Cinnamon Rolls for All

I promised more recipes using the boule dough from the Mother Earth News recipe. So far, so good: I've used it to make a French boule (round, baguette-like loaf), naan, and now... cinnamon rolls. I've never made cinnamon rolls before, and I had no idea they would be this easy to make. On a rainy afternoon when my roommates and I decided to watch 3 movies in a row, they made the perfect coffee table decoration, until 5 minutes later when they made a great, warm stomach coating. How multi-purpose, right?! Whatever you want them for, I highly recommend them.

STICKY CARAMEL CINNAMON ROLLS

THE GOODS

1 1/2 pounds pre-mixed boule dough

Topping
6 tablespoons unsalted butter ($1.49 or less for 2 sticks)
1/2 teaspoon salt (you should have this on stock)
1/2 cup brown sugar ($1.99)
Optional (which I didn't use): 30 pecan halves

Filling
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened (see above)
1/4 cup cinnamon
Pinch of ground black pepper
Optional (which I didn't use): 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg, 1/2 cup toasted pecans, chopped

The Grand Total: $3.48 plus the cost of the boule dough (see recipe in previous post)

THE WAY

Cream together the butter, salt and brown sugar. Spread evenly in a 9-inch cake pan. Scatter the pecan halves over the mixture and set aside.

Dust the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a cantaloupe-sized piece. Dust the piece with flour and shape it into a ball following the method in Step 5 of The Master Recipe (above).
With a rolling pin, roll out the dough to a 1/8-inch thick rectangle. Add only enough flour to prevent it from sticking.

Cream together the butter, sugar and spices for the filling. Spread evenly over the dough and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Roll the dough into a log. If it’s too soft to cut, chill for 20 minutes.
With a serrated knife, cut the log into 8 pieces and arrange over the pecans, with the “swirled” edge facing up. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rest and rise 1 hour (or 40 minutes if you’re using fresh, unrefrigerated dough).

5 minutes before baking time, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake about 40 minutes, or until golden brown and set in center. While still hot, run a knife around the pan to release the rolls, and invert immediately onto a serving dish.