Providing teacher and school staff holiday gifts always sneaks up on me, probably because school tends to let out a week before Christmas. Although I do put together a separate gift for my child’s classroom teacher, it’s simply not financially feasible for us to purchase gifts for everyone in the building who contributes to the learning environment. And that, as far as I’m concerned, is everyone!
My solution? Cinnamon rolls! I made three dozen rolls last night to put in the teachers’ lounges.
Here is the recipe I use when I need a large batch of rolls.
Big Batch Cinnamon Rolls
- Mix 3 cups hot water with 3 T. yeast and 3/4 cup sugar. Let sit a couple minutes to activate yeast.
- Add 2 c. flour. Mix.
- Add 3/4 c. oil, 1 t. salt, 3 eggs. Mix.
- Add 7 cups flour, a couple at a time. Mix and then knead until all flour is incorporated, and dough isn’t sticky.
- Set dough in a LARGE greased bowl. Let rise until double.
- Divide dough in 1/2. Roll out one 1/2 into a long rectangle.
- Spread rectangle with softened butter. Sprinkle with brown sugar, white sugar, and cinnamon. Roll up.
- Floss the roll into 18 pieces.
- Edited: I forgot! Let the rolls rise again, about 30 minutes!
- Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
Icing
- 1/4 cup melted butter or margarine
- 1 T. vanilla
- 3 T. milk
- sifted powdered sugar
Mix together until easily spreadable.
No time to bake rolls? Need a different idea? Try one of these:
- Homemade Hot Chocolate Mix you provide a big container of mix and cups for the office or lounge, they’ll find the hot water
- Spiced Tea Mix same concept, different beverage
- A box of those cute itty bitty oranges from the store. I think ours are even called “Cuties.” Those always go over well.
- A divided tray with mixed nuts, dried fruit, candy, etc.
It’s not so important what you do, but it is important to recognize and appreciate the people who spend so much of their day educating your children. What ideas do you have? I’d love to have more gift ideas for large groups of people.
Those rolls look scrumptious!
As for other ideas what about different kinds of fudge or candy bark, or homemade peanut clusters, or dipped pretzel sticks. Those are all I can think of right now that I have done before.
I decided that we are taking this week & Christmas week off. We homeschool and preparing for Christmas takes a week in it’s self. So instead of trying to cram everything in a time slot we are doing a whole week of home ec.
That’s a great tackle and awesome ideas:-)
Wow! Those look yummy. Makes me want to become a teacher at your school…
OOH, yum. I just made our Christmas cinnamon rolls yesterday and put them in the freezer. That way I can take them out and bake them while we open presents! I can’t wait!
What a GREAT idea!! Who doesn’t LOVE cinnamon rolls!?!
Those look delicious! That is so nice of you to take something for everyone at the school!
They look divine – and so nice of you to recognise everyone involved in the education process.
I am definitely going to try these! They look delicious! Now, I need to go “tackle” my projects!
Today I made 3 batches of holiday cranberry bread. One large batch for dh to take with him for his teacher lounge at work. The other 2 I divided among mini loaf pans. Luke has a teacher, 2 aides and a special ed teacher. these will be for them. I just can’t make for everyone, if I did I would have to include the speech therapist, the bus drivers (1 each way) and a couple of more aides. I am just giving to the main ones.
My daughter has at least 6 gymnastics coaches that help her team. I bought small felt stockings for cheap and will fill them with dark choclate Bliss, free from CVS. I hope they appreciate the small ways we can say thank you.
Found it! I came here specifically to look for this recipe.
Was looking for a big batch recipe and boy did I find one. This is the best recipe for cinnamon rolls that I have used.(I am 80 yrs. old) They are huge, just like I like them and so tender. Everyone is raving about them. I bake and give to my Sunday School members. They love them and the family doesn’t want them to leave the house.
YAY YAY YAY I am so happy you re posted this one in this weeks menu plan because I had seen it ahile back and somehow didnt bookmark it–I am SOOOO making these this week YUMMO
My wife made these and they were great!
Hi, I have quick question about the type of flour used.
Can you tell me if it is self rising or plain?
thanks
@nancy, I just use plain unbleached flour. Enjoy!
Thanks so much for this recipe! I so enjoy reading your blog and have had this recipe bookmarked for quite a while. My mother-in-law just had her hip replaced and I wanted to make a fun breakfast for her and the family today! They were a huge hit, with only 3 left! And I am very excited to have 12 in the freezer for next time we want cinnamon rolls!
Thanks so much!
Glad they worked well for you! Thanks for letting me know.
Thanks for sharing your recipe, your gifting idea, and the floss trick. I really appreciate it!
Amy,
Is the dough for the cinnamon rolls pretty universal? I am in process of making them and wanted to know if I could use some of the dough for a pizza crust? Thanks! I love your blog!!!
