Patience and the Beauty of Making Cinnamon Rolls
Fruit of the Spirit: Patience
“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” — James 1:4 (NIV)
There’s something sacred about working with yeast. It doesn’t rush or demand—it waits, quietly transforming, hidden from view. Each time we bake with yeast, we are reminded that patience is not passive. It’s an active trust that something good is happening, even when we can’t see it. When dough is mixed, it doesn’t look like much. But with time and warmth, it rises. If we rush the process, the result is heavy and dense. But when we wait, the dough becomes soft, tender, and full of life—just like faith growing under God’s care. Cinnamon rolls remind us that waiting brings sweetness. The reward isn’t only the golden rolls out of the oven—it’s what happens inside us while we wait: peace, surrender, and quiet trust.
The Beauty of Patience
When working with yeast, you know you’re going to have to wait. Knowing doesn’t always make it any easier.
Waiting means we wont get what we want immediately. In a society that focuses mainly on instant gratification we will miss opportunities to create something greater if only we valued the beauty of patience:
A beautiful relationship that leads to marriage
A savings account that speaks for itself
Having a dream of buying a home
Self discipline is the ability to control your feelings and actions to pursue your goals despite difficulties.
I never said being patient was easy. I’ve had my share of times when I wasn’t patient. With myself, my kids, or others. I’ve also been impatient when it came to God. When you know he spoke something over you. You know it’s something your supposed to have, but it never shows up. Or something shows up, but it actually ends up not being the promise. For example, about 5 years ago I had been searching for a home for me and my kids. There was this one house in particular in which I just knew God had called us to live in. It ended up falling through. It was a build. I built that house from scratch. Had my kids help with the interior plans only for it to end up being somebody else’s home. I was devastated. I basically threw a fit at God. I didn’t like God for a minute. I was so upset with him for not giving me what he promised.
One day while driving I had an angry rant. I said you know what, I’m done. How you gone tell me to trust and believe so hard for something and then snatch it away?
He was showing me my heart.
He was showing my lack of trust in him.
A good father wouldn’t present a good gift and then snatch it away. Fast forward years later. Once again, searching for a home. Mind you, I was staying with my mom. Nothing wrong with that, but we needed our own space. My youngest daughter was helping me look and she showed me a home she thought I’d like. I contacted our realtor and she set up a time for us to view the home.
I absolutely loved it! When I tell you this house was everything I wanted and more. Understand, I had already repented for my behavior years before when I was acting out. I realized I wasn’t being thankful and content with what I already had. I had been being impatient because I wanted to leave so bad. Instead of being thankful for not having to sleep in our car or a hotel because of homelessness.
I had to wait, but the wait was worth it.
The Right Timing
Take the rolls out too early while proofing, and the rolls become dense. Leaving them in too long, and they become dry. But when everything works in harmony, you get something just right.
Patience doesn’t mean passivity — it means waiting well.
Waiting well means taking time to prepare for what it is you are hoping for.
The Lesson in Every Bite
Cinnamon Rolls remind us that delicious things take time.
Similarly, rushing the process can leave us missing out on God’s best for us or having something he never intended us to have in the first place.
So the next time you bake a batch of Cinnamon Rolls, take in the moments you have to wait. Reminding yourself to trust the process.
Remember that life, like baking, is best enjoyed when it’s simple, sweet, and made with love.
Because in the end, a simply delicious life isn’t about rushing through it — it’s about appreciating what you already have and enjoying each moment.
Try It Yourself: Cinnamon Rolls
Here’s a delicious recipe to remind you that even though you have to wait, the reward will be worth it in the end.
Ingredients
Cinnamon Roll
5 cups (730 grams) all purpose flour
2 tablespoons instant yeast
2 teaspoon salt
½ cup (138 grams) granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup (227 grams) water
½ cup (113 grams) milk
2 large eggs, room temperature
Filling
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1⅓ cup (291 grams) brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Frosting
8 oz (226 grams) cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups (453.5 grams) powdered sugar
2 - 4 tablespoons milk, to desired thickness
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Combine flour, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Attach a paddle attachment.
Mix the sugar, butter, water, and milk in a microwave safe bowl. Heat in the microwave until the mixture is hot, but not boiling. You want to use the heat from the mixture to melt the butter if it’s not completely melted. Let the mixture cool to about 120 degrees.
Add in the milk mixture to the flour mixture gradually. Then add the eggs and mix until a soft and sticky dough forms.
Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
Swap out the paddle attachment for a dough hook. Mix on lowest setting for about 5 minutes or until the dough becomes elastic. You can also knead by hand for a similar time on a lightly floured surface. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and allow it to rest on the counter for about 15 minutes.
Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface until it measures to a 24 x 16 inch rectangle. Prepare the filling by combining the brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. The butter should be spread across the top of the dough. After this, cover with filling. Using a pizza cutter, cut out 24 strips of dough. Roll each one up into a tight roll.
Place rolls into a lightly greased 9 x 13 pan. Cover the rolls with a sheet of aluminum foil to prevent them from drying out. Turn OFF the oven and then place the rolls inside to rise for 45 minutes.
Remove the rolls from the oven and then turn ON the oven to 375 degrees. Before baking, remove the foil. Bake for 15 - 18 minutes. You want the centers to be lightly golden brown.
Let the rolls cool after you remove them from the oven. You don’t want them too hot when you frost them. For the frosting, combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and beat until smooth. Spread over the tops of the rolls. As the frosting contains cream cheese, make sure the rolls that haven’t been eaten are placed, covered, in the fridge.
Life Is What You Bake It Reflection
“The wait is never wasted. God is able to build, strengthen, and restore you.”
Most things take time – our best memories – are usually created from patience. Teaching a child to do something they never were able to do before. Helping someone develop a skill they end up being really good at. The secret isn’t in quantity – it’s in the quality of the moment. Take time to appreciate the little things, which grow into something bigger, and remember: life is what you bake it.
Sweet Lessons in Patience
• Where in my life am I being called to trust in God by waiting?
