Equipment
Ingredients
Enriched Dough
- 240 ml whole milk, warmed to 45C
- 7 g active dry yeast
- 50 g granulated sugar
- 450 g bread flour
- 5 g fine sea salt
- 55 g unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 1 egg, room temperature
- 1 egg yolk, room temperature
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- 85 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 150 g dark brown sugar, packed
- 15 g ground cinnamon
- 1 g fine sea salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 115 g cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 55 g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 120 g powdered sugar, sifted
- 5 ml vanilla extract
- 1 g fine sea salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition is estimated per serving. Nutrients without complete source data are omitted.
Full nutrition
- Calories
- 416 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbohydrates
- 56 g
- Fat
- 19 g
- Fiber
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 28 g
- Sodium
- 278 mg
- Saturated Fat
- 11 g
- Trans Fat
- 0 g
- Monounsaturated Fat
- 5 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat
- 1 g
- Cholesterol
- 76 mg
- Potassium
- 116 mg
- Calcium
- 69 mg
- Iron
- 2.0 mg
- Magnesium
- 15 mg
- Phosphorus
- 86 mg
- Zinc
- 0.6 mg
- Vitamin A
- 161 mcg
- Vitamin C
- 0 mg
- Vitamin D
- 0.4 mcg
- Vitamin E
- 0.7 mg
- Vitamin K
- 2 mcg
- Vitamin B6
- 0.1 mg
- Vitamin B12
- 0.2 mcg
- Thiamin
- 0.39 mg
- Riboflavin
- 0.31 mg
- Niacin
- 3.1 mg
- Folate
- 89 mcg
- Water
- 35 g
- Alcohol
- 0 g
Sources: USDA FoodData Central
Method
Heat the whole milk to 45°C/110°F. In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the warm milk, active dry yeast, and 10g of the granulated sugar. Let sit until a foamy layer forms on top, indicating the yeast is active.
Add the remaining granulated sugar, bread flour, fine sea salt, melted unsalted butter, egg, and egg yolk to the yeast mixture. Using a dough hook, knead on medium-low speed until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Form the dough into a smooth ball, place it in a lightly greased medium mixing bowl, and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Let proof in a warm environment until doubled in volume.
While the dough proofs, prepare the filling. In a small mixing bowl, combine the softened unsalted butter, dark brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and fine sea salt. Mix until it forms a smooth, spreadable paste.
Punch down the proofed dough to release excess gas. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll it out into a 30 by 45 cm rectangle, ensuring an even thickness of about 5 millimeters.
Spread the cinnamon sugar paste evenly over the surface of the dough rectangle, leaving a narrow 1 centimeter border bare along the far long edge to help seal the roll.
Starting from the long edge closest to you, tightly roll the dough into a uniform log. Pinch the seam to seal. Slide unflavored dental floss under the log, cross the ends over the top, and pull to cleanly slice the log into 12 equal pieces.
Arrange the sliced rolls in a greased 23 by 33 cm baking pan, spacing them evenly. Cover loosely and let proof a second time until puffy and the sides of the rolls are touching each other.
Preheat the oven to 175°C/350°F.
Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the tops are a deep golden brown and the internal temperature of a center roll reaches 90°C/190°F.
While the rolls are baking, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese and unsalted butter until completely smooth and free of lumps. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and salt until light and fluffy.
Remove the rolls from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Spread the cream cheese frosting generously over the warm rolls so it slightly melts into the spirals, then serve.
Chef's Notes
- Bread flour is preferred over all-purpose flour because its higher protein content develops better gluten, yielding a chewier, more pillowy roll.
- Mixing the filling into a paste rather than brushing the dough with melted butter and sprinkling dry sugar prevents the filling from leaking out heavily during baking.
- For make-ahead overnight rolls, complete the recipe up to the slicing stage. Place the cut rolls in the pan, wrap tightly, and refrigerate overnight. Let them sit at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours to puff up before baking.
- Adding an extra egg yolk to the dough enriches it with extra fat and emulsifiers, leading to a softer crumb that stays fresh longer.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store in an airtight container to prevent drying out.
Freezer: 3 months — Can be frozen frosted or unfrosted in a tightly sealed container.
Reheating: Microwave individual rolls for 15 to 20 seconds until warm and soft.
Troubleshooting
Dough did not rise during the proofing stages
Cause: The milk was too hot and killed the yeast, or the yeast was expired.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Always check the expiration date on yeast and ensure milk is strictly around 45C/110F using a thermometer.
Rolls are tough, dry, and dense
Cause: Too much flour was added during kneading or the dough was over-worked.
Fix: Cannot be fixed
Prevention: Measure flour by weight rather than volume and only add enough extra flour to prevent heavy sticking.
Filling leaks out completely during baking
Cause: The rolls were rolled too loosely or the butter in the filling was melted before spreading.
Fix: Scoop the leaked caramel from the pan over the rolls immediately after baking
Prevention: Use room temperature softened butter for the filling paste and roll the dough tightly, pinching the seam securely.
Cultural Context
Cinnamon rolls have deep roots in Northern European baking traditions, most notably the Swedish kanelbulle. The classic American adaptation evolved significantly to feature a much sweeter, richer profile. It is characterized by its larger size, soft enriched dough, and the iconic, thick layer of tangy cream cheese frosting which cuts through the intense sweetness of the cinnamon sugar filling.
