I LOVE cinnamon rolls.  Truth be told…I love bread.  yeast bread.  homemade.  right out of the oven.  Okay seriously, I may have to go bake some after writing this post.  I’m making myself hungry!

That’s how this recipe was “born.”  From my love of bread – and cinnamon rolls.  Only, I decided to switch it up and add another favorite filling of mine – strawberries.  Plus, my kiddos can’t get enough of them – they absolutely love berries. and bread.  and jelly.

If you are familiar with how to make cinnamon rolls this is the same method.

:: Strawberry Breakfast Buns

Dough:
3/4 tsp yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp salted butter
1/4 cup water
1 egg

Filling:
1 1/2 cups strawberries, chopped
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup water
2 or 3 oz cream cheese

To make the filling, place strawberries, sugar, and water into a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Mix cornstarch and a bit of water in a bowl.  Stir until there are no lumps then pour it into the pan with the strawberries.  Boil for a minute or two, until the strawberries have thickened.  Just before turning the strawberries off, add the vanilla.  Then, remove the strawberries from the heat and allow to cool.

To make the dough, put milk, butter, and water in a glass measuring cup and heat for 30 seconds {or more}.  The goal is to get the milk, butter, and water up to 100 – 110 degrees to activate the yeast {too cold or too hot are equally as ineffective}.   Place yeast, sugar, and warmed milk, butter, and water into mixing bowl.  Allow it to sit a few minutes.  Add in the flour, sugar, and egg and beat together in your electric mixture fitted with a dough hook {or by hand with a spatula}.

Allow the electric mixture to knead the dough for a minute so that the dough is smooth and elastic.  {Or, if you are mixing by hand, turn the dough out and knead by hand for approximately 8 minutes}.

Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it.  Allow it to rise for an hour in a warm place.  {I put mine in the oven.  First, I turn the oven on for just a minute to get it warm – but not hot – in there.  Then, I turn the oven off and put the dough in there with the door shut.  It keeps it snug and warm }.

Prepare a glass baking dish with cooking spray (I like to use coconut oil spray but you can use what you like).

Transfer dough out onto your floured counter top and roll it out with a rolling pin into a rectangle about 9×13.  Spread a horizontal stripe of cream cheese down the middle of the dough.  Then, spread the strawberry filling out on the dough.

Roll the dough into a log.  Then, slice the dough into about 12 rolls.  Place the rolls in the prepared dish.  Cover loosely and allow the dough to rise in a warm place for about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Bake the rolls for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.