Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

  • 71 g (5 Tbsp) water

  • 269 g (<1.5 cups) whole milk

  • 524 g (<5 cups) King Arthur Unbleached Bread Flour

  • 35 g (1/4 cup) nonfat dry milk

  • 1.75 tsp salt

  • 1 Tbsp instant yeast

  • 2 large eggs

  • 113 g (8 Tbsp) unsalted butter, melted

  • 142 g (3/4 cup) brown sugar

  • 4 tsp ground cinnamon

  • 227 g (2 cups) confectioners’ sugar

  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Make

  1. Make starter by combining 71 g (5 Tbsp) each of water and whole milk with 28 g (3.3 Tbsp) flour, whisking constantly over medium heat until thick and streaks remain on bottom of pan (~1-2 min). Remove from heat
  2. Combine starter with remaining 496 g (4 cups + 2 Tbsp) flour, dry milk, salt, yeast, 170 g (3/4 cup) lukewarm whole milk, eggs, and 85 g (6 Tbsp) melted butter
  3. Mix until everything comes together, then cover and let rest for 20 min. Knead by hand or mixer until the dough is smooth and elastic (but will be somewhat sticky)
  4. Shape the dough into a ball and let it rest in a greased covered bowl for 1 to 1.5 hours, until puffy but not necessarily doubled in volume
  5. Meanwhile, combine and mix brown sugar and cinnamon and jam to some groovy tunes
  6. Gently remove dough from bowl and divide in half
  7. Working with one piece at a time, shape dough into 18" x 8" rectangle and sprinkle over top half of the cinnamon mixture. Roll the dough into a log along the long edge, pinch the seam and roll so the seam is underneath. Cut log into 12 pieces using dental floss
  8. Place rolls into a lightly greased 9" x 13" pan and evenly space
  9. Cover pan and let rolls rise for 1 hour, until crowding each other and puffy
  10. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350F with rack in bottom third
  11. Make icing by stirring together confectioners' sugar, a pinch of salt, 28 g (2 Tbsp) melted butter, vanilla extract, and 28-43 g whole milk (2-3 Tbsp). Use enough milk to make icing spreadable but still thick (like cream cheese thickness)
  12. Bake rolls for 22-25 minutes, until they feel set (not necessarily browned). Better to underbake than overbake
  13. Move rolls to wire rack to cool, and spread with icing to let it melt into the rolls
  14. Serve warm or let completely cool and store for a couple of days at room temperature. Can also freeze unfrosted rolls for up to one month

TIME | 3 hours

YIELD | 24 servings

TAGS | Bread, Breakfast, Dessert

PAIR | Eggs, Fruit

NOTES |

  • The starter is called “tangzhong”

  • Letting the dough rest allows the flour to absorb the liquid

  • Avoid adding a bunch of extra flour during kneading

  • To reheat frozen rolls, thaw overnight in refrigerator, reheat in 350F oven for 10 min under aluminum foil tent

  • From King Arthur Flour