Cinnamon Rolls

There is so much to say about Cinnamon Rolls, the best Cinnamon Rolls or buns really need your other senses however, to really get a grasp of a great dish that brings comfort to your kitchen. Have you ever tried homemade cinnamon rolls before friends? If not, what puts you off making them?

Let’s go through the senses that will help you appreciate a great cinnamon roll. Sight - they’ll bring you in because they look so unassuming. Touch - they shouldn’t be able to hold their weight, but not so firm you’re feeling like you’re clutching any other type of bread roll. Taste - the sweet and spiced filling within soft bread that should be halfway between bread and brioche and topped with messy and sticky frosting.

Without all those components no cinnamon bun would be complete. In fact, this recipe has been thoroughly recipe tested over several months and this dough is best if you can leave it to rise in the fridge meaning you can make the dough a day ahead and get to making that filling and baking when you wake up for a real true breakfast bread.

Why you'll love these

Fluffy cinnamon buns

Halfway between a soft bun and brioche the rolls are soft and fluffy.

The filling and frosting

No cinnamon bun is complete without creamy frosting on top and a proper cinnamon sugar filling which is smeared over our dough in a thick paste to truly infuse the dough with that flavor.

Ingredients for the best Cinnamon Rolls

• Yeast: Yeast doesn’t just help give our cinnamon rolls that fluffy bread texture,
• Milk: This helps give our rolls that nice soft crumb and the golden crust. You could substitute with water in equal measure if you prefer.
• Bread flour: This one matters because bread flour has a higher protein which helps to produce the gluten content which we need to give our rolls that firm dough which is easier to shape. If you don’t have any on hand you can substitute all purpose or plain flour in equal measure, however, if you live in the UK…you will notice the difference in texture of your dough - it will feel incredibly soft in your hands and be a little harder to work with.
• Sugar: Superfine or caster sugar in the dough helps to sweeten without flavoring the dough, you could substitute in equal measure with light brown sugar if you prefer. Light brown sugar helps give our filling that incredibly warm center of our rolls so do not recommend substituting with a superfine or caster sugar or a darker sugar which will affect the flavor of your buns. Icing or confectioner’s sugar in that frosting will help create a melt-in-your-mouth texture that you know and love with your cinnamon rolls.
• Eggs: Adding moisture and binding the dough together, the eggs help with rising as they act as a leavening agent as well as giving our rolls that nice light crumb thanks to the fat from the yolks.
• Butter: We add room temperature butter to our dough once the gluten has begun to form to help create a smooth and luscious dough that feels as fancy as picking up a cinnamon roll from your favorite bakery. You could substitute non dairy butter in equal measure, however, I have not tried this and do not recommend substituting in oil.
• Cinnamon: The flavor punch for our entire rolls, you’ll want good ground cinnamon for this, and if your ground spices are over 3 years old, you might want to buy some new stuff for this. It’s worth it, trust me!
• Cream cheese: Tangy room temperature cream cheese adds the perfect level of indulgence to round out these Cinnabon style rolls that are hard to put down!

Equipment needed to make this

Large mixing bowl: You’ll need a large mixing bowl to prepare the dough.

Stand or hand mixer: A stand mixer is best here due to the length of kneading time. Though a hand mixer will do the job if you use the lowest setting and work slowly so as not to overwork it. You can also make the dough by hand.

Offset spatula: One of these will help you spread your filling and frosting nice and evenly. A butter knife also works if you don’t have an offset spatula on hand.

Baking tin: A large baking tin or roasting tray works best to fit your dozen rolls.

Rolling pin: A rolling pin will help you achieve a nice consistent dough, however, you could substitute a wine bottle for similar results.

Bench scraper: This isn’t necessary, however, will make shaping the nice even edges of your dough to give you a perfect rectangle shape.

FAQ’s for the best Cinnamon Rolls

Do my cinnamon roll ingredients need to be room temperature?

Yes, the eggs and butter need to be room temperature so that they mix better with the dough and room temp butter will incorporate better into your dough to create that smooth texture. The cream cheese and butter will also incorporate best at room temperature ensuring your frosting is nice and smooth.

Can I make the dough by hand?

Yes you can, however, you will have to knead the dough to achieve the same results as a mixer for approximately 20 minutes and is best done without any additional flour on your work surface.

How much do the liquid ingredients weigh in grams?

The weight of milk is 207 grams. The large eggs weigh between 63-67 grams each or 2.22-2.36 ounces and the vanilla extract is 4 grams.

More rolls you'll enjoy

Franzbrötchen - German Cinnamon Rolls

Gemberbolus - Dutch Ginger Rolls

Chelsea Buns

How to make:

Place the yeast and milk in a bowl and allow to dissolve for 3 minutes.

Once bubbling, add the flour and sugar and beat on low until the mixture resembles a shaggy mixture.

Add one egg in and combine on low until fully combined, repeat with each egg until you have a dough formed.

On a low setting with your mixer, add in 1 cube of butter or 2 (if your cubes are small, no more than 5 grams or ⅓ tablespoon of butter at a time) and incorporate until you cannot see any butter remnants in your dough.

Continue by adding another piece of butter and mixing until it is fully incorporated into your dough.

Beat for a further 5 minutes until the dough it looks slightly glossy and is pulling away at the sides of your bowl.

Lightly butter a bowl and place the dough therein.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for several hours until doubled in size or even overnight.

The next morning, lightly grease your baking tin and set aside.

For the filling, combine the softened butter, sugar and ground cinnamon until your mixture is a rough wet sand texture and set aside.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and upturn onto a lightly floured surface.

Roll your dough out to an equal rectangle and ¼ inch thickness.

Smear the cinnamon butter over your dough, leaving ½ inch edge.

Slowly and carefully roll your dough from the base of your wide rectangle into a tight scroll.

Cut into 12 even pieces and place in your baking tin with 1 ½-2 inches gap between each.

Allow to proof at room temperature for 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 190ºC/375F.

Bake in the oven for 10 minutes and then increase the temperature to 200C/400F and bake, until golden on top, approximately 7-8 further minutes.

Remove and allow to cool.

For the frosting, beat the cream cheese and butter in a bowl until smooth.

Add in 1 cup of the sugar and vanilla extract and combine until smooth and looking slightly glossy.

Add the remaining sugar and combine until the mixture is thick but slowly drizzles from your whisk.

Spoon evenly on top of your rolls and smear over until every one is well coated.

Dig in!

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