Shopping List

• Yeast
• Sugar
• Bread Flour (1 5lb bag) (suggest King Arthur)
• Egg
• Shortening
• Salt
• Cream Cheese (one 8oz block)
• Unsalted Butter
• 10x Sugar (16 oz)
• Vanilla
• Milk
• Wilton 12x18x2 cake pan

Starting Dough

• 2-1/2 tsp yeast (or 2 pkg rapid-rise yeast)
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 1 Tbsp sugar

1. Mix sugar and water in glass bowl.  Pour yeast on top of mixture evenly.  Do not mix!!! Let rise 30 minutes.  It will get puffy.

• 8 cups bread flour – 1 bag…estimated
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups warm water

1. After yeast has risen for 30 minutes, add and mix* all ingredients above (but flour) into yeast mixture.  Then slowly add flour…2 cups at a time.  (You should use about 6 cups of flour for the dough).  Place another 1-2 cups of flour on countertop and begin to knead the dough.  Estimated time to knead is 7 minutes.  Push, flip and turn. (*or you can use a Kitchen Aid to mix it with a dough hook, if you do just add all 8 cups of flour since no kneading will be done by hand)
2. Split the dough into two equal halves.  Shape each half into a ball and let sit for 10 minutes, while you get the pan ready with shortening and flour.
3. Using a rolling pin, roll out ball of dough in rectangular shape.  (See photo above)  The dough should be no thicker then 1/4 inch.  Spread 1 stick of room temperature butter over dough, followed by shaking cinnamon and sugar all over (add raisins, apples or nuts if desired).  
4. Roll into a tube shape, starting at the base of the rectangle with about a half-inch fold.  Cut roll into 20 pieces as even as you can.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 with 2nd half of remaining dough.
6. You should be able to make 40 total for a 18x12x2 pan (Wilton).  Or place 20 pieces in two 9x13 pans.  Place towel over buns and let rise in warm oven or they can rise overnight in the refrigerator.  They should double in size before baking.
7. Preheat oven to 400.  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes.  Might have to rotate the pan.  Will brown.  If you tap…will sound hollow.

Topping:

• 1 - 8oz block cream cheese (softened)
• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup butter (softened)
• 10x sugar (16 oz)
• 1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
• 1 Tbsp milk

1. Mix all topping ingredients listed above with Kitchen Aid beater attachment (adding sugar slowly to not create a sugar cloud in the kitchen) and set in the refrigerator until ready to use.  I like to make this a day ahead if making during the holidays.
2. Do not place on rolls until they have cooled for 10 minutes.
3. Then spread on topping and serve.

By Tammi Hohenshilt