinnamon-sugar-pull-apart-bread/ my curiosity was peeked.  

While making rolls for dinner tonight, I thought I'd give the basic idea a try.  I didn't use the bread recipe (I think my mom's is the best), but I imitated the method of putting the roll/loaf together.  

Doesn't it look so yummy and gooey?  It was.

So here is the basic recipe/instructions.  (Note:  I have watched and helped my mom make this roll dough for decades.  I will try to explain what to do, and I apologize if I leave stuff out.  I make my rolls in a Kitchenaid, my mom uses a Bosch.  I don't know how these work up by hand.  This is also a 1/2 recipe the full recipe makes too many rolls for my family...or at least my waist line)

Mom's rolls:
2 cups hot water
1/2 cube butter
3 Tbs. sugar
1 Tbs. yeast
1/2 Tbs salt
flour

Put hot water, butter, sugar and yeast in the mixing bowl.  Let it sit for a bit (until the yeast starts to foam) then add the salt and about 3 cups of flour.  Mix that really well with the dough hook (a couple of min).  Then add more flour 1/2 c. or less at a time, making sure the flour mixes in completely until you add more.  Continue to add flour until the dough starts to unstick from the bowl.  (that was my mom's test, and this is where I don't know how to explain things).  When sides of the bowl look clean and the dough can be touched without sticking all over you, it is done.  I put my dough into a greased bowl and put a damp cloth over the top.  You then let it rise until it is doubled in size.  (I sometimes turn my oven to warm, then turn it off when I put bowl of dough in.  It speeds up the process).

I made 1/2 my dough into crescent rolls (rolls into a large circle dough being 1/4" thick, use a pizza cutter and cut the dough into quarters and then each quarter into thirds. Roll the little triangles thick side to tip.).  The other 1/2 I made these cinnamon pull-a-parts.  Roll the dough out and slather in butter.  Sprinkle on cinnamon, brown sugar and nutmeg.  Cut into 2" squares (approximate).  Stack the squares on each other, put in a greased bread pan.

Let the bread rise again, 15 min or so, and bake at 350 for 15 min (check, when it is golden brown and stiff when you push on one of the little squares it is done.)  I think I actually pulled mine out a few min too soon.

Let it sit for just a min, then invert the pan onto a plate.  It has LOTS of HOT STICKY SUGAR so be careful.  Let it cool a bit and ENJOY!