Domestic Goddess Cinnamon Rolls

How to be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson is one of my first cookbook purchases and still continues to remain one of my all time favourite books both in terms of ease of use and the wide range of recipes it introduces you to. It has a recipe for a Norwegian Cinnamon bun which I made the first time more than 10 years ago and it wowed me and everyone who ate it and has had the same effect every time I made it after that!When Jini suggested that we make sourdough cinnamon rolls I obviously jumped at the idea and wanted to tweak Nigellas recipe to include our starter Niloufer instead of the yeast it recommends. We also made another one which was a sourdough based recipe to begin with but lets just say Nigella won hands down! A simple recipe this one and the rewards are abundant. The aroma of a sweet milky bread baking and the fragrance of cinnamon are among the most pleasurable experiences my nose has had so far and when married together, almost magical!So without any further delay, here is the recipeWhat you need:For the dough

• 600 g flour (we used all purpose but bread flour would work better)
• 100 g sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• 100g levain: (fresh & vigorous starter) @ 100% hydration (equal proportions of water & flour)
• 100 g butter
• 400 ml warm milk
• 2 eggs

For the filling:

• 150 g soft, salted butter
• 150 g brown sugar
• 3 tsp cinnamon powder, freshly ground is so so much better
• 1 egg, beaten, to glaze

How we stir:

• Combine the flour, sugar, salt, levain and yeast in a large bowl.
• Melt the butter and whisk it into milk and eggs, then stir it into the flour mixture.
• Mix to combine and then knead the dough until its smooth and springy. We did this by hand and ended up adding a fair amount of extra flour as we did it but im assuming its much easier and less messier done in a stand mixer.
• Once the dough comes together, place in an oiled bowl and set aside for an hour/hour and a half for it to double in size. This dough really grows in front of your eyes almost.
• When it has doubled, gently tip it out of the bowl and roll it out into a rectangle.
• Combine all the ingredients for the filling except the egg and spread evenly over the rectangle. This is when it already starts smelling magical.
• Now roll it up tightly and cut it up into little rounds. Arrange the rounds in a baking dish ensuring they are not too snug as they still need to prove again.
• Preheat the oven to 220 deg C
• Once arranged, put the trays in a warm place and let rise for another 30 minutes. We glazed with a beaten egg and sprinkled a bit more granulated sugar on top for a crunch.
• Place the proved rolls in the oven for 20-25 minutes. I would keep an eye on them as its quite a hot oven. If you find they are browning faster than you would like, tent with foil after 15 minutes to let them cook through before they burn on the outside.

These are most delicious warm. I like them best straight out of the oven, almost too hot to hold in your hands, but the magic is that these stay soft even after they cool down. Dont hesitate to pour a little glaze on top once it comes out of the oven if thats how you like your cinnamon rolls but these are pretty close to perfect just as they are.