Big, light, and fluffy Homemade Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls are filled with just the right amount of cinnamon sugar and are topped with a sweet powdered sugar icing. The soft, tender, yeasty bread is the perfect texture that just melts in your mouth.
Dissolve yeast packets into warm water in a small bowl. Set aside.
In another bowl, combine lukewarm buttermilk and baking soda. If needed, warm the buttermilk in the microwave in 15-20 second intervals until warm to the touch, but not hot. Set aside.
In a large bowl, add 2 Tablespoons sugar, vegetable oil, and egg, whisking until the egg is well beaten. Pour the buttermilk mixture into this bowl and stir, then add the yeast mixture and stir to combine.
In another large mixing bowl, add 4 cups of flour and salt. Pour in the wet ingredients. Mix well using a wooden spoon or spatula. The mixture will be quite wet at this point (given that you weighed the flour properly; keep your method in mind). Add an additional ½ cup of flour, and another ½ cup if needed, to form a shaggy dough.
Shaping the Dough
Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently about 20 times, adding additional flour at about 1-2 tablespoons at a time as needed if it is overly sticky. The dough should be slightly sticky, soft, and elastic once you've finished kneading.
Shape the dough somewhat into a ball and transfer to a bowl, covered with a tea towel, for 15-30 minutes until it's slightly risen. In the meantime, lightly grease a 9x13 glass baking dish and prepare the filling by melting the butter and combining the sugars and cinnamon in a separate bowl.
Punch dough down and transfer it onto a floured cutting board or counter. Roll dough into large rectangular around 14x20 inches, with the long edge towards you.
The Filling
Spread the melted butter on rolled out dough, leaving about 1/2 inch edge around the dough. A thin layer of butter should rest on top of the dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly across the dough, pressing gently into the butter.
Begin rolling the dough into a log by starting at the long edge and rolling up in an even, tight row. Continue rolling, keeping the log somewhat tight, but not too tight, until it is in a full log.
Use a serrated knife or unscented dental floss to slice into 1 1/2 inch pieces. Discard the small edges. Transfer sliced rolls to the prepared baking dish, placing them cut side up and leaving room between each roll for them to rise. Cover the pan with the tea towel and let the rolls rise in a warm environment (see note) for about 1 hour until they've doubled in size. If your house is cold or you've used too much flour, it could take up to an hour and a half.
Baking: If the rolls seem to be progressing in their rise, begin preheating the oven to 350° F about 30 minutes into their rise. Once they're ready, bake for 17-20 minutes until the edges and tops are just slightly golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before frosting.
Icing
Mix the Icing: In a bowl, combine powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla or maple flavoring (whichever you're using using). Mix to desired consistency. Spread the icing onto the slightly cooled rolls and enjoy!
Cover leftover frosted or unfrosted rolls tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Notes
Warm Environment: to create a warm environment, preheat your oven to 250°F or so (less is fine, too) and then turn it off. Place the dough or rolls in the off but warmed oven to proof.
Pan: I like a glass pan best, but metal will work ok too. Try to avoid ceramic as the rolls will take longer to cook.
Frosting: make it thicker by adding more powdered sugar, and thinner by adding more milk or cream.
Maple Flavoring: for the most intense maple flavor, use maple extract. Maple syrup works, but it is more subtle in the icing.
Vanilla: use a bit of vanilla extract for a traditional icing.
Flour: please see the metric tab for weighing flour; I typically use 480 grams (perfectly measured 4 cups, but if you use a measuring cup it will likely be more) to start and end up adding about 120-130 additional grams, around 1 cup with proper measurements.
The amount of flour you'll need to add will depend on your environment (humidity, temperature, elevation) so use your best judgement. The dough should be elastic, slightly sticky while kneading but not overly so, and soft.
11/2021 Updates: increased brown sugar in the filling by 1/4 cup and cinnamon by 1/2 teaspoon.
Nutrition facts are merely estimates and will vary depending on the exact ingredients you use; the estimate above is just for the roll itself, not the icing.