Cinnamon Rolls are just an amazing treat. Soft, pillowy dough with sweet brown sugar and icing. These are actually easier when made the night before because then you just pull them out of the fridge and bake them without getting up at 3 am.
Current book I’m reading: I’ve finished The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman for book club. It was very well-written! I enjoyed how she did not dumb down the rituals or names that are in the book. I’m halfway through Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson (ok more like a third… it’s so hard to tell with e-books!). Elon Musk is one complex, interesting person to learn about… 3 failed rocket missions, built an electric car, moved from South Africa to Canada to the USA, created Zip2, and was ousted as CEO at Paypal.
Back to the Cinnamon Rolls: We have been making cinnamon rolls a looooooooong time. And there is an easier version here on the blog. My cinnamon rolls – especially made in the bread machine – do not nearly take the dishes or extra time as these cinnamon rolls. I still also like the Light Cinnamon Rolls version especially if trying to limit calories.
Why are these cinnamon rolls different? It is like eating a cloud! A cloud covered in gooey icing and swirled with cinnamon and brown sugar. Make them and you may never go back to the old recipe again!
Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Tangzhong
- 1/2 cup milk 113 g
- 3 T unbleached bread flour 24 g
Dough
- 2/3 cup milk 151 g
- 2 1/2 cups unbleached bread flour 300 g
- 1 tsp salt 6 g
- 2 tsp yeast
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter softened, 57 g
Filling
- 1 Tbsp butter 14 g
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed, 107 g
- 2 Tbsp unbleached bread flour 14 g
- 3 tsp cinnamon
- 1/16 tsp. salt
Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp milk
Instructions
Tangzhong
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the milk and flour. Put it over medium heat and whisk 2-3 minutes. Use a spatula once it starts to thicken. The mixture should be thick and leave the bottom of the pan.
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- In a mixing bowl, add the tangzhong and all of the dough ingredients. Mix by hand for 15 minutes. Or use the mixer for 10 minutes on medium-low with the bread hook.
- Cover with plastic wrap and rise 60-90 minutes.
Filling
- Whisk together the filling ingredients.
Rolls
- Remove dough gently onto parchment, mat or counter. Roll dough to form a 10x12" rectangle.
- Spread the filing over the dough. Press down gently. Do NOT put filling on the top 1" of dough on the long side.
- Roll dough starting with the long side towards you.
- Take dental floss and use this to cut 8 or 12 cinnamon rolls. 12 cinnamon rolls are about 1" high. Or 8 cinnamon rolls for larger 1.5" to 2" rolls.
- Prep a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper. Put rolls on there at least 2" apart.
- Cover rolls with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with cooking spray to avoid sticking. Rise for 30-60 minutes.
- After 20-40 minutes, turn the oven to 375 degrees. Then it should be about 30-60 minutes of total rise time. Bake 14 minutes for the 12 rolls which are smaller or 15-18 minutes for the 8 rolls which are bigger. They should barely be golden brown and not raw in the center.
Icing
- While the rolls cool, whisk together the icing ingredients. Drizzle icing onto the rolls after they have cooled slightly. If you are not going to serve immediately, just cover the icing until later
Notes
