The Best Cinnamon Roll Recipe (Tangzhong Method)

Instructions

Tangzhong Method

Add the all purpose flour and milk to a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until a thick paste forms, it should only take about 1-2 minutes.
3 tablespoon all purpose flour, ½ cup whole milk
Once the paste is thickened, remove it from the saucepan and set it aside.

Make the Dough

Add the melted (and cooled) butter to the standing mixer, as well as the slightly warm* milk and sugar. After making sure that the ingredients are slightly warmer than room temperature (not too hot or the yeast won't activate), add the instant dry yeast and stir it in. Then let it sit for about 10 minutes to activate.
Note: Though instant yeast doesn't need to be proofed (added to warm liquid and sugar), doing so will speed up the rise of your dough.
⅓ cup unsalted butter, ⅔ cup whole milk, ½ cup granulated sugar, 2 ½ teaspoon instant dry yeast**
Then add in the eggs (room temperature) and tangzhong paste, mixing on medium speed with the paddle attachment.
2 large eggs
Add the flour and salt, then mix on medium speed until the dry ingredients are just barely mixed in.
3 ¾ cup all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Let the dough sit for about 3-4 minutes. This allows the dry ingredients to absorb the moisture in the dough.
Switch out the paddle for the knead attachment and mix on medium speed for about 3-4 minutes.
Check about halfway through to determine if you need an additional ⅛-1/4 cup of flour--the dough should be soft and tacky, but shouldn't completely stick to your fingers when worked with.
Spray a large bowl with oil, add the dough and cover with a cloth for the first rise (until doubled in size). The dough will rise best in a warm environment (72° F or higher). It should take about 1-1.5 hours.
Tip: Turn your oven on to its lowest setting (usually around 170-175° F) for one minute. Turn the oven OFF, and place the covered bowl of dough inside the oven while it rises. This is the easiest way to control the temperature without having to heat your entire house.

Filling

Stir together the brown sugar and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl. Then add the softened butter (NOT melted****) and vanilla extract, then stir until evenly mixed.
¾ cup light brown sugar, 1 ½ tablespoon ground cinnamon***, ⅔ cup salted butter, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 20x15 inches (size doesn't matter much here--but keep in mind that the wider the rectangle, the taller your cinnamon rolls will be, and the taller the rectangle, the more spiral your cinnamon rolls will have).
Evenly spread the filling on the rolled out dough, covering it completely.
The easiest way to shape the cinnamon rolls is to cut the dough into 12 strips using a pizza cutter, and then roll each strip into a spiral.
If you'd like to roll the entire rectangle of dough and then slice into individual rolls with a knife or unflavored floss, that works too.
Use cooking spray to oil your glass 13x9 pan. Evenly place each spiral into the pan, tucking the end piece under the spiral (this keeps them tucked nicely while baking).
Cover with a cloth and let rise to double.

Bake the Rolls

Once the rolls are double in size, pour the heavy cream (room temperature) over the top of the rolls.
¼ cup heavy whipping cream (pour on top of rolls before baking)
Bake at 350° F for about 22-27 minutes. Check the rolls at 20 minutes--if the rolls are browning too fast, cover them with tin foil.
To check if the cinnamon rolls are done, the center of the middle rolls are a good indicator. I like to use a food thermometer so that I don't overbake them--they should reach an internal temperature of about 190° F.

Frost the Cinnamon Rolls

In a medium-sized bowl (using a handheld mixer) or in a standing mixer (whisk attachment), mix together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Then add in the vanilla extract and heavy cream, mixing until smooth.
3 tablespoon salted butter, 4 oz cream cheese, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
Gradually add in the powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
3 cup powdered sugar
Let the cinnamon rolls cool about 15 minutes before frosting them. Don't wait until they've completely cooled off though--frosting the rolls while they're still warm lets the frosting melt down the sides and into the cinnamon rolls, which I highly recommend. :)
Enjoy!

The Best Cinnamon Roll Recipe (Tangzhong Method)

Ingredients

Tangzhong

Dough

Filling

Cream Cheese Frosting

Instructions

Tangzhong Method

Make the Dough

Filling

Bake the Rolls

Frost the Cinnamon Rolls

Notes

Equipment