There’s something about the smell of freshly baked bread, what more added with cinnamon. This cinnamon roll is fluffy with the use of bread flour. Bread flour gives the bread a higher protein content to give it its soft and fluffy texture.
If getting a pack of bread (or rather known as high-protein flour as well) is too troublesome, you can use all purpose flour as well but I’ll assure u the packet of bread flour will be worth it because you’ll be making this again and again.
This recipe makes 9 cinnamon rolls and it can be doubled as you wish.
Key points to remember when making bread is that the initial dough is kneaded well enough that the gluten is formed. Check out the video below to see how you can do your own windowpane test to see if the dough is ready.
Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Bread Dough
- 175 ml warm milk
- 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
- 50 g caster sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 60 g unsalted butter softened
- 360 g bread flour (high protein flour)
- 3/4 tsp salt
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- 120 g coconut / brown sugar
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 60 g unsalted butter softened
Cream Cheese Icing
- 120 g cream cheese softened
- 1-2 tbsp icing sugar / powdered sugar
- 30 g unsalted butter softened
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
Instructions
Bread dough
- Warm milk to 40 Celcius in a microwave (medium for 30 seconds).
- Pour instant yeast onto milk, stir and let it activate for a few minutes
- In a mixing bowl, add in bread flour, salt, sugar, both egg and egg yolk. Add in warm milk with yeast. Using a dough hook on a kitchen aid mixer, mix on low speed for 2 minutes or till it looks like it has come together.
- Add in softened butter into the dough, knead for 10 minutes. Do a window pane test if you're not sure if the dough is ready.
- Pour dough out into a clean surface, shape into a nice dome shape. Put it back into a mixing bowl or clean bowl. Cover and let it do its first proofing for 1 hour or till double in size. Make cinnamon sugar and cream cheese icing while waiting.
- When it's ready, punch the dough down using your fist to degas it. Pour dough out onto a clean surface using a flat spatula. Dust a bit of flour on your hands if the dough is tacky but my not be necessary.
- Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a rectangular shape measuring 14" x 10"
- Spread softened butter (in the cinnamon sugar ingredients list)
- Spread cinnamon sugar on the butter and pat down lightly.
- Use a spatula, gently lift the bottom part and roll upwards into a swiss roll. Gently tuck the dough as you roll to create a tight roll. Pinch and seal the bottom
- Divide into 9 pieces. Cut with a knife or spatula. Fit into a 9" square pan lined with parchment paper and cover. Set aside for 30-45 mins for the second proofing. At the 30 minute mark, preheat oven to 175 celcius.
- Bake for 22 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let it cool. Remove from pan, spread cream cheese icing on top when the cinnamon roll is no longer hot.
Cinnamon Sugar
- Mix cinnamon and sugar together. Set aside
- Make sure butter is softened, NOT melted
Cream Cheese Icing
- Making sure the cream cheese is softened, use a hand mixer and mix everything together till it looks creamy.
- Cover the bowl and set in the fridge till ready to use.
While a naked cinnamon roll is tasty enough, the addition of cream cheese icing makes it even more luscious and sinful!
Please do give this recipe a try if you love cinnamon and tag me on Instagram (@sweesan) if you do!\
Cheers
xoxo
