Cinnamon Rolls

INSTRUCTIONS

• 1
  Crumble the yeast into a mug with cold milk and let it soften for a minute.
• 2
  Measure flour, sugar, and salt into a bowl and mix with a whisk. Stir the milk with yeast, as it will have settled at the bottom, and pour it into the flour mixture. Add the egg and start working the dough. Once everything looks like coarse crumbs, add the cold butter cut into cubes in two or three batches. Knead with your hands or in a food processor until the dough is soft, smooth, and non-sticky – this will take about 5 minutes in a food processor, or about 10 minutes by hand.
• 3
  Prepare the filling: mix softened butter with sugar and cinnamon and stir with a wooden spoon or beat in a food processor until a slightly fluffy and well-mixed consistency is achieved. The better you cream the butter with sugar and cinnamon, the easier it will be to spread on the dough.
• 4
  Divide the kneaded dough into two halves. Roll out each half into a thin rectangle, approximately 35 x 25 cm, and immediately spread half of the sweet cinnamon butter on each. Roll up the spread sheet from the long side into a log. Place the log seam-side down and cut it first in half, then into quarters, and finally each quarter into three equal pieces. Place them cut-side up at equal intervals on a baking sheet lined with baking paper. You'll be able to arrange them perfectly in a 6x4 layout. Try to work quickly so the dough doesn't get too warm.
• 5
  Carefully cover the baking sheet with the rolls with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator overnight. The ideal proofing temperature is around 5-6 degrees Celsius; this will allow the dough to rise gently but not over-proof. The exact time doesn't matter; you can leave the dough to proof in the refrigerator for 8-12 hours, whatever suits your schedule.
• 6
  The next day, start preheating the oven to 210 degrees Celsius without convection. Remove the baking sheet from the refrigerator, remove the plastic wrap, and let it stand at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. The oven will heat up nicely in the meantime and won't lose heat when you open it.
• 7
  Crack the egg into a bowl, add a tablespoon of cold water, and whisk thoroughly with a fork. Brush the risen rolls with this mixture using a pastry brush or feather just before baking.
• 8
  Place in the oven, roughly in the middle position (definitely not too high near the top heating element), and bake for 15 minutes, or until the rolls have increased in volume and are beautifully golden brown on top.