RECIPE: The 1973 Cinnamon Roll We're Bringing Into 2026

In 2026, we’ll be celebrating Indiana Food History with the spring issue of Edible Indy. In our research, we’ve been reflecting on the recipes we’ve loved, adapted, and made our own over the years. This cinnamon roll recipe is inspired by the 1973 Good Housekeeping Cookbook, taking notes from the sweet dough and layers of cinnamon and sugar. For our purposes, we’ve cut out the pecans and traded out margarine for unsalted butter, to name a few changes. A well-worn recipe is one where you work out the kinks to suit your kitchen and personal preferences. What you’ll find below is an homage to the original, and the adjustments made over many family gatherings.

Ingredients

THE DOUGH
4 cups of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 packet of active dry yeast
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
3/4 cup of milk
1/4 cup of water
1/2 cup of unsalted butter
1 egg

THE BUNS

1 cup of light brown sugar

2 teaspoon of cinnamon

1/2 cup of unsalted butter

SUGAR GLAZE

2 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 tablespoons of water

Instructions

In a bowl, combine 1 cup of flour with the sugar, salt, dry yeast, and cardamom, and sift with a fork to mix. In a medium saucepan over low heat, heat the milk, 1/4 cup of water, and unsalted butter until warm, but not boiling. The butter doesn’t need to melt completely. Add the wet ingredients to a mixer and gradually add the dry ingredients while mixing on low speed.

Increase the speed to medium; beat for 2 minutes, occasionally scraping the sides of the bowl with spatula. Beat in the eggs and 3/4 cups of flour; continue beating for 2 minutes, occasionally scraping the sides of the bowl. With a spoon, stir in the additional flour to make a soft dough.

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and kneed it until smooth and elastic. Shape dough into a ball and place it in a greased bowl, turning it over so the top is greased. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place, until it’s doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Once dough is ready, put it on a clean, lightly floured surface and cut dough into 2 sections. Cover with a towel for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon; set aside.

With a lightly floured rolling pin and surface, roll dough one half of the dough into a rectangle, or as close as you can get. Brush generously with melted butter; sprinkle the surface with half of the sugar mixture and spread it out to evenly to cover dough.

Starting with one end, roll the dough, pinching the seam to seal. With seam side down, cut the dough into slices.Cut off the uneven ends of the dough roll and don’t use them. Place them in a greased baking dish and brush with melted butter or margarine.

Repeat this process with the second half of the dough and sugar.

Bake them for about 15 minutes and pull them
out; they will continue to bake in the pan as it cools. This gives you a roll that is just as soft on the outside
as the inside. Cool slightly and spread the Sugar Glaze over the rolls.