Rachel
Sorry I didn’t get to this right away. I wouldn’t use it for pizza crust since it’s a bit sweet, but you could definitely make it into dinner rolls. My mom does that all the time.
Can you freeze these?? If you said so I could have over looked it ?
Absolutely. I usually bake and then freeze. Just warm them in the microwave or wrap in foil and warm in the oven.
Am a little confused with this big batch recipe and Mom’s cinnamon roll recipe Amy uses. Why the difference in ingredients? Why not just double her mom’s recipe? Also I noticed some discrepancies with freezing. One comment said bake then freeze. Another said to freeze, thaw and then bake and another comment from Amy said she nevers freezes uncooked dough? Please clarify.
This is just another recipe that I’ve used. It’s good to have recipes with different ingredients so people can use what they have and what their comfortable with. My favorite is hands down “mom’s cinnamon rolls” but they all taste fabulous fresh from the oven. I had never frozen uncooked dough when I wrote that recipe out. Since then I’ve tried it, and it works to leave frozen dough out at night and bake in the morning, but I still prefer fresh.
can we some how use cheese cake frosting or incorporate it in the buns some how, and freeze it as well.
Cheese cake frosting? Is that the same as cream cheese frosting? You can freeze them with cream cheese frosting, yes.
Question:
I just want to make sure I am reading the recipe correctly – are you calling for 4 tablespoons of yeast and one teaspoon of salt – and if you are calling for TABLESPOONS of yeast – about how many packets would that be? Thanks!
Yes, it’s tablespoons, but if you use 4 packages of yeast you should be just fine. One teaspoon salt.
Thanks! And, I meant 3 tablespoons (as the recipe mentioned – in case someone else reads this). I’m looking forward to trying the recipe and will let you know how it goes!
Thanks for the recipe – they turned out great!
These were seriously the best cinnamon rolls I have EVER made! Thanks so much for sharing the recipe! I love that it is such a huge batch so I can freeze the extra and have yummy goodness later! Having them tomorrow morning for Thanksgiving breakfast!
Thank you!!
Made these and baked some while freezing the extra so we could eat them thanksgiving morning. THanks so much for sharing!
Best Cinnamon roll recipe I have ever found!!!
Excellent! Glad you enjoyed them.
Awesome! I have only one question? at the beginning of the recipe add 2 cups of flour … and then 7 more?
Yes. The first two cups are mixed in to help the ingredients all blend. Then 7 more cups, a little at a time. It’s a LOT of flour.
I love homemade cinnamon rolls! I make my icing with cream cheese and icing sugar and a touch of water, I could eat it right out of the bowl! Oh…maybe I do.
Couple of questions….first of all, the icing says sifted powdered sugar, but does not say an amount. How much do you use for this recipe? Second, you floss each half into 18 rolls? For a total of 36 rolls? Last, when you have frozen them, you have flossed, cooked, iced, frozen on sheets and then bagged and then simply reheat in microwave? Otherwise you would have to freeze uncooked and the frosting would be a hassle, right?
I honestly don’t even measure my powdered sugar. I know that’s not a bit helpful… I just sift it in and stir until it’s a smooth consistency. Yes, a total of 36 rolls. When I freeze them, I either do as you typed, or sometimes I freeze them uncooked right after I floss them. Then I set them out on a pan the night before I want to bake them in the morning. They raise overnight, so I bake and frost them fresh.
I just made these tonight (and put most of them in the freezer). They are AMAZING!! Eating one right now as I type this, lol! I can honsetly say that they are the best I have EVER had!! I am so making these at Christmas time for our school’s Christmas breakfast for the faculty that our PTK puts on. Thank you so much for posting these wonderful rolls! Can’t wait to try the Caramel Pecan twist! God Bless You!
Nothing like a fresh from the oven cinnamon roll!
How much butter, sugar and cinnamon do you spread on the inside of the rolls?
You know, I’ve never even measured it. For the big batch, I probably go through about a stick and a half of butter. Maybe 1/2-1 cup of each sugar? I really don’t know about the cinnamon. I sprinkle (heavily) straight from the container. (Sorry to be so little help!)
Our three daughters saw these and can’t wait to try them (we love baking together and my husband is soooo glad we do!! ha!ha!)!!
– yet can’t imagine waiting to freeze the dough only to thaw it out!?! Any suggestions???
One question though….if we were to do all the steps listed above EXCEPT for the freezing and/or baking (meaning up to flossing and putting the rolls on a pan), would these be ok in the fridge overnight and then pull them out to bake in the morning?? Fresh cinnamon rolls in the morning are a fabulous way to start the day, but not sure I want to get up early enough to make this recipe beginning at Step 1 – although it seems totally worth it!
Yes! Sometimes I’ll make them in the evening and leave them in the fridge overnight. Just set them out about an hour before you bake, and you should be good to go!
Thank you, Amy!!!