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Hi Bold Bakers!
As a professional chef and Bold Baker, I love to find new ways to transform my favorite recipes and take them above and beyond. From developing new flavors to styling my desserts, there is nothing more satisfying for me than pushing the envelope. My Giant Cinnamon Roll in a Skillet is like nothing I’ve ever made or tasted before. When you think of cinnamon rolls, you’re sure to think of a sweet yeasted dough stuffed with cinnamon sugar and covered in a sweet glaze. Well, imagine that same cinnamon roll but in the size of a skillet! Now that’s big.
How Do You Make Homemade Cinnamon Rolls?
Although cinnamon rolls may seem like they require a high-level of skill, my giant cinnamon roll recipe breaks down all of the steps and makes baking so easy and fun. Baking a yeasted dough is really just a matter of combining wet ingredients into dry ingredients and then kneading the dough. I do this easily in a large stand mixer with a whisk attachment. After the dough is formed, the real work is done and all you need is time. The yeasted dough takes time to rise (or “proof”) and develop flavor, and is well worth the few hours it takes.
After your dough has proofed comes the fun part – rolling out the giant cinnamon roll! I roll the yeasty sweet dough into a large square and lather it with butter and a mixture of cinnamon and brown sugar. This will create that caramelly, sticky filling. The next step is where this recipe takes a turn for the bolder. Instead of rolling up the dough into little and traditional handheld rolls, I cut my dough into strips and wrap those up into my GoodCook 10″ Cast Iron Skillet. I love to use this skillet for both sweet and savory cooking. It’s the perfect size for all kinds of baked goods – from tarte tatins to upside down cakes! Once the strips of dough are braided within the skillet, I let it proof once more so that it grows into the most impressive giant cinnamon roll that you have ever see. For all the time it takes to rise, this giant cinnamon roll recipe bakes up in only 25 minutes.
I am telling you – this showstopper is well worth the wait!
Baking Homemade Cinnamon Rolls in Cast Iron
Baking in cast iron is one of my favorite things as it creates a flavor like no other. If baking in a cast iron pan is something you’ve never tried before now is the time! My GoodCook 10 Inch Cast Iron Skillet is near and dear to my heart, as it heats ups super efficiently and retains just the right amount of heat when baking or cooking. This is ideal for baking things like homemade cinnamon rolls and other sweets as the cast iron is what really created all that caramelization that makes sticky buns or cinnamon rolls so crisp while having that sticky sweet outer layer. I can’t wait for you guy to give cast iron baking a go!
How Do You Make Cinnamon Roll Icing?
No cinnamon roll recipe is complete without a thick layer of sweet and tangy glaze! My glaze is super simple and perfectly whips up while the giant skillet cinnamon roll is baking. After my giant cinnamon bun is baked and still warm, I generously cover it in the glaze. The glaze really absorbs into the giant cinnamon roll and uses cream cheese, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar. This makes for a heavenly flavor combination of cinnamon roll frosting, yeasty light dough, and decadent cinnamon filling.
Try These Recipes!
Watch The Recipe Video!
Giant Cinnamon Roll in a Skillet
Ingredients
Dough
- 1/2 cup (4 fl oz /115ml) milk
- 1/2 cup (4oz/115g) butter
- 1/2 cup (4 fl oz/115ml warm water
- 2 tsp instant yeast
- 1/4 cup (2oz/57g) sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 4 cups (20oz/568g) all-purpose flour
Filling
- 1/2 cup ( 3oz/85g) brown sugar
- 2 tsp cinnamon
Glaze
- 1/2 cup (4oz/115g) cream cheese
- 2 cups (8oz/ 230g) powdered sugar
- 2 Tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Cinnamon Rolls
- First make the dough: In a large stand mixer fitted with a dough hook attachment combine flour, cinnamon, sugar, salt and instant yeast.
- In a separate jug, add the butter, water and milk then melt together in the microwave for 20-30 seconds.
- Add the eggs into the dry ingredients.
- With the machine on medium speed, add in the eggs and slowly stream in the wet ingredients allowing it to absorb into the flour and form a dough. Don't add in the liquid all at once, hold a little back allowing the dough to fully absorb the liquid. If it seems dry add the rest of the liquid, otherwise you can discard it.
- Allow the dough to knead on medium speed for 6-8 minutes. Transfer the dough to a large bowl lightly greased with flavorless oil. Cover with cling wrap and proof until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 1⁄2 hours.
- Once the dough has risen, knock the air out in the bowl then transfer to a lightly floured surface.
- Roll out the dough to 18 inches by 12 inches and brush with butter. Dust over cinnamon and brown sugar.
- Next, use a GoodCook pizza cutter to cut the dough lengthwise into2x6-inch strips to create the cinnamon roll shape.
- Butter a GoodCook 10" Cast Iron Skillet and set aside.
- For a more detailed explanation of the cinnamon roll assembly Isuggest you watch the video.
- To assemble the giant cinnamon roll, take one of the 6" strips and roll it up into a spiral shape, place it in the center of the GoodCook 10"Cast Iron Skillet. Next using the other strips of dough continue wrapping the remaining strips around until you have formed one large cinnamon roll.
- Once your giant cinnamon roll is assembled in the skillet, allow it to proof once more for an additional 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the top has risen.
- Preheat your oven to 400oF (200oC) and bake for 20-25 minutes.
While the skillet cinnamon roll is in the oven make the glaze:
- In a large bowl combine the soft cream cheese, milk, vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Whisk until smooth and set aside.
Assemble
- Remove the giant cinnamon roll skillet from the oven and allow to cool just slightly before pouring over the glaze.
- Once at room temperature, slice into 10 slices and serve.
Recipe Notes
Thank you for your awesome recipes! Can the dough be made the night before? I’d like to get it in the skillet and do the final proofing and baking the next morning. Thank you!
Hi Gemma. Made this today for Fathers Day.. Looks impressive and tastes amazing. So much easier to make than you would expect, once I watched the video anyway!! Next up is the Deep dish Pizza which I am planning on making during the week.
Added a picture for you Gemma.. Thank you as always 🙂
Hi. I’d like to try your cinnamon rolls but I have a house full of cream cheese haters. Is there another frosting that would work well without the cream cheese?
I made the sticky buns , they were absolutely yummy
Hey, recipie looks amazing and fun . I just want to ask if this cinnamon roll tastes like a bread or like a cake? I made cinnamon roll with the crazy dough so just want to ask if it tastes like one made with crazy dough or tastes like a cake?
The link to Goodcook.com no longer works, thus, I can’t find this recipe? Please help. Could I do this with your crazy dough recipe? THANK YOU!!
Can I put my skillet in the fridge until Im ready to bake it the next day?
Is it okay to cook the cinnamon roll in a cast iron skillet the same size but is deeper?
Sounds delicious. Thank you for sharing. I love pecans & golden raisins in my cinnamon rolls. Could you tell me how much and how to incorporate this into the recipe? Best,
This looks very good. Could this dough be mixed up in a bread machine on the dough cycle? I like using the bread machine for mixing and raising rather than my Kitchen Aid machine. Thank you very much.
Grandma Sue in Central Indiana