Vegan Whole-Wheat Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 tsp. active dry yeast
• 1 cup non-dairy milk
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 tbsp. ground flax seed
• 6 tbsp. warm water
• 2/3 cup vegan margarine, divided¹
• 4 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 1/2 tsp. cinnamon

For the frosting (optional)

• 2 cups organic powdered sugar
• 10 tsp. soy milk
• 2 tbsp. vanilla

Directions

1. Heat the milk to 105 degrees (not hotter) in a bowl, add the sugar and sprinkle the yeast on top of the mixture. Let it stand in a warm place until the yeast gets foamy.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk the flax seed with the warm water until it thickens (about 5 minutes).

3. In a large bowl or stand mixer, add the flour, salt, 1/3 cup melted margarine, flax seed mixture, and milk-sugar-yeast mixture.

4. Knead the dough ball for 5 minutes or until it is firm and smooth, if it is too sticky add a small amount of flour. If it is too dry, add a small amount of water.

5. Place the dough ball in an oiled bowl covered with a dish towel. Place in a warm area and let rise for 1 hour or until the dough doubles in size. If your kitchen is cool or drafty, let rise in an oven with the light on (but no heat).

6. While the dough is rising, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.

7. When the dough is done rising, roll it out into a rectangle on a well-floured surface until it is 1/4 inch thick.

8. Add a layer of melted margarine to the entire surface of the dough and then sprinkle a layer of the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture on top.

9. Starting at the long end of the rectangle, roll the dough into a large tight log.

10. Cut the log into equal sized cinnamon rolls, about 1/2" thick. A serrated bread knife works well for this.

11. Place the cinnamon rolls on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or Silpat. Cover with a dish towel and allow them to rise again for about 30 minutes or until they double in size.

12. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400F.

13. After the second rise, bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes.

14. Make the icing (optional)

    1. Beat together all icing ingredients until smooth.
    2. Spread the icing onto the cinnamon rolls after they have finished baking.

Footnotes