Instructions

1. If using tea, boil milk and steep tea in milk for 5 minutes; otherwise, simply bring milk to room temperature.
2. Remove tea infuser, if using, then add honey and yeast to milk once cooled to warm. Allow yeast to proof for 5 minutes.
3. Melt butter in a small bowl. In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk dry ingredients together.
4. Add melted butter, milk/yeast mixture and mixed eggs or sub to dry ingredients and beat together using stand mixer or large wooden spoon. Once the dough has come together, continue mixing for another 2 minutes on medium-high. The dough should be firm but not tight or dry.
5. Prepare the topping by mixing together brown sugar and cinnamon and melting butter to have ready to brush on the dough.
6. Roll the dough out into a rectangle on a clean surface floured like a pastry mat or clean counter dusted well with gfJules® Flour to keep it from sticking. Knowing that the dough will rise, roll the dough thinner if you prefer less bun and more filling, but no thinner than 1/4 inch.
7. Mix together softened butter, brown sugar + cinnamon and spread evenly across the rolled out dough.
8. Roll the dough up into a spiraled log by rolling up evenly from the long end. A bench scraper makes this easier. Cut into 10-12 rolls.
9. Place rolls in buttered or oiled baking dish, cut side down, leaving room between them for the rolls to rise. Cover with oiled plastic wrap and place into the refrigerator for up to 14 hours. The rolls will rise slowly this way. If not rising overnight, set rolls aside to rise in a warm location for 30 minutes to one hour, or until nearly doubled in size.
10. When you are ready to bake the rolls, remove from the refrigerator and leave at room temperature at least as long as it takes to preheat your oven to 325°F. If the rolls have not risen to nearly double in size, allow to rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours; this step will not hurt the dough, but this step should not be necessary if your yeast was very active.
11. Remove the plastic wrap and recover the rolls with a tent of aluminum foil to prevent the rolls from burning. Once the oven has come to temperature, place the rolls in the oven to bake for 15 minutes, then remove the foil and bake for another 5-8 minutes, testing with a toothpick for done-ness. The toothpick should not have wet dough on it when removed. Add more time if necessary for the dough to cook through, particularly if the rolls are coming straight from the refrigerator without spending much time at room temperature.
12. Once cooked, remove to cool while preparing icing.
13. Boil milk and steep tea for 5 minutes, if making Earl Grey Cinnamon Rolls; if not, skip this step. Once tea is steeped, allow milk to cool.
14. Add milk to room temperature cream cheese and butter plus sifted confectioner's sugar. Beat together slowly at first to mix, then increase speed to smooth the icing. Add more cream cheese, if necessary to thicken; add more milk if necessary to thin.
15. Spread icing over warm cinnamon rolls before serving.