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1
Begin by pouring 4 C of whole milk into a large cooking pot. Add 1 C of sugar. Add 1 C of vegetable oil. Heat it over a medium flame and stir till sugar has dissolved. Do NOT boil.
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2
Set the mixture aside to cool till lukewarm. About 38 deg C. Check with your finger right into the mixture. If it's hot, then cool some more. I should be just very mildly comfortably warm to the touch.
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3
When the mixture is lukewarm, add 2 packets of instant dry yeast (about 16g, 4.5 teaspoons). Sprinkle the yeast on the surface of the mixture. Leave it for 3 to 5 minutes. If the yeast is fresh and alive, you will see it growing and poofing up.
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4
Add 8 C of plain flour. Mix it all up together. Don't overmix.
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5
Cover with a table cloth and set aside covered in a warm place for 1 hour.
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6
After an hour, the dough would have risen to twice its size. Punch the dough down. Add the last C of flour.
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7
Add 1 heaping teaspoon of baking powder.
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8
Add 1 scant teaspoon of baking soda.
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9
Add 2 teaspoons of salt.
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10
Mix it up. Cover the dough again. And this time, either leave it in a warm place again for 1 hour. Or leave it covered in the fridge for 3 hours to rise slowly.
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11
Note: I left it in the fridge for 3 hours. The dough may be easier to manage when left to rise this way instead as it will be colder and harder.
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12
After the mentioned time, the dough would have risen again. Punch it down.
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13
Knead the dough for a few moments and then transfer the dough to the working table that has been lightly floured.
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14
If the dough is too wet at this stage. Chill it in the fridge for a while. It'll help.
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15
Flour a rolling pin. And roll out the dough into a huge long rectangle.
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16
Cut the dough into 2 parts. So that there are two long pieces of dough.
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17
Pour 2 cups of melted butter onto the rolled out dough.
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18
Note: Check your dough. If it's VERY wet, reduce the amount of melted butter added at this stage. When the rolls are laid out in the pan later, pour the rest of the melted butter on them instead. I really prefer to add all the melted butter at this stage because the flavour goes right into the dough.
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19
Using fingers, evenly distribute the butter.
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20
Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cinnamon over the dough.
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21
Sprinkle 1 cup of castor sugar over the dough.
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22
Sprinkle 1 cup of brown sugar over the dough. As brown sugar gets clumpy. I scattered the sugar on the dough with my fingers.
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23
Chop some pecan nuts to get about 2 cups worth of chopped pecans.
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24
Sprinkle the chopped pecan nuts onto the rolled dough.
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25
Roll up the dough, lengthwise. It will be a really long roll. If the dough is very wet and you are struggling to roll it, add some flour to the surfaces to help you roll.
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26
Cut into 1 inch thick rolls.
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27
Rub pans or baking dishes generously with more melted butter. Place the cinnamon rolls comfortably in each pan/dish. Do not overcrowd as they will expand alot in the pan. Pour remaining butter over the rolls. Don't be afraid!
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28
Set them aside for 1 hour. If there's wind/draft in your kitchen, cover the rolls with table cloths. The rolls will rise some more.
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29
Pop the rolls into a oven, preheated at 180 deg Celsius. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes.
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30
While the rolls are baking, make the icing. Don't get stressed about the proportions. Just mix the ingredients till you get a gooey consistency to pour over like syrup.
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31
Make a 1/4 cup of strong coffee with 1/4 cup water and one 3-in-1 coffee mix.
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32
Add 1 tablespoon of the best honey you can get your hands on. Maple syrup works too.
