HERREN’S CINNAMON ROLLS

In homage to Civil Sights and Sweet Auburn, I baked cinnamon rolls using Herren's original recipe. Herren's, a favored dining spot for the downtown elite, made history in 1963 by becoming the first restaurant to voluntarily desegregate, a pioneering move in Atlanta that set a tone for equality throughout our city.

Protests and the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, led to white flight and a decline in downtown patronage. Consequently, Herren's saw a sharp decrease in diners seeking its renowned Maine lobster, bacon-wrapped filet mignon, and, of course, the beloved homemade cinnamon rolls.

Though Herren's closed its doors in 1987, the building was revitalized eighteen years later by Theatrical Outfit, transforming it into the Balzer Theater at Herren's. Today, Theatrical Outfit honors the restaurant's spirit and legacy by serving Herren's cinnamon rolls on each opening night. I hope you enjoy them and taste the flavor of a historic moment.

Recipe

Yields:

60-80 sweet rolls

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup milk

  • ½ cup butter

  • ¼ cup sugar

  • 1-1 ¼ teaspoons salt

  • 2 packages yeast

  • ¼ cup warm water

  • 4 cups flour, sifted

Cinnamon/Sugar Mixture:

  • 2 cups sugar

  • 4 tablespoons cinnamon

Instructions:

  1. Let the milk come to a boil in a heavy saucepan. Add the butter, sugar, and salt. Cool the mixture.

  2. Soften the yeast in ¼ cup warm water and stir it into the first mixture.

  3. Add the flour, about half at a time, and beat well.

  4. Turn the dough out onto a floured board and allow it to sit for 15 minutes.

  5. Knead the dough until smooth.

  6. Place the dough in a buttered bowl, cover it with a cloth, and let it rise until it has doubled in size.

  7. Roll the dough out about ¼ inch thick on a floured board into a roughly 8-inch square.

  8. Working one square at a time, brush the entire surface with melted butter and sprinkle the cinnamon and sugar mixture generously over it.

  9. Starting at one side of the square, roll the dough up into a tube. Continue rolling the tube back and forth, stretching it sideways until it is 12 to 16 inches long.

  10. Cut the tube into wheels approximately ½ inch wide. (Note: As this recipe will make 60 to 80 sweet rolls, use three or four small 16-inch to 8-inch aluminum pans. This will allow you to stagger the cooking during your dinner or refrigerate to bake for breakfast.)

  11. Place the sweet rolls in the pan that has been thoroughly buttered and coated with the sugar/cinnamon mixture so they touch, but don't overlap.

  12. Brush the top with melted butter and sprinkle generously with the sugar/cinnamon mixture over the entire surface.

  13. Let stand at room temperature for one hour to rise. Please note that you have ended up with a thin bit of butter, sugar, and cinnamon separated by a thin bit of dough.

  14. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 18 to 20 minutes. You may substitute your favorite yeast dough recipe or buy frozen dough from your supermarket. Minus the sugar, cinnamon, and butter, the dough can be used for Parker House or other dinner rolls.