About the Recipe
Being my mom's personal favorite, I began a journey to creating the perfect cinnamon roll which has been a delightful adventure, refining recipes to achieve the ultimate result. The heart of these cinnamon rolls lies in the dough, meticulously crafted to achieve a soft, brioche-like texture that melts in your mouth with each bite.
But the magic doesn't stop there. The filling, a decadent blend of sweet cinnamon goodness, oozes out with each bite, creating a symphony of flavors that dance on your taste buds. Each layer carefully balanced to ensure the perfect ratio of sweetness and spice, creating a harmonious experience that leaves you craving more.
And let's not forget the crowning glory - the frosting. A luscious topping that strikes the perfect balance between sweet and salty, adding a layer of complexity to these already divine treats. It's the finishing touch that elevates these cinnamon rolls to a whole new level of indulgence.
So, as I continue on this culinary journey, perfecting each element of the recipe, one thing remains constant - the joy of sharing these irresistible treats with loved ones. Because in the end, it's not just about the cinnamon rolls themselves, but the memories created and the smiles they bring to those who enjoy them.
Ingredients
Dough:
· 180ml warm whole milk (about 43°C/110°F)
· 7g instant yeast
· 50g granulated sugar
· 1 egg
· 1 egg yolk
· 60g unsalted butter, softened
· 360g bread flour
· ¾ tsp salt
· 40g unsalted butter, softened
Cinnamon Filling:
· ¾ cup soft light brown sugar
· ½ cup granulated sugar
· ¼ cup sweet cinnamon
· 2 tbsp plain flour
· 80g salted butter, softened
Soft Cheese Frosting:
· 110g soft cheese
· 60g unsalted butter, softened
· 200g icing sugar
· ⅛ tsp salt
· ⅓ tsp vanilla extract
Preparation
1. In a small bowl, microwave the milk in short intervals until it reaches 43°C/110°F. Sprinkle over the yeast and set aside for 5 minutes to activate.
2. In a large bowl, mix together sugar, eggs, butter (60g) and the yeast mix, then add the flour and salt. Combine with a wooden spoon until a dough begins to form, then turn out onto a floured surface and knead for 5 minutes.
3. Once a soft dough has formed, begin to add in the butter (30g) – I find splitting it into 6 separate cubes works best – it will become sticky at first, but continue to knead until a smooth dough forms again and repeat.
4. After all the butter has been kneaded in, knead for a further 2 minutes and then transfer to a greased bowl, cover and leave to rise in a warm place. Allow to prove for 1½ hours or until doubled in size.
5. In the meantime, make your cinnamon filling. In a small bowl, mix together the sugars, cinnamon and flour. Grease and line a 10x8” cake pan (or similar size) and set aside.
6. Once the dough has doubled, turn out onto a lightly floured surface, pull into a rough rectangle shape and roll out to rough ½ inch thickness. Spread the softened butter (80g) across the whole surface, then sprinkle over cinnamon mixture evenly, and lightly press into the butter.
7. Across the length of the dough, begin to carefully roll upwards, keeping the dough tight and parallel. Once you reach the top, pinch the seam together to stop it from unrolling. The roll over so the seam is on the bottom.
8. Using a serrated knife, cut an inch off on either end and set aside. Mark out the roll into 3 equally divided segments, then cut 3 equal pieces out of each segment. Its okay if they’re not even. Place the 9 rolls evenly apart in a 3x3 pattern in the cake pan, cover with greased cling film and leave in warm place for 45-60 minutes.
9. Preheat your oven to Gas Mark 4/180°C/350°F. Always preheat your oven at least 30 minutes before baking.
10. Remove the cling film and bake for 25-30 minutes, til nice and golden brown. Remove from the tin and leave on a cooling rack.
11. While the rolls cool down, make the soft cheese frosting. In a bowl, beat together the butter and soft cheese. Add the icing sugar, vanilla and salt, gently combine and then beat together for a further 2 minutes. If you want the frosting to be thicker, you can add more icing sugar. Refrigerate until the rolls have completely cooled down.
12. Once cool, you can either slather over the soft cheese frosting or drizzle it over, depending on your preference. Personally I like to keep the rolls still stuck together, and generously pipe over the soft cheese frosting. Once frosted, transfer the rolls to a serving tray or plate.
13. Enjoy!