Skillet Cinnamon Rolls

Preparation

Nothing starts off a cozy weekend morning quite like a mug of steaming coffee and a cinnamon roll, swirled with gooey filling and crowned with a cap of tangy cream cheese frosting. These plush and fluffy cinnamon rolls, which come flavored with vanilla and orange zest, are baked in HexClad’s 10”/25 cm Hybrid Fry Pan. The even, consistent heat turns out perfectly bronzed cinnamon rolls that you can serve straight from the skillet.

1. Make dough. In a large bowl, stir together water, yeast, and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar. Let sit until bubbling and frothy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk 2½ cups/350 grams flour, remaining ⅓ cup/65 grams sugar, and salt. 

2. Stir half-and-half, egg yolk, and vanilla into yeast mixture, then add flour mixture and stir until dough begins to come together. 

3. Turn dough out onto a work surface; reserve bowl. Knead well, adding a few butter pieces at a time, and up to ½ cup/70 g of additional flour, as needed, until dough is supple, slightly tacky, but not wet or sticky, and butter is fully blended in, about 10 minutes. (Dough might feel greasy or too buttery at times, but just keep kneading and sprinkling additional flour overtop, a little at a time, until desired consistency is reached.) Kneading step can also be done in a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, 5 to 7 minutes.

4. Form dough into a ball and place back in the large bowl. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a large plate and let dough rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, 1½ to 2 hours.

5. Meanwhile, make filling. In a stand mixer, or in a large bowl and using a handheld mixer, beat butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and orange zest on medium speed until a spreadable paste forms.

6. Assemble cinnamon rolls. Gently deflate dough with the heel of your hand, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Using a floured rolling pin, roll it into a 12-by-18-inch/30-by-45-cm rectangle that is about ¼-inch/½-cm thick. Trim off and discard any ragged edges. Dollop filling over dough and use a small offset spatula or butter knife to spread it into a thin, even layer. 

7. Starting at a short end of the rectangle, roll dough tightly like a jelly roll. Cut off and discard any uneven dough (about ½-inch/1-cm) from each end, then use a serrated knife to cut roll crosswise into 12 (1-inch/2½-cm-wide) rolls. Arrange rolls tightly together, spirals facing up, in a HexClad 10"/25 cm Hybrid Fry Pan. Cover pan with a clean dish towel and let rise until rolls are slightly puffed, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350˚F/180˚C.

8. Just before baking, evenly drizzle half-and-half over rolls. Bake until filling is bubbling and rolls are puffed, lightly golden, and cooked through, 23 to 25 minutes. (A digital thermometer inserted into dough should register about 195˚F/90˚C. Remove from oven and place pan on a cooling rack. Let cool for at least 30 minutes or until room temperature, while preparing frosting.

9. Make frosting. In a stand mixer, or in a large bowl and using a handheld mixer, beat cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar, vanilla, and salt on medium speed until a thick, spreadable frosting forms. If mixture is too thick to spread, beat in half-and-half, 1 teaspoon at a time, until spreadable. 

10. Spoon frosting onto rolls and use back of a spoon or an offset spatula to spread and swoop it evenly across top. Serve hot or warm, straight from the pan. Store leftovers, covered, in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat briefly in a microwave or toaster oven, if desired.