I’ve been on a quest for the most perfectly soft cinnamon rolls for what seems like ages. I can’t tell you how many batches I’ve made along the way, but there have been a LOT. Finally, it dawned on me. I needed to start with my very favorite roll dough that makes the absolute best, most insanely soft rolls ever…Potato roll dough! Potatoes absorb more moisture than flour does, so it makes a beautifully delicate dough. Perfect for cinnamon rolls! These Super Soft Cinnamon Rolls are incredible warm from the oven, but they are still nice and soft at room temperature. Perfect for a grab-and-go morning treat for a few days without the cinnamon rolls getting hard. There's nothing that wrecks a cinnamon roll more than being dry or crunchy.

The silly food-nerd/emotional-eater inside of me has been feeling the pressure to come up with the perfect cinnamon roll recipe for my daughter. She’s only 7 months old, but I love starting new traditions with her. I just imagine her future birthdays when she wakes up to a giant batch of these cinnamon rolls with pink icing (and maybe some sprinkles) and a birthday candle for breakfast on her special day. I want her to request Mama’s Super Soft Cinnamon Rolls someday, and now I’m prepared to accommodate that request.

These cinnamon rolls can be prepped the night before and left in the refrigerator overnight for the second rise. Then all that's left is to just bake and frost in the morning! You can also freeze them once they’re arranged in the pans (just before second rise). Let thaw in refrigerator overnight and then let rise further at room temperature if needed.

(Scroll down for printable version of this recipe.)

Mama’s Super Soft Cinnamon Rolls

By Kitchen Joy

Makes about 14 cinnamon rolls

Ingredients

Dough:

1 ½ cups milk

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

¾ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

½ cup instant potato flakes (I use IDAHOAN Original Mashed Potatoes)

1 ¼ teaspoons salt

1 envelope Red Star Platinum Instant Yeast

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

3 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling

Filling:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very very soft

1 cup light brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon (Penzey’s Vietnamese Extra Fancy Cinnamon is my favorite)

Frosting:

1 ½ cups confectioners’ sugar

¼ cup milk (+/- as desired)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, very very soft

1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste (pure vanilla extract is fine too)

Directions:

Spray two 8- or 9-inch round baking pans with cooking spray.
Add 3 ½ cups flour to a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, scald the milk by heating it over medium heat until foam forms around the edges but milk does not reach a boil.
Turn off heat and add butter, sugar, potatoes, and salt. Stir to combine and let cool until lukewarm.
Add yeast, then eggs and stir until thoroughly combined.
Add milk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until all flour has incorporated. Dough will be very sticky.
Cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 1 hour.
Punch down dough. (Don’t be afraid to get your hands messy!)
On a very well-floured surface, roll out dough into a large 12x24-inch rectangle, sprinkling with additional flour as needed.
Spread softened butter evenly over the entire surface of the dough.
Sprinkle brown sugar over the butter and gently spread into an even layer.
Sprinkle cinnamon over the brown sugar.
Beginning from the long side furthest away from you, roll dough toward you, forming a tight log.
Using a very sharp knife, slice into 1 ½-inch sections (I use 3 fingers as a width guide).
Arrange rolls in prepared cake pans and cover with plastic wrap or tea towels.
Let rise until doubled, about 2-3 hours.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
While oven is preheating, prepare the frosting: Whisk together confectioners’ sugar, milk, butter, and vanilla. Add more milk or confectioners’ sugar to adjust thickness if needed. Frosting should be thick but very smooth.
Bake 14-16 minutes, until just slightly golden on top.
Remove cinnamon rolls from oven and spread with frosting immediately.
Let cool slightly, at least 10 minutes, before serving. This allows the rolls to hold their shape a bit better when serving, and also allows the frosting to soak into the rolls more.
Serve and enjoy!

Store covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. (Not that they’ll last that long!)