Cinnamon Rolls
An enriched dough proved overnight in the fridge, so the baking happens while you are awake.
- Prep
- 40m
- Cook
- 28m
- Waiting
- 12h
- Total
- 13h 8m
- Serves
- 12 rolls
- Effort
- Involved
Method
Tap a step number to mark it done. Tap an ingredient once for got it, twice for need it.
| 500 g | Mix and leave 15 minutes 20m | Knead 10 minutes, then add the butter piece by piece 20m The dough will look broken when the butter goes in. Keep going; it comes back. | Chill overnight 11h A cold enriched dough is far easier to roll, and the flavour improves. | Roll out, spread the filling, roll up tightly 15m | Cut into 12, arrange in a dish, prove 1 hour from cold 1h 10m Use a length of thread rather than a knife — it cuts without squashing the spiral. | Glaze while just warm 3m | Bake at 180°C / 350°F until the centres reach 88°C / 190°F 28m The middle roll is the one to test. Colour lies here. | |
| 240 g | ||||||||
| 50 g | ||||||||
| 7 g | ||||||||
| 2 | ||||||||
| 8 g | ||||||||
| 110 g | ||||||||
| 100 g | Beat to a spreadable paste 3m | |||||||
| 150 g | ||||||||
| 2 tbsp | ||||||||
| 1/4 tsp | ||||||||
| 100 g | Whisk smooth 2m | |||||||
| 100 g | ||||||||
| 1 tsp | ||||||||
-
Mix and leave 15 minutes
20m- strong white flour 500 g
- whole milk 240 g
- caster sugar 50 g
- instant yeast 7 g
- eggs 2
- fine salt 8 g
-
Knead 10 minutes, then add the butter piece by piece
20m- from 1 Mix and leave 15 minutes
- soft unsalted butter 110 g
The dough will look broken when the butter goes in. Keep going; it comes back.
-
Chill overnight
11h- from 2 Knead 10 minutes, then add the butter piece by piece
A cold enriched dough is far easier to roll, and the flavour improves.
-
Beat to a spreadable paste
3m- soft butter 100 g
- dark brown sugar 150 g
- ground cinnamon 2 tbsp
- fine salt 1/4 tsp
-
Roll out, spread the filling, roll up tightly
15m- from 3 Chill overnight
- from 4 Beat to a spreadable paste
-
Cut into 12, arrange in a dish, prove 1 hour from cold
1h 10m- from 5 Roll out, spread the filling, roll up tightly
Use a length of thread rather than a knife — it cuts without squashing the spiral.
-
Whisk smooth
2m- cream cheese 100 g
- icing sugar 100 g
- lemon juice 1 tsp
-
Glaze while just warm
3m- from 6 Cut into 12, arrange in a dish, prove 1 hour from cold
- from 7 Whisk smooth
-
Bake at 180°C / 350°F until the centres reach 88°C / 190°F
28m- from 8 Glaze while just warm
The middle roll is the one to test. Colour lies here.
Butter last
Fat coats gluten strands and stops them linking, so a dough with butter in from the start takes far longer to develop. Build the gluten first, then add soft butter in pieces. The dough separates alarmingly and then comes back together smooth and glossy — that transition is the signal it is ready.
Notes
- Bake to temperature, not colour. Enriched doughs brown early because of the sugar and egg.
- Glaze warm, not hot. Hot rolls melt the icing straight off.
- The unbaked, shaped rolls freeze well. Thaw overnight in the fridge and prove as normal.