Caramel Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

• 2 cups warm water barely warm to your wrist
• 1/4 cup sugar white, granulated sugar
• 2 Tablespoons yeast active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup butter melted
• 2 large eggs
• 1 Tablespoon Salt
• 
  
• 5.5-6 cups Flour

Ingredients for the Cinnamon and sugar filling

• 1/2 cup butter melted
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 Tablespooons Cinnamon 

Caramel Sauce for Cinnamon Rolls

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cups brown sugar
• 1/2 cup karo syrup 
• 1/2 can sweetened condensed milk

Instructions

• in a large bowl ( I like to use my Kitchen Aid for this recipe And use the kneading hook.  If you aren't using an electric mixer and plan to knead the dough by hand, no worries, just double the kneading time) add the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Stir and let the yeast activate for a couple of minutes. By activating you will see it start to foam.
• Add the melted butter, eggs, salt, and 2 cups of flour.  Stir in the electric mixer with the bread hook for 2 minutes or until everything is mixed and the dough is stringy.
• Add 2 more cups of flour while stirring.  Add up to 5.5-6 cups total.  You will know you've added enough flour when the dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl.  (if you are mixing by hand, it's when you can knead the dough and the dough isn't sticking to your hands.)
• Continue to knead for 3 minutes.  
• Let the dough rest in a warm place, about 30 minutes until double.
• Roll the dough out onto a floured surface and roll out with a rolling pin until the dough is evenly about 1/2" thick.  
• Spread the 1/2 cup of butter out onto the rolled dough. Sprinkle the cinnamon on the butter and spread the brown sugar on it too. 
• Rolls the dough up into a long tube and cut into 1" slices.
• Lay the slices in a greased 9 by 13" baking pan. Let the cinnamon rolls rise for another 30 minutes or until double and touching in the pan.
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for 18-22 minutes or until the bottom and the top is golden brown.  

How to make Caramel Sauce for Cinnamon Rolls

• In a non-stick saucepan, melt the butter. Add the brown sugar, Karo Syrup, and Sweetened Condensed milk. Constantly stir and bring the caramel mixture to 220 degrees measuring with a candy thermometer. 
• Use a non-stick pan. Melt the butter. Add the brown sugar, Karo Syrup, and Sweetened Condensed milk. 
• Stir while the ingredients dissolve and melt together. Bring to a rapid boil.  Bring the mixture to 215-220 degrees. This will leave the caramel sauce nice and pourable for the cinnamon rolls. 
• Pour the caramel sauce on the cinnamon rolls when they come out of the oven. Hot sauce and hot cinnamon rolls.
• The final cooking temp of the caramel is a result of the amount of liquid left in it. Caramel sauce is best when cooked to 215 degrees. It's pourable and saucy at that temperature. If you'd like to be able to pour it when it's cool or just out of the fridge, cook the caramel to 210-215 degrees. If you'd like it to have a bit of a chew on it when poured over ice cream, take it a little closer to soft-ball stage and cook it to 225 degrees.