Two hours and ten minutes for nine rolls, of which seventy-five are the dough rising and thirty are hands-on.
The bacon goes into the spiral with the cinnamon sugar rather than onto the finished roll. That is the whole reason the pieces show up inside the swirl when a roll is pulled open.
Why This Recipe Works
- Proving the yeast in warm milk with a teaspoon of sugar confirms it is alive before the flour goes in.
- A twelve-by-sixteen rectangle gives a long enough roll for nine pieces with a tight spiral.
- Softened butter spread first is what holds the brown sugar, cinnamon and bacon against the dough.
- Fifteen minutes of second rise while the oven heats gives the cut rolls time to relax and fill the pan.
- Simmering the glaze for two minutes concentrates it enough to coat without setting into icing.
Ingredient Notes
- Bacon
- Six slices, cooked crisp and finely chopped before the dough is rolled. Finely chopped so it distributes through the spiral rather than making lumps.
- Bourbon
- Two tablespoons, simmered with the maple syrup for two minutes. It is cooked in a glaze rather than stirred in raw, and the glaze is not alcohol-free.
- Butter, in three places
- A quarter cup melted into the dough, three tablespoons softened for the filling, and one tablespoon in the glaze. Three different jobs, measured separately.
- Pure maple syrup
- A third of a cup, and it is the body of the glaze rather than a flavouring in it.
How to Make It
Prove the yeast, build the wet mix
Combine warm milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar; stand 5 minutes. Mix in remaining sugar, egg, and melted butter.
Knead, then rise an hour
Add flour and salt and knead until smooth. Cover and rise about 60 minutes until doubled.
Roll out, and the bacon goes inside
Roll dough into a 12-by-16-inch rectangle. Spread with softened butter, then sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, and the cooked bacon so the bacon sits inside the spiral.
Cut nine, rise fifteen
Roll tightly, cut into 9 pieces, place in a buttered pan, and rise 15 minutes while the oven heats to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Bake twenty-two to twenty-six
Bake 22 to 26 minutes until golden and baked through.
A thin glaze, not icing
Simmer maple syrup, bourbon, 1 tablespoon butter, and a pinch of salt for 2 minutes. Brush the thin translucent glaze over the warm rolls; do not add thick white icing.
Two Hours, and Only Thirty Minutes of Work
Three phases, and the two long ones are the dough doing its own work. What the baker actually decides is what goes into the spiral and what goes onto the finished roll.
Stage 1 of 3
The dough - and an hour of waiting
Steps 1–2 of 6
3/4 cup of warm whole milk with 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast and 1 tsp of the sugar, stood 5 minutes to prove it is alive, then the remaining sugar, 1 egg and 1/4 cup melted butter. 2 3/4 cups flour and 1/2 tsp salt kneaded smooth, and about 60 minutes covered until doubled.
- Prove the yeast, build the wet mixCombine warm milk, yeast, and 1 teaspoon sugar; stand 5 minutes. Mix in remaining sugar, egg, and melted butter.
- Knead, then rise an hourAdd flour and salt and knead until smooth. Cover and rise about 60 minutes until doubled.
Stage 2 of 3
The spiral - where the bacon goes
Steps 3–4 of 6
Rolled to 12 by 16 inches, spread with 3 tbsp softened butter, then 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1 tbsp cinnamon and 6 slices of cooked crisp finely chopped BACON - so the bacon sits INSIDE the spiral. Rolled tightly, cut into 9, into a buttered pan, and a short 15-minute second rise while the oven comes to 350F.
- Roll out, and the bacon goes insideRoll dough into a 12-by-16-inch rectangle. Spread with softened butter, then sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, and the cooked bacon so the bacon sits inside the spiral.
- Cut nine, rise fifteenRoll tightly, cut into 9 pieces, place in a buttered pan, and rise 15 minutes while the oven heats to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
Stage 3 of 3
The finish - a glaze, and no icing
Steps 5–6 of 6
22 to 26 minutes until golden and baked through, then 1/3 cup maple syrup simmered 2 minutes with 2 tbsp bourbon, 1 tbsp butter and a pinch of salt and brushed over while warm. Thin and translucent, and the recipe says in the same step not to add thick white icing: what the finished rolls show is syrup running into the spiral, not frosting sitting on it. The bourbon is cooked in that glaze rather than stirred in raw, and the glaze is not alcohol-free.
- Bake twenty-two to twenty-sixBake 22 to 26 minutes until golden and baked through.
- A thin glaze, not icingSimmer maple syrup, bourbon, 1 tablespoon butter, and a pinch of salt for 2 minutes. Brush the thin translucent glaze over the warm rolls; do not add thick white icing.
Success Tips
- Check the yeast is foaming after five minutes before committing the flour.
- Roll the rectangle tightly; a loose roll gives a spiral that unwinds in the pan.
- Brush the glaze on while the rolls are warm so it runs into the spiral rather than sitting on top.
Serving Ideas
Nine rolls served warm from the pan, spirals open with the bacon pieces visible inside them, the thin translucent maple-bourbon glaze running down the sides and pooling on the plate.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I add cream cheese frosting?
No. Step 6 rules out thick white icing. The finish here is a thin translucent glaze brushed over the warm rolls.
Does the bacon go on top?
Inside. It is sprinkled onto the buttered rectangle with the brown sugar and cinnamon, so it ends up in the spiral.
Does the alcohol cook off?
The bourbon is simmered for two minutes in the glaze rather than added raw, but the glaze is not alcohol-free.
