Smoked Sea Salt Buckwheat Breakfast Cinnamon Rolls

Growing up, my Dad and Grandma would always make us cinnamon rolls from scratch. I remember the way the dough smells. I remember the way you have to clear off the entire counter to roll out the dough and turn it into a swirly snake of cinnamon and sugar. And then I also remember the five total times my parents caved and let us buy Pillsbury cinnamon rolls (where my siblings and I would fight over the center one like idiots). I have no idea what I was thinking or what was so tempting about something that came out of a tube... But clearly, my tastes have shifted (and I realized how good I had it). Armed with a bag of buckwheat flour and a new appreciation for feeling healthy after a my first stint of a cold in years, I set out to roll my way to a morning breakfast bounty that was both sweet, homey and healthy. 

Buckwheat is interesting. The taste to me is very sweet in its own right. I've used it before to create buckwheat quiche crust  and absolutely love the way it plays off of the savory and saltiness of the egg mix. Because it's a whole grain, it's a great way to explore a more fiber rich and filling flour beyond basic whole wheat. 

Just after a long rise and before baking...

Beautifully baked...

Inverted in all their brown sugar glory

smoked sea salt Buckwheat Cinnamon Rolls

adapted from Martha Stewart Living whole wheat rolls

/// Ingredients ///

dough

• 2 T melted butter
• 1 1/4 C whole wheat flour
• 3/4 C all purpose flour
• 2 T whole wheat buckwheat flour 
• 1 1/8 teaspoon dry yeast
• 1/2 t smoked sea salt
• 2 T brown sugar
• 1/2 C warm water
• 1 egg

filling

• 1 stick softened butter
• 3/4 C brown sugar
• 1/2 T cinnamon
• 1/2 cup nuts if desired
• 1 teaspoon anilla
• additional smoked sea salt to taste

/// Directions ///

dough: In a stand mixer, mix all dough ingredients for five minutes until fully combined and smooth. Transfer the dough to a bowl and rise in a warm place for one hour or until the dough is doubled in size. I like to turn on my oven to the lowest setting and place the bowl in with a tea towel draped over top. When it pre-heats, I turn off the oven and keep the door closed. Once it is done rising, roll the dough into a rectangle. 

filling: Mix filling ingredients in a bowl and press 1/2 the mixture into the pan or baking dish of your choosing. Use the remaining half and spread it onto the rectangle dough. 

Roll the rectangle from long side to long side. Slice in half and continue slicing each portion in half until you have 8 rolls. If desired, you could cut it into 10 rolls, but I love them big! Place the rolls into the baking dish and rise for 1 hour (yep, again-sorry). 

Preheat the oven to 350 F and bake for 25 minutes. For the first half of the bake time, add a separate pan of water under the cooking rolls on the rack below to steam them. REMOVE after half the banking time is completed. Once rolls are done, they'll be bubbling with filling and the dough will look almost dry and matte. Cool 5 minutes and invert pan onto tray or plate.