How To Make Cinnamon Rolls Step-By-Step Pictures

If you’ve never made cinnamon rolls before, these step-by-step instructions will help you visualize the cinnamon-roll-making process.  Once you understand how to make cinnamon rolls, the rest is easy :)

I make the cinnamon rolls dough in a bread machine by using the bread machine cinnamon buns recipe.  Once the bread machine makes the dough, here’s what to do next:

Step 1 Of Making Cinnamon Rolls: Roll Out The Dough Into A Rectangle

Here’s the picture of how the dough should look like when you roll it out:

Step 2 Of Making Cinnamon Rolls: Brush The Dough With Milk

Pour a couple of tablespoons of milk on the dough, then use the pastry brush to brush the milk over the dough.  The dough should look evenly moistened with the milk.

Here’s the picture of the dough after it’s been brushed with milk:

Step 3 Of Making Cinnamon Rolls: Sprinkle With Cinnamon And Sugar

Sprinkle the dough evenly with the mixture of cinnamon and sugar.

Here’s the picture of the dough rectangle sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar:

Step 4 Of Making Cinnamon Rolls: Roll The Dough Into A Roll

Here’s when your dough rectangle will become a roll :)  Starting with the long side, roll the dough into a roll, like shown on the picture below:

Here’s the picture of the roll when the rolling process is complete:

Step 5 Of Making Cinnamon Rolls: Cut The Long Dough Roll Into 12 Pieces

The easiest way of getting 12 even pieces is to cut the roll in half, then each half into halves, and finally each quarter into 3 parts.  The tricky part is to remember to cut the quarters into 3 parts – NOT into 2 parts.  I forgot :) That’s why the pieces on the picture below are not very even :)

Step 6 Of Making Cinnamon Rolls: Put Roll Pieces Into Greased Baking Dish

Put the cinnamon rolls pieces into a greased baking dish as shown on the picture below:

Step 7 Of Making Cinnamon Rolls: Let Them Rise

Cover the baking dish with the plastic wrap.  The plastic wrap will keep the rolls from drying out while they rise.  After you cover the dish with the plastic wrap, leave it on the counter for 1 hour.  During this time, the rolls will rise – the dough will expand and the rolls will get bigger!

Here’s the picture of the baking dish covered with the plastic wrap:

When the cinnamon rolls finished rising, they will be touching!  Here’s the picture of the cinnamon rolls that finished rising – notice how much bigger they got:

Step 8 Of Making Cinnamon Rolls: Bake Them

Preheat oven to 350F.  Remove plastic wrap from the baking dish.  Put the baking dish with the cinnamon rolls in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

Here’s the picture of freshly baked cinnamon rolls, right out of the oven:

Step 9 Of Making Cinnamon Rolls: Ice Them

Make the icing with milk and powdered sugar, and spread it on top of the cinnamon rolls.

Here’s the picture of iced cinnamon rolls:

You are done!  The cinnamon rolls are ready to eat :)  For the exact ingredients and proportions, see my easy cinnamon buns recipe!