Whole Wheat Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

January is really just the month for using up all those Christmas flavors. I"m making gingerbread an honorary member of the bowl season. It begin a couple days before Christmas and goes on until Monday. So these gingerbread cinnamon rolls are safe *whew*

Why is it, that every time there is a a bowl sheet contest, the person who cares the least does the best?  Abigail, my six year old sister, who, granted, does like football, but wouldn't know how to pick logically to save her life, was waaay ahead of all of us until last night? And that my dad and I, pretty football savvy people (ok, my dad is football savvy … I'm just competitive) are tied for fifth?  I bet my friends who just picked arbitrarily are whopping me. It always works that way. Ugh.

(Funny story; The Florida State Seminoles are playing the Auburn Tigers for the National Championship.  While Nathan was helping John Caleb pick his bowls, he asked him which one was his favorite.  John Caleb promptly responded, "The cinnamon rolls, of course!")

Anyways, as a consolation, I have these rolls. I had originally made three dozen of these for Christmas, but when plans changed and we were no longer hosting, these got to hang out in the freezer while we drove to Texas. I pulled these out, let then thaw and baked them.  The pan was licked clean. How could you resist buttery, ginger and cinnamon spiced, big fluffy cinnamon rolls?  (And these are 100% whole wheat ... Without sacrificing the fluffy factor ... Yeah, they're pretty cool ;)

The filling is where the gingerbread flavors shine.  There is molasses and cinnamon and ginger mixed in with the butter and then generously slathered onto the dough before baking.  It then melts into and around the dough, making sure these have gingerbread flavor.  It isn't overpowering, but you can definitely smell the ginger while the cinnamon rolls are baking!

Now, yeast can be scary.  Whoever thought the dark was scary has never experienced the panic that the yeast was messed up.  One of the first times I made yeasted bread, I called my best friend, frantically wondering what I needed to change in the recipe since I didn't have instant yeast, just active dry.  I was all ready to adjust the amounts of water and flour and salt, but she just laughed and told me she just subbed them equally. 

Really?  Really?!

Yeast isn't scary.  Really.  This dough is some of the easiest I have ever mixed together.  I remember how intimidated I was by cinnamon rolls and all the steps, but here it is broken down, easy peasy.

1. Mix the dough. 

2. Let rise.

3. Add remaining flour and knead.

4. Roll out and cover with gingerbread butter.

5. Cut and let rise.

6. Bake.

7. Enjoy.

Easy peasy. Really. 

I always use Red Star yeast and it has never let me down. It makes baking with yeast simple and leaves me with excellent breads. Every singe time. (I was not compensated to say that; it's just the truth!)

These aren't as fluffy as your average cinnamon roll, but they're still got fluff (that wasn't awkward at all) and are plenty soft.  The whole wheat makes them more filling and I definitely feel fuller faster (point for alliteration) when I eat these. But they're so good, it's hard to not eat seconds!

Whole Wheat Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls

Recipe Source: The Sweet {Tooth} Life. Filling Adapted from Crazy for Crust

Yield: 2-1/2 dozen

Whole Wheat Cinnamon Roll Dough:

3-1/2 cups water

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup honey

2 eggs

1/2 cup dry powdered milk

6 cups whole wheat flour

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon dough enhancer

2-1/2 tablespoons gluten

3 tablespoons Red Star active dry yeast

4 cups (more) whole wheat flour

Gingerbread Filling:

2 sticks butter

2 tablespoons molasses 

1-1/2 cups brown sugar

1/4 cup cinnamon cinnamon 

1 tablespoon ground cloves

1 tablespoon allspice 

1 tablespoons nutmeg

1-1/2 tablespoons ground ginger 

1/3 cup flour

If you have a Bosch bowl:

Layer first four ingredients for dough and pulse once or twice.  Add remaining ingredients, except for the four cups of whole wheat flour, and pulse until flour is completely moistened.  Let rest for 15 minutes.

Then, turn bowl on speed 1 and add the remaining four cups whole wheat flour slowly, until the dough cleans the sides of the bowl and the dough pulls together into a ball.

Add remaining four cups flour and turn bowl onto speed 1 for three or four minutes.  

Remove dough from bowl and cut into three equal sections. Roll each section into a rectangle. 

Take one of the rectangles and spread 1/3 of gingerbread filling evenly over the dough and roll up. Cut into 12 equal pieces (a bench cutter or floss work well)  Place cinnamon rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, between 1-2 hours. 

Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. 

Repeat with remaining dough and filling. 

To freeze: after placing cut cinnamon rolls in the pan, cover (make sure it is airtight) and store in freezer. When ready to use, remove from freezer and let thaw (mine took 4-6 hours) before baking. 

If kneading by hand:

Combine the dry powdered milk, 6 cups whole wheat flour, salt, dough enhancer, gluten, and yeast. Set aside. 

Heat the water, oil, and honey together in the microwave until the the mixture is hot to touch, 1-2 minutes.  Stir the water mixture into the powdered milk/flour mixture. Add the eggs. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for about 3-4 minutes. Place in a lightly greased bowl and let rest for 15 minutes. 

Add in remaining four cups flour and knead again, for several minutes, until dough has an elastic consistency.

Remove dough from bowl and cut into three equal sections. Roll each section into a rectangle. 

Take one of the rectangles and spread 1/3 of gingerbread filling evenly over the dough and roll up. Cut into 12 equal pieces (a bench cutter or floss work well)  Place cinnamon rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 pan. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, between 1-2 hours. 

Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes. 

Repeat with remaining dough and filling. 

To freeze: after placing cut cinnamon rolls in the pan, cover (make sure it is airtight) and store in freezer. When ready to use, remove from freezer and let thaw (mine took 4-6 hours) before baking.