Perfectly Pillowy Cinnamon Rolls — 6 Rolls

Six large, soft yeast-leavened cinnamon rolls made with a tangzhong for a tender texture that stays soft, filled with brown sugar and cinnamon and finished with vanilla icing.

Print Recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 18

Total Time 2 50

Course Breakfast, Brunch

Cuisine American

Servings large rolls

Equipment

Small saucepan
Whisk
Large mixing bowl or stand mixer
Dough hook, if using a mixer
Baking sheet
Parchment paper or reusable baking mat
Rolling pin or clean hands for shaping
Dental floss, bench knife, or sharp knife
Instant-read thermometer

Ingredients

Tangzhong

85 g whole milk
18 g bread flour

Dough

113 g whole milk cold
225 g bread flour
3/4 tsp table salt
19 g granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp instant yeast
43 g unsalted butter softened
prepared tangzhong use all of it

Filling

11 g unsalted butter melted
80 g light brown sugar packed
11 g bread flour
2 1/4 to 3 tsp ground cinnamon use the smaller quantity for strong Vietnamese or Saigon cinnamon
table salt small pinch

Icing and finishing

32 g unsalted butter melted and divided
3/8 tsp vanilla extract
table salt small pinch
128 g confectioners' sugar sifted
2 to 4 tsp milk, heavy cream, or buttermilk add only enough to reach the desired icing consistency
43 to 68 g cream cheese softened; optional, for cream-cheese icing

Instructions

Make the tangzhong

Whisk the 85 g milk and 18 g bread flour together in a small saucepan until completely smooth.
Cook over medium heat, stirring regularly, until the mixture becomes a thick paste and a spoon or spatula leaves visible tracks across the bottom of the pan, about 1 to 3 minutes.
Transfer the tangzhong to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.

Mix and knead the dough

Add the cold milk to the warm tangzhong. Add the bread flour, salt, sugar, instant yeast, and softened butter.
Mix until a cohesive dough forms. Knead until smooth, elastic, and tacky rather than dry—up to 15 minutes by hand or about 10 to 12 minutes with a stand mixer on medium-low speed.
Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a covered bowl, and let it rise for 60 to 90 minutes. It should look distinctly puffy, though it may not fully double.

Prepare the filling and pan

While the dough rises, stir the melted butter, brown sugar, bread flour, cinnamon, and pinch of salt together. The filling should resemble damp sand.
Lightly grease a baking sheet or line it with parchment paper.

Shape the rolls

Transfer the risen dough to a lightly greased work surface. Press or roll it into a neat 10-by-9-inch rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.
Distribute the filling evenly over the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch bare strip along one long edge.
Starting at the opposite long edge, roll the dough into a snug log. Lightly mark the log into 6 equal pieces, then cut at the marks with dental floss, a bench knife, or a sharp knife.
Set the rolls on the prepared baking sheet with at least 2 inches between them and from the pan edges. Tuck each loose spiral end underneath its roll to prevent unraveling.

Second rise and bake

Cover the shaped rolls and let them rise for 30 to 60 minutes, until puffy. When gently pressed, the dough should not spring back immediately.
About 20 minutes before baking, position an oven rack in the upper third and preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bake for 14 to 18 minutes, until lightly golden and approximately 190°F in the center. Use the shorter time for especially soft rolls and the longer time for more color and a slightly firmer exterior.
Move the baking sheet to a rack. Immediately brush the hot rolls with half of the melted finishing butter, then cool for 10 to 15 minutes.

Ice the rolls

Combine the remaining melted butter with the vanilla, salt, and confectioners' sugar. Stir in milk, cream, or buttermilk a little at a time until the icing is thick but spreadable.
Spread the icing over the warm rolls and serve.
For cream-cheese icing, blend 43 to 68 g very soft cream cheese into the icing. Mix fully before adding extra liquid, then thin only as needed.

Notes

Scaled to 75% of King Arthur Baking's eight-roll recipe to yield six large rolls. For strongest accuracy, weigh the ingredients. The tangzhong is responsible for the rolls' especially soft texture and improved keeping quality.

Keyword cinnamon rolls, King Arthur Baking, tangzhong, yeast rolls

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!