Description
This overnight cinnamon roll recipe features a soft and fluffy dough made with a traditional tangzhong starter for extra moisture and tenderness. The rolls are filled with a sweet cinnamon sugar mixture, topped with cream before proofing for a rich texture, then baked to golden perfection and finished with a luscious vanilla butter icing. Ideal for a special breakfast or dessert, these cinnamon rolls offer a delightful balance of sweet, creamy, and buttery flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Tangzhong
- ½ cup whole milk (118ml)
- ¼ cup water (59ml)
- ¼ cup bread flour (35g)
Dough
- 4⅓ cups bread flour (574g), spooned and leveled, plus extra if sticky
- ¼ cup powdered milk (35g)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar (56g)
- 1 tablespoon instant yeast (8g)
- ½ teaspoon salt (4g)
- 1¼ cups whole milk (290g), room temperature
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 large egg yolk, room temperature
- 6 tablespoons salted butter (84g), softened
- 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil for coating the proofing bowl
Filling
- ½ cup salted butter (113g), softened
- 1 cup dark brown sugar (215g), packed
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Topping
- ¾ cup heavy cream
Icing
- 2 tablespoons salted butter, melted
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ½ tablespoon vanilla bean paste
Instructions
- Prepare Tangzhong: Add ½ cup whole milk, ¼ cup water, and ¼ cup bread flour to a small saucepan and whisk over medium heat until smooth. Cook until thick and gelatinous, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool for a few minutes.
- Make Dough: In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine 4⅓ cups bread flour, ¼ cup powdered milk, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon instant yeast, and ½ teaspoon salt. Add 1¼ cups whole milk, 2 large eggs, and 1 large egg yolk; mix for 15 seconds. Mix in the softened 6 tablespoons salted butter and the cooled tangzhong until thoroughly combined and the mixture looks like sticky dough. Cover and rest the dough in the bowl for 20 minutes.
- Knead Dough: Knead the dough at medium-high speed (speed 6 on mixer) for about 10 minutes until smooth and elastic, resisting adding extra flour unless necessary. The dough should feel tacky but not sticky. Coat a large bowl with 1 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil, place dough inside, turning to coat all sides. Cover with cling wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour in warmth or up to 90 minutes in air conditioning.
- Shape Dough: Once doubled, punch down the dough, transfer to a lightly floured surface, and shape into a rectangle. Roll out dough to approximately 16×18 inches. Line a 12×17-inch rimmed baking pan with parchment paper.
- Prepare Filling: Partially melt ½ cup salted butter for 15 seconds until creamy but not fully liquid. Use a pastry brush to evenly brush the butter over the surface of the dough. In a bowl, mix 1 cup dark brown sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, and 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon until combined. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the buttered dough, leaving a ½ to 1-inch border along one short edge. Use a rolling pin to press the sugar mixture lightly into the dough.
- Form Rolls: Cut the dough into 12 strips about 1⅓-inch wide starting from the shorter (16-inch) side using a pizza or pastry cutter. Roll each strip tightly from the sugared end to create pinwheels, securing by pressing the exposed buttered end without sugar. Optionally brush more butter on the outside to seal.
- Proof Rolls: Place the rolls spaced slightly apart on the parchment in the baking pan. Pour ¾ cup heavy cream evenly over the rolls before covering. Cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a slow second rise of 8 to 12 hours. Rolls should be touching and puffed when proofed.
- Preheat Oven and Bake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake rolls on the lowest rack for 24 to 28 minutes until golden brown and the centers reach 190°F on an instant-read thermometer. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.
- Prepare Icing: Melt 2 tablespoons salted butter in a medium bowl in the microwave. Whisk in 1 cup powdered sugar, ¼ cup heavy cream, and ½ tablespoon vanilla bean paste until smooth. For extra gooey rolls, increase icing quantity by 1.5 times.
- Ice Rolls: Spread the warm rolls generously with the prepared icing using a rubber spatula or spoon. Serve warm.
Notes
- Room temperature ingredients help yeast activate more effectively resulting in softer dough.
- Partially melting the butter for the filling creates a creamy consistency that holds the cinnamon sugar better than fully melted butter.
- The tangzhong method used in the dough adds moisture and keeps the rolls soft and fluffy longer.
- For best results, use a stand mixer with a dough hook to knead for the specified 10 minutes to develop gluten.
- If dough is too sticky, sprinkle extra flour gradually but avoid adding too much to keep the dough tender.
- Second rise is best done overnight in the refrigerator for convenience and enhanced flavor through slow fermentation.
- If a thermometer is unavailable, check doneness by looking for golden brown color and slightly firm center when pressed gently.
- Extra icing can be prepared and stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; rewarm slightly before use.
- These cinnamon rolls freeze well after baking; thaw and warm before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 roll
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 28 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
