Celozrnné skořicové šneky s mandlemi

Whole wheat cinnamon rolls with almonds

Everyone in the family can't resist these fluffy whole wheat rolls with a hint of cinnamon and crispy roasted almonds!

Cinnamon rolls are one of the most iconic desserts of the beginning of autumn and maybe of autumn in general! Why, you may be wondering? They're full of cinnamon, the most famous warming spice, and they're best still warm with a hot cup of tea or coffee, and that's exactly what we crave when it starts to get gloomy and rainy outside. It's basically a kind of homemade de-stresser, I guess...

My take on cinnamon rolls is full of spice and butter. It's healthier thanks to its made with whole wheat flour, it's free of white sugar and it's enriched with fragrant crunchy almonds that add another flavor layer to the cinnamon rolls and create a nice contrast to the soft fluffy dough.

What are the benefits of baking with whole wheat flour?

Whole wheat flour is healthier than white flour because the whole grain is ground into the flour, including the germ and the coating. They have the most nutrients, fiber and protein hidden in them and therefore have a lower Glycemic Index. This means that they fill us up sooner and the sugar is then released more slowly in the blood. As for vitamins and minerals, B vitamins, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and iron are the most present in whole wheat flour.

It is worth mentioning that even a small amount of whole wheat flour added to the dough increases the nutritional value of the dough. Thanks to the lower Glycemic Index and the higher amount of fiber and protein, you will also generally eat less of the baked goods, as it simply fills you up sooner. At least in my family, that's what I've noticed.

How to work with whole wheat flour in baking?

Whole wheat flour is generally more challenging to work with when baking, as it does not contain as much gluten as white flour. This makes the dough less stretchy and elastic. It tears more and can also often stick to the surface, your hands or a rolling pin. In this recipe, however, you only need to knead the dough with a wooden spoon to combine all the ingredients and it will form a beautifully pliable, manageable dough as it rises.

It's best to use whole wheat flour as fresh as possible, as the oils it contains can go rancid and the flour can become bitter. Whole wheat dough is also not as light and fluffy after baking as white flour. However, I have written down a few tricks that I use in this recipe specifically to give the resulting cinnamon rolls more fluffiness.

How to make the most fluffy whole wheat dough?

Does the term FLUFFY WHOLE WHEAT DOUGH seem like a contradiction in terms? With a few tricks, even whole wheat dough can be made into a beautifully fluffy baked good!

Sifting flour - Sifting flour is generally recommended for all types of flour, but the sifting results are most noticeable with whole wheat flour. Sifting the flour will help to aerate the flour (get more air into it) and also get rid of any larger pieces of grain or lumps that can form in the flour. Especially if you have bought wholemeal flour that is older, very often larger clumps of flour will form in the flour that will not separate without sifting.
Adding semi-coarse white flour - I also like to add a little bit of white flour into my whole wheat dough, especially semi-coarse. It helps build the texture of the dough as it is ground coarser. White flour also adds more gluten, which helps create a more uniform dough.
Egg yolks and butter - I only add egg yolks and more butter to the dough. Adding fat to the dough will make the final product soft and smooth.
Higher hydration of the dough - More milk will ensure that the dough is not only easy to work with. It also makes the dough softer and makes it rise faster.
2. proofing with added heavy cream - My favorite and simple trick for adding softness to the resulting rolls! The heavy cream adds extra fat to the dough and also extra hydration. It will soak into the dough for the most part, and then the rest will form sticky edges when baked along with the sugar in the filling.

Can I make cinnamon rolls using only whole wheat flour?

If you want to bake 100% whole wheat cinnamon rolls, substitute white semi-coarse flour with an equal amount of whole wheat flour. But be sure not to skip the sifting step, otherwise the dough can be very heavy and dense.

What other filling can I use for whole wheat cinnamon rolls?

Besides cardamom, you can add ground ginger, a pinch of star anise, ground cloves, vanilla or a pinch of ground allspice to the dough and filling. It can also be complemented with apple pie spice mix or chai spice mix. Ground almonds and almond flakes can also be substituted for more aromatic nuts, such as walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts or other types of nuts and seeds.

The dough is otherwise quite versatile, and the fragrant cinnamon in the dough works well with any apple, pear, plum or chocolate filling.

