Walnut Baklava Cinnamon Rolls
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
These cinnamon rolls are fluffy and pillow-y and reminiscent of baklava, with walnuts and orange blossom water. They're surprisingly pretty simple to make and can be prepped the night before!
Author:
Serves: 11 rolls
Ingredients
  • Dough
  • 1 package active dry yeast (or 2¼ teaspoons)
  • ½ cup water, divided
  • 2¾ cups all-purpose flour (scooped and leveled), divided
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup milk of choice
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 large egg
  • Filling
  • 1 cup walnuts, finely chopped (see picture for example)
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon cinnamon
  • Glaze*
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar
  • 1 tablespoon milk
  • 2 teaspoon orange blossom water
  • pinch of salt
Instructions
  1. In a small bowl, whisk the yeast with ¼ cup warm water (110-115 degrees F) until dissolved. Set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine 2¼ cups of the flour (setting aside the rest of the flour), sugar, and salt and stir well.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, ¼ cup water, butter, and egg. Stir the liquid mixture into the flour mixture. Add the water and yeast mixture too. Add enough of the reserved flour to make a soft dough. You'll have ½ cup left, but may not use all of it. I usually start with adding ¼ - ⅓ cup flour just until the dough is soft and elastic and isn't sticky.
  4. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough for 3-4 minutes. Place the dough back in the bowl and cover with a lightly damp towel for ~10 minutes.
  5. To make the filling, combine the walnuts, sugar, butter, and cinnamon. Stir well. After 10 minutes, roll the dough out into a 8x14 inch rectangle. Evenly distribute the walnut filling. Roll the dough up tightly, on the long side. Using a sharp knife or string (or floss!), cut the dough into 11 even pieces. Grease a 9-inch round pan and place the rolls into the pan. Loosely cover with foil and let rise in a draft-free place for 60-90 minutes (think: on top of the fridge, on the stove top, making sure the stove is off).
  6. Once the rolls have risen and doubled in size (see the picture above), remove the foil and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for ~30 minutes, or until the top is golden.
  7. Meanwhile, make the glaze by whisking together the confectioners' sugar, milk, orange blossom water, and a pinch of salt. If it seems too thick, you can add more milk (or orange blossom water if you prefer a more floral glaze).
  8. Right before serving, top the cinnamon rolls with the glaze. These are best enjoyed the same day, but you can store them in an air-tight container in the fridge for a couple days. When you're ready to serve, warm the rolls and top with the glaze.
Notes
*If you prefer, you can use honey instead of the traditional glaze.
Recipe by thyme & toast at https://thymeandtoast.com/baklava-cinnamon-rolls/