Gingerbread Buttermilk Cinnamon Rolls with Browned Butter Frosting

Instructions

Dough

1. Pour yeast packets into warm water in a small bowl and stir. Set aside.
2. To get the buttermilk lukewarm, place in the microwave for 15 second intervals, stirring in between, until warm to the touch but not hot. In another bowl, combine buttermilk and baking soda. Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine 2 tablespoons sugar, vegetable oil, and egg, whisking until egg is well beaten. Pour buttermilk mixture into this bowl and stir. Add yeast mixture and stir to combine.
4. Add 4 cups of flour and salt into a large mixing bowl, then pour in the wet ingredients. Mix well using a wooden spoon. The mixture will be quite wet at this point.
5. Add an additional 1⁄2 cup flour, and another 1⁄2 cup if needed to form a shaggy dough.
6. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead the dough gently about 20 times. Add additional flour at about 1-2 tablespoons at a time as needed if it is overly sticky. The dough should be slightly sticky, soft, and elastic once you’ve finished kneading.
7. Shape the dough somewhat into a ball and transfer to a bowl, covered with a tea towel, for 15-30 minutes until it’s slightly risen. In the meantime, line a 9x13 with parchment paper and prepare the filling.

Filling

1. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg.
2. In a separate small bowl, mix together the butter and molasses.
3. When the dough has finished rising, punch it down and transfer onto a lightly floured surface. Roll dough into a large rectangle around 14x20 inches, with long edge toward you.
4. Spread the molasses butter evenly over the dough. Sprinkle the ginger sugar evenly over the butter and lightly push into the butter. Begin rolling the dough into a log by starting at the long edge and rolling up in an even, tight row. Continue rolling, keeping the log somewhat tight until it is in a full log.
5. Use a serrated knife to slice into 1.5 inch pieces. Discard the small edges. Transfer sliced rolls to the prepared baking dish, placing them cut side up and leaving some room between each roll for them to rise. Cover the pan with a tea towel and let the rolls rise in a warm environment for about 1 hour until they’ve doubled in size.
6. Preheat oven to 350° F and after they rise, bake for 17-20 minutes until the edges and tops are just slightly golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before frosting.

Frosting

1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, until the butter is lightly browned and smells toasted. Immediately remove from heat and let cool.
2. In a medium bowl, beat together the cooled browned butter, cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla until smooth. If the frosting is too thick for your liking, add milk until it reaches desired consistency. Spread the frosting over warm rolls and top with toasted pecans!