How to make whole wheat cinnamon rolls with almonds?

Sift the wholemeal flour, semi-coarse white flour, a pinch of salt, cinnamon and ground cardamom into a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon. Then make a levain in the flour mixture to activate the yeast and make the dough rise better.

Make a well in the flour with a fork or spoon, pour in about half of the lukewarm milk and crumble in the yeast. Add the flour slowly with the fork to the milk and yeast mixture and mix a thin batter about as thick as a pancake batter. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 15 minutes until the levain has risen.

When the levain is active, we mix the dough. Add in the same big bowl, the melted butter, egg yolks, honey and the rest of the milk. Knead the dough with a wooden spoon for a few minutes to bring all the ingredients together. Then let rise for about 45 minutes in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size.

In the meantime, we prepare the filling. In a bowl, combine the cinnamon, ground cardamom, ground almonds and brown sugar and mix with a spoon. You can also weigh the butter to the saucepan but don't melt it yet. It needs to be done just before spreading, otherwise the filling will be too stiff.

Add the risen dough onto a lightly floured work surface and carefully roll out into a rectangle about 25×40 cm.

Melt the weighed butter in a saucepan and then add it to the other ingredients for the filling. Carefully spread the filling on the rolled out dough and start rolling from the shorter side. Cut the rolled dough into 12 equal parts and place them cut side up in the prepared baking tin lined with baking paper. I use a round mold with a diameter of 23 cm.

Drizzle a little whipping cream over each roll in the tin, sprinkle with sliced almonds and let rise again for about 45 minutes. Until the dough doubles in volume.

Bake in a preheated oven at 175 °C for approximately 20 minutes.

TIPS:
- you can also add dried fruits such as raisins, cranberries, finely chopped apricots or dried pears to the filling
- the cinnamon rolls can also be baked on a large baking tray with wider spacing - they keep their round shape and bake for a shorter time, approximately 10-12 minutes
- you can use this whole wheat dough to make any shape, not just rolls - you can try different types of shapes like babka, braids or pockets
- if cinnamon and cardamom are skipped, the dough is neutral in taste and really versatile

Recipe

Recipe for 12 rolls

Ingredients:

For the dough:

200 g whole wheat flour (I use spelt flour)
50 g semi-coarse white wheat flour or whole wheat flour
2 egg yolks
30 g honey or brown sugar
1 tsp of cinnamon
1/4 tsp of ground cardamom
40 g butter, melted
12 g fresh yeast
pinch of salt
125 ml lukewarm milk
50 g heavy cream
20 g (2 handfuls) sliced almonds

For the filling:

1 tbsp (5 g) cinnamon
1 tsp (2 g) ground cardamom
4 tbsp (50 g) dark brown sugar
2 tbsp (20 g) ground almonds
3 tbsp (55g) butter

Instructions:

1. Sift the wholemeal flour, semi-coarse white flour, a pinch of salt, cinnamon and ground cardamom into a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon.
2. Make a levain: Make a well in the flour with a fork or spoon, pour in about half of the lukewarm milk and crumble in the yeast. Add the flour slowly with the fork to the milk and yeast mixture and mix a thin batter about as thick as a pancake batter. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave to rise in a warm place for 15 minutes until the levain has risen.
3. Then add in the same big bowl, the melted butter, egg yolks, honey and the rest of the milk. Knead the dough with a wooden spoon for a few minutes to bring all the ingredients together. Then let rise for about 45 minutes in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size.
4. In the meantime, we prepare the filling. In a bowl, combine the cinnamon, ground cardamom, ground almonds and brown sugar and mix with a spoon. You can also weigh the butter to the saucepan.
5. Add the risen dough onto a lightly floured work surface and carefully roll out into a rectangle about 25×40 cm.
6. Melt the weighed butter in a saucepan and then add it to the other ingredients for the filling. Carefully spread the filling on the rolled out dough and start rolling from the shorter side.
7. Cut the rolled dough into 12 equal parts and place them cut side up in the prepared baking tin lined with baking paper. I use a round mold with a diameter of 23 cm.
8. Drizzle a little whipping cream over each roll in the tin, sprinkle with sliced almonds and let rise again for about 45 minutes. Until the dough doubles in volume.
9. Bake in a preheated oven at 175 °C for approximately 20 minutes.