Buy One Get One Free: Cinnamon Roll and Honey Oatmeal Whole Wheat Bread

This is such a simple recipe; simple but not quick. It's worth the time, though. These cinnamon rolls are deeply satisfying and very filling. I made mine yesterday and warmed them in my oven for eating this morning. It worked out perfectly.

For these cinnamon rolls I use my mom's bread recipe as the base. This bread recipe is really, really special; my mom has been making this for as long as I can remember and I have been making it for over seven years myself. It's the only bread recipe I ever make, it's that good.

If you would like, you could make half of the dough into cinnamon rolls and the other half into regular rolls; truly, this is the most versatile recipe you could wish for.

Case in point, earlier this week I made this bread recipe and used half for cinnamon rolls and half for mushroom garlic cheese rolls. I just sweetened up the cinnamon roll part with a half a cup of sugar.



This will be the base recipe for the cinnamon rolls.

Honey Oatmeal Bread:

Mix in your biggest bowl:

3 cups oats (I use 2 cups rolled, 1 cup quick)

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

3 tablespoon salt

6 Tablespoons oil

4 Tablespoons wheat gluten (this is optional but it will make your rolls nice and fluffy!)

Pour over top of mixed dry ingredients:

4 1/4 cups boiling water

3/4 cup honey

In a 4 cup measurer, mix gently and let rest for 5 minutes:

3 Tablespoons yeast

1 1/2 cups warm water

1 Tablespoon honey

Directions:

Mix the dry and the first set of wet ingredients together; let it cool to lukewarm (110-115 degrees). Add in yeast and water mixture. Mix well.

Add in:

5 cups whole wheat flour

5 cups white flour

Stir in flour.
Turn dough onto a well floured surface.
Knead dough for about 5 minutes, sprinkling flour over top as needed.
Continue with this process until the dough is smooth and not sticky.

Wash your big bowl and place 1/4 cup oil in the bottom.
Place dough into bowl, turn dough over and rub so that it is covered in the oil.
Cover bowl with a clean kitchen towel and let dough rise in a warm place until doubled.

Once your dough has risen, punch it down and divide into 4 pieces.

Roll out your first piece into a rectangle - about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
Spread 4 tablespoons softened butter evenly onto dough - make sure to get all the way to the edges!
Cover entire rectangle with 1/2 cup of cinnamon/sugar mixture (mixture: 2 cups sugar to 1/2 cup cinnamon).

*This is optional - I always do this because I love the flavor of honey: squeeze about 1/4 cup honey over the top of cinnamon/sugar mixture in a zig zag pattern - don't spread with a knife!!



Roll long ways - towards your body. Cut rolls about 2 to 2 1/2 inches wide.
Place rolls into cake pans with melted butter in the bottom. I fit about 8-10 rolls per pan.



Continue this process until all the dough is used.

Cover and let the rolls rise for about 20 minutes. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes or until set in the middle.

PHEW!! Anyone still around?

These rolls are really good, you won't regret the time spent, I promise!!