Step 1

Cut the butter into pieces and place in a small saucepan along with the sugar and salt.  Heat until the butter is melted.  Remove from the heat and let it sit until it is lukewarm.

Step 2

Whisk in the sour cream and vanilla followed by the eggs, yeast, and water.

Step 3

Add the flour to the bowl of a mixer. Fit the mixer with a dough hook if available.

Step 4

Pour the liquid over the flour and beat on low to bring together. Knead in the machine for 3 minutes, turning after about 1 ½ minutes as the dough will adhere to the top of the dough hook and not get beaten.  The dough will be very soft and more of a batter.

Step 5

Spray a container at least 3 times the size of the dough with a non-stick baking release. Add the dough and cover with plastic wrap. Mark the time on it. Allow it to rise until doubled, about 2 to 2 ½ hours.

Step 6

After it has risen, deflate it, re-cover it and refrigerate overnight so the butter can firm up. It may or may not rise again in the fridge. That's fine. It can be refrigerated up to 3 days.

Step 7

Melt the butter. Reserve. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon, mixing completely. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent the brown sugar from drying out.

Step 8

Line 14 jumbo muffin cups with jumbo paper liners. Spray with a non-stick baking release. Set aside.

Step 9

Remove from the refrigerator. Roll the dough into a 13" x 22" rectangle, keeping the 22" side horizontal on the table.

Step 10

Brush it with the melted butter from the Cinnamon Filling to within 1/2" of the far edge. Spread the filling over the butter keeping the far edge without anything on it.

Step 11

Starting from the long side (22") roll the dough up tightly to within the 1/2'. Brush the edge with water. Bring it up to cover the dough and seal the edge by, pressing it down and smearing the edge.

Step 12

Mark the roll 1 1/2". Place a long piece of thread or fine floss under the dough on the marking extending to the front and back. Bring the thread up to the top, cross it and pull sharply on both ends. It will cut the rolls cleanly. Repeat with the remaining rolls.

Step 13

The filling will be loose, so pick it up quickly and carefully place it into the sprayed paper cups, filling side down. Press the rolls flat in the cups.

Step 14

When all of the rolls are in the cups, cover with tea towels and allow them to rise until doubled but reaching only to about 1/2" of the top, about 1 1/2 hours.

Step 15

While the rolls are rising, combine the brown and granulated sugar with the cinnamon, mixing well. Cover with plastic wrap to keep the brown sugar from drying out.

Step 16

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Step 17

Add the melted butter (rewarm if it has solidified) to the cinnamon-sugar mixture and blend together. This will not be crumbs. It is more of a thick paste.

Step 18

When the rolls are ready, beat the egg white till foamy. Brush the tops of the rolls using the Cinnamon Crunch with the egg white.

Step 19

Gently, so as not to deflate the rolls, spread about 1 slightly rounded tablespoon on each roll covering it well.

Step 20

If using the vanilla glaze, do nothing to the top of the rolls.

Step 21

Bake for 20 to 23 minutes until browned and baked through. Do not overbake.

Step 22

Let the baked rolls cool for about 5 minutes then carefully lift them by the paper liners out of the pans. Gently, pull down the papers, remove the rolls, and set the on cooling rack to cool completely.

Step 23

If using the vanilla glaze, combine all of the ingredients for the glaze, adjusting the powder sugar if too thin or adding more milk if too thick, Spoon over the rolls, letting it drip down the sides. Leave them out to dry.

Step 24

While all yeast dough is best the day it is baked, these have an amazing shelf life if covered for several days.

Step 25

Either of these can be frozen. The Cinnamon Crunch Rolls can be frozen as is, then well wrapped individually and frozen for a couple of months. The vanilla glazed rolls can be frozen WITHOUT the glaze wrapped as above.

Step 26

Thaw either at room temperature. To freshen, preheat the oven to 350°F. Place the rolls on a sheet pan and cover the pan tightly with foil. Heat for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool.

Step 27

Apply the vanilla glaze after the rolls have cooled.