Ingredients (~9 rolls)
For the Tangzhong
- 3 tbsp bread flour
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp water
For the Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 2 3/4 cups bread flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup heavy cream, room temperature
- 1/4 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 1 large whole egg, room temperature
- 3/4 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 6 tbsp salted butter, cool room temperature
For the Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- 6 tbsp salted butter, cool room temperature
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla powder (optional)
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese, cold
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 2 tsp heavy cream
First, Make the Tangzhong
In a small saucepan, whisk together the water and bread flour. Cook this over medium heat, whisking constantly, for ~4-5 minutes. The mixture will thicken into a paste. Scrape it into a bowl and set it aside.
This technique pre-cooks some of the flour, which allows the dough to hold more moisture. This is what keeps the rolls soft for days.
Mix and Knead the Dough
In a stand mixer bowl, mix the bread flour, sugar, yeast, and salt. Add the cream, milk, egg, vanilla, and the tangzhong paste. Knead on low speed with the dough hook for ~2 minutes until a shaggy dough ball forms.
On low speed, add the cool, room-temperature butter one tablespoon at a time. Wait for each piece to be fully incorporated before adding the next. Continue kneading for another ~10-12 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Rest the Dough and Make the Filling
Take the dough out of the bowl and form it into a smooth, round ball. Place it seam-side down back into the mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rest for 30 minutes.
While the dough rests, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla powder for the filling in a bowl. Set it aside.
Using cool butter is important; if it’s melted or too warm, it will leak out when the rolls bake.
Roll Out and Fill the Dough
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle that’s roughly 12×16 inches. Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1-inch border clean at the top edge.
Cut and Shape the Rolls
Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into nine 1 3/4-inch wide strips. Roll each strip up, away from you, and transfer them to a parchment-lined 9×9 inch baking pan.
Cutting the dough into strips with a pizza wheel is a bakery technique that results in perfectly round rolls.
Let the Rolls Rise, Then Bake
Cover the pan with plastic wrap and set it in a warm place to rise for ~1-2 hours, or until the rolls have doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 325F.
Bake the cinnamon rolls for ~30-35 minutes. For a gooey center, the internal temperature of the center roll should be ~185F.
Make the Frosting and Finish the Rolls
While the rolls are baking, make the cream cheese frosting. In a stand mixer, combine the room-temperature butter and cold cream cheese. Mix in the powdered sugar, then beat on low speed until the frosting is light and fluffy. Mix in the vanilla bean paste and heavy cream.
Let the baked rolls cool in the pan on a wire rack for ~15 minutes before spreading the frosting over the top.
The Best Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Tangzhong
- 3 tbsp bread flour
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp water
For the Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 2 3/4 cups bread flour
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 cup heavy cream room temperature
- 1/4 cup whole milk room temperature
- 1 large whole egg room temperature
- 3/4 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 6 tbsp salted butter cool room temperature
For the Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- 6 tbsp salted butter cool room temperature
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar packed
- 1 1/2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla powder optional
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 ounces cream cheese cold
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 2 tsp heavy cream
Instructions
- Whisk water and flour in saucepan over medium heat 4-5 minutes until paste forms (tangzhong). Set aside.
- Mix flour, sugar, yeast, and salt in stand mixer. Add cream, milk, egg, vanilla, and tangzhong. Knead 2 minutes until shaggy.
- Add butter 1 tablespoon at a time while kneading. Continue kneading 10-12 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Form dough into ball, cover, rest 30 minutes.
- Mix filling ingredients in bowl: butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla powder.
- Roll dough to 12×16 inch rectangle. Spread filling, leaving 1-inch border at top.
- Cut dough into nine 1.75-inch strips. Roll each strip and place in 9×9 parchment-lined pan.
- Cover, let rise 1-2 hours until doubled.
- Preheat oven to 325F. Bake 30-35 minutes until center reaches 185F.
- Beat butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar, vanilla, cream until fluffy.
- Cool rolls 15 minutes. Spread with frosting.
