Golden Cinnamon Twists

Dough

• 1 packet active dry yeast — 2¼ teaspoons
• ¾ cup warm water — 110–115°F, divided
• ½ cup warm milk — 110–115°F
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons fine salt
• ¼ cup unsalted butter — softened
• 1 large egg
• 4–4 ½ cups all-purpose flour — divided

Cinnamon Filling

• ¼ cup unsalted butter — melted and slightly cooled
• ½ cup brown sugar — packed
• 4 teaspoons cinnamon — ground

1. Activate the Yeast. In a large bowl, stir the yeast into ¼ cup warm water. Let stand 5–10 minutes until creamy and foamy across the surface.1 packet active dry yeast, ¼ cup warm water
2. Make the Dough. Add the remaining ½ cup warm water, warm milk, sugar, salt, softened butter, egg, and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Gradually add enough of the remaining flour to form a soft dough that pulls away from the bowl but still feels slightly tacky.½ cup warm water, ½ cup warm milk, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1½ teaspoons fine salt, ¼ cup unsalted butter, 1 large egg, 4–4½ cups all-purpose flour
3. Knead the Dough. Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead 6–8 minutes until smooth and elastic, adding flour a tablespoon at a time only if sticking prevents comfortable kneading.
4. First Rise. Place dough into a lightly greased bowl, turn once to coat, cover, and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour, or until doubled in volume.
5. Roll and Fill. Gently deflate dough and roll into a 16x12-inch rectangle. Brush evenly with melted butter. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle evenly over the dough. Let rest 5–6 minutes.¼ cup melted unsalted butter, ½ cup packed brown sugar, 4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
6. Shape Twists. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut dough lengthwise into 3 strips, then cut each strip crosswise into sixteen 4x1-inch pieces, making 48 pieces total. Twist each piece two or three times and place about 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
7. Second Rise. Cover loosely and let twists rise about 30 minutes, or until visibly puffy and nearly doubled. During the final 20 minutes, preheat the oven to 350°F.
8. Bake for 12–15 minutes until lightly golden on the tops and bottoms and no longer doughy in the center. If baking both sheets at once, rotate them front to back and switch racks halfway through.
9. Cool Slightly. Transfer the twists to cooling racks and let cool about 5 minutes before serving warm.