The first step is to prepare the yeast mixture. In the bowl of your stand mixer, pour 1 cup of warm milk (115°F (46°C)). I use my microwave for this(less than 30 seconds). Don’t overheat the milk. The milk should be warm, NOT HOT. A simple tip is to dip your finger in the milk gently — it should feel warm to the touch but not HOT. This is important to activate the Yeast.

Continue by sprinkling 2 ¼ teaspoons of instant yeast ( 1 envelope) and adding eggs, butter, and sugar. Use a whisk and mix until combined.

Next, add salt and 4 cups of flour and mix using the dough hook or paddle attachment at medium speed for about 6 minutes ( or you can mix by hand using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon for 8 to 10 minutes) until it forms a soft elastic dough. The dough is supposed to feel tacky.

Then, on a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 5 minutes. Place it in a lightly greased bowl (I use oil, but you can use a non-stick spray), cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel, and let the dough rest for about 40 minutes (or until doubled in size) in a warm place. I use my turn-off oven for this. It is the perfect place.

On a lightly floured surface ( pastry mat if available), place the already risen dough. Sprinkle a little bit of flour on top of the dough itself for easy rolling. It should be easy to roll. If it’s too hard to roll the dough, you’ve most likely added too much flour. Roll the dough out in an about 14×8 inch rectangle. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

Now that the dough is open and rolled out spread the cinnamon filling on the dough. Then, roll up the dough tightly to shape it into a log. Tight rolling up will help the rolls keep their shape after you slice them.

Lightly grease a 9×13 pan( 12 rolls) or a 10×15 baking pan ( 15 rolls) if feeding a bigger crowd. Or you can use a large baking tray as I did, place parchment paper for easy cleanup.

Use a sharp knife or a steel dough cutter to cut into as many rolls as you’d like. I cut 12 big rolls.

Arrange all the cinnamon rolls into the baking pan or tray. Covered them using the kitchen towel or wrapping paper and allowed the rolls to rise for about 30 minutes or double in size. I recommend using the same method as before with the dough. The rolls need a draft-free environment, and I find the Turn-off oven is the best place for this. It also prevents family members from touching the rolls; trust me, I had a few sticky fingers here in my kitchen.

After the rolls have doubled in size, it’s time to bake them. Preheat the oven to 350°F, but there is a final step before placing them in the oven.