Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls Made With Dates
Looking For Something Unique & Unexpected to bake? Look no further, these Whole Wheat Cinnamon Rolls Made With Dates were out of this world good! I expected a cinnamon raisin flavor & texture. But, the fresh dates had something else in mind.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup milk
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 TBSP butter
- 3&3/4 cup Fresh Milled Flour 465g ( I milled about 2&1/4 cup of hard white wheat berries to get this)
- 2 room temperature eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 2&1/4 tsp yeast
Ingredients for Filling
- 4 TBSP Melted butter
- 1/2 cup whole pitted dates (diced, but they turn into a sticky paste)
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 TBSP cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp cardamom
- 1 pinch of salt
- 1/8 cup date sugar (*optional)
Ingredients For Icing (*Optional)
- 3 TBSP Melted butter
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/8 tsp vanilla
- 1 TBSP milk (as needed to thin)
Instructions
- Add milk, water, brown sugar, salt, and butter to a medium sauce pan. Cook on medium high until the milk is scalded (just before boiling), and the butter and sugar are melted. Set aside to cool below 110*F
- Mill Flour while that mixture is cooling
- After the milk mixture had cooled a bit, pour it into your stand mixer.
- Next, pour in the fresh milled flour, and begin to mix on low until it is mostly combined.
- Then, add your eggs and vanilla. Mix to incorporate (It will seem separated at first, keep mixing until it is all one cohesive dough)
- Once all incorporated, let the dough rest for about 15 minutes so the fresh milled flour can start to absorb the liquids.
- Make your filling while waiting. Heat up butter, and add dates, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, and date sugar. Mix until it comes together. (This will seem like a sticky paste.)
- Now, After the dough has rested, add the instant yeast. Mix until the yeast is incorporated.
- So, now it is ready to start the kneading process. Knead on level 2 until is passes the window pane test. You can see this pass/fail test in my short video HERE. (This could take up to 20-25 minutes with fresh milled flour, don't rush the process for best results)
- After the dough passes the window pane test, cover and let rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Once dough has risen, take it to a lightly oiled surface. Press or roll your dough out flat to a 15 x 17 inch rectangle.
- Evenly distribute the filling (I had to just break it up with my hands) all over the top, and from the short side, roll the dough into a log.
- Divide dough into 12 even pieces.
- Place on a lined 9x13 baking pan. Cover these, and let them rise for about 40 minutes. (or overnight in the fridge.)
- Bake at 350* F for 18-20 minutes. (If using the refrigerator method, set the cinnamon rolls on the counter the next day for 1-2 hours to come to room temperature. Then bake.
- *Optional- Make icing by melting butter, adding powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk as needed. Pour on when cinnamon rolls are still warm for a glaze icing.