In a small saucepan, bring the milk to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat. Whisk in ¼ cup sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Pour into a large bowl, allow the mixture to cool for a couple of minutes, and then add the buttermilk.
In a small bowl, mix together the warm water, ½ teaspoon sugar, and yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes. Mixture should be very bubbly.
Add the yeast mixture, egg, and 1 cup of the flour to the large bowl. Beat for 1 minute.
Add 2 cups flour and mix until combined.
Knead with a stand mixer (using dough hook) for 5 minutes, or until elastic, adding additional four if necessary. Dough should come cleanly away from the sides of the bowl, but still be soft and slightly sticky. If kneading by hand, knead on floured surface for 6-7 minutes, adding just enough flour to achieve soft, slightly sticky, elastic dough.
Butter a medium sized bowl well and place the dough in it, turning to coat the dough with butter. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise until doubled, 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the warmth of your kitchen.
While the dough is rising, cook your bacon until it is cooked through but not crispy. Using thick bacon is important, because it doesn’t get as crisp as thin bacon. Layer between paper towels to remove as much of the grease as possible.
When dough has doubled, punch it down. On a very lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-inch by 18-inch rectangle, with the long side facing you. Cover it with softened butter.
Combine the sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle evenly over the dough.
Place the strips of bacon vertically from left to right across the center of the dough, with each piece of bacon touching the next if possible. You should have a little bare space at the top and bottom. Depending on the width of your bacon, you may have a piece or two left over. If so, chop it and use it to garnish the rolls after they’ve been frosted. If you don’t have enough to reach across the dough, leave a little space in between.
Beginning at the long side that is facing you, roll tightly away from you. Pinch the long edge to seal.
Slice into 12 pieces. The easiest way to do this is to cut straight down with a sharp knife. It’s fine if you cut a piece of bacon in half. No matter how it’s sliced, each roll will have bacon in it.
Place in a greased baking pan. A 10x13 pan works well, but even two round 9-inch cake pans will do. Leave a little space between the rolls if possible. If they are close together they will rise up, giving you taller cinnamon rolls. A little more space will allow the rolls to rise outwards, which makes them easier to bite into.
Cover the pan and let the rolls rise until almost doubled, about 45 minutes.
Heat oven to 375 F.
Bake for 20 minutes. The tops will be golden brown. Place the pan on a cooling rack and allow the rolls to cool until slightly warm.
Cover with frosting. Sprinkle with bacon bits if desired. Keep extra rolls tightly wrapped in the refrigerator.
To Make Frosting:
In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter until well combined and creamy.
Add the cream, vanilla, and maple flavoring. Mix well.
With the mixer at medium speed, slowly add the powdered sugar, adding a little more cream or powdered sugar if necessary to achieve spreading consistency. Beat well.
Recipe by Premeditated Leftovers™ at https://premeditatedleftovers.com/?p=25144