These Milk Bread Cinnamon Rolls are the softest, squidgiest rolls you’ll ever eat! They’re topped with a luscious vanilla bean cream cheese frosting, and they’ll make your entire house smell heavenly.
These Milk Bread Cinnamon Rolls use the tangzhong method which is where you take a portion of the overall flour in the recipe and combine it with extra liquid to create a thick paste. This paste allows you to add more hydration into the dough, creating a softer, more pillowy, and well structured roll. That extra hydration is also great for keeping your cinnamon rolls fresh for longer since they’re less prone to drying out. After many attempts to get these just right, we cracked the code and couldn’t be more proud of them!
Like classic milk bread, the edges of the rolls tear away from each other in delicate feathery layers while the inside is super soft and fluffy. The filling has the perfect ratio of cinnamon and brown sugar in addition to a bit of salt to balance and amplify the flavors. For the topping, we opted for a classic cream cheese frosting with a touch of vanilla bean paste. As with many desserts, you can’t go wrong with a nice cold glass of milk to wash it all down.
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Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
Find the full list of ingredients, measurements, and instructions in the recipe card below!
- Bread Flour: The high protein content in bread flour aids gluten formation which is needed for things like bread and these fluffy cinnamon rolls. We use Central Market bread flour which has a protein content of 12.7%.
- Egg: You can put it in a bowl of warm water for 5-10 minutes to quickly bring it up to room temperature.
- Whole Milk: Set it out at room temperature for at least 2 hours or microwave it in 10 second intervals until it’s lukewarm.
- Unsalted Butter: You’ll need plenty of butter for this recipe since that’s where all the flavor is. European butter is best since it has a high fat content.
- Active Dry Yeast: You can use instant yeast if that’s what you have on hand, but pay attention to your dough as it will rise much faster. With either, you’ll want to make sure that it’s not expired or else your dough won’t rise at all.
- Heavy Cream: Pouring warm cream over the cinnamon rolls ensures maximum softness since they absorb all that extra moisture in the oven.
Step-by-Step Instructions
This section provides a general overview as well as any pictures to guide you through the recipe. The full detailed recipe instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
1. Make the tangzhong. Whisk together the flour and milk in a saucepan then place over medium heat. Whisk constantly for about 4-5 minutes until it turns into a thick paste. Scrape it into the bowl of a stand mixer and let it cool for 5 minutes.
2. Mix and knead the dough. Add the remaining dough ingredients to the stand mixer bowl. Use a dough hook to mix everything together until a smooth, elastic dough ball forms.
3. Shape and transfer the dough to a bowl. Shape the dough into a ball then place it in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap.
4. Proof the dough. Let the dough rise for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until doubled in size. The time it takes to rise can vary depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
5. Make the cinnamon sugar filling. Add the softened butter, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon to a bowl and mix with a spoon until well combined and spreadable.
6. Roll out the dough then add the filling. Punch the dough down then place on a lightly floured surface. Roll it out into a 12×21 inch rectangle then add dollops of the cinnamon sugar filling. Spread it all over with an offset spatula.
7. Cut and shape the rolls. Cut the dough into 12 equal sized strips, about 1 ¾ inch in size, then roll them up.
8. Rest the rolls. Place them in a greased 9×13 inch baking pan, evenly spacing them out. Cover with plastic wrap then let them rest for 60-75 minutes or until they’re puffy and touching each other (see next photo for reference).
9. Bake. Pour the warm cream over the puffed rolls then bake until lightly golden brown. Let them cool for 10 minutes before frosting.
10. Make and add the cream cheese icing. Mix all the ingredients together until smooth and creamy then spread all over the baked cinnamon rolls.
Tips for Making These Milk Bread Cinnamon Rolls
- Use a kitchen scale. Even though we provide cup measurements, it’s really not recommended for recipes like this one since the other ingredients rely on the weight of the flour in order to get the best texture.
- Rely more on the visual cues stated in the recipe rather than the time. The rise times are a good guide, but how the dough reacts can often depend on the weather outside and the temperature of your kitchen. So if you feel like your dough has barely risen after a while, it may need more time to proof (or vice versa).
- Make today. Bake tomorrow. You can make the cinnamon rolls a day in advance then cover and place them in the fridge overnight or up to 24 hours. Remove the unbaked rolls from the fridge and let them rest at room temperature for 2 to 2 ½ hours until they’re puffed and touching each other. Afterwards, just follow the recipe as normal. Don’t forget to pour the cream over the rolls right before baking!
If you made this Milk Bread Cinnamon Rolls recipe, please let us know by leaving a star rating and review down below. We’d love to hear from you!
📖 Recipe
Milk Bread Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- Kitchen Scale plus a dough hook attachment and whisk attachment (optional)
- Oven Thermometer
- Small Saucepan
- Stand Mixer
- Rolling Pin
- Small Offset Spatula
- 9×13-inch (23×33 cm) Baking Dish
- Electric Hand Mixer optional
Ingredients
Tangzhong:
- 30 g (¼ cup) bread flour spooned and leveled
- 160 ml (⅔ cup) whole milk
Dough:
- 160 ml (⅔ cup) whole milk room temperature
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 450 g (3 ¾ cups) bread flour spooned and leveled
- 9 g (2 ¼ tsp) active dry yeast
- 67 g (⅓ cup) granulated sugar
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 113 g (½ cup) unsalted butter softened and cut into 8 pieces
- Extra-virgin olive oil for greasing
Filling:
- 113 g (½ cup) unsalted butter softened, plus more for greasing
- 150 g (¾ cup) light brown sugar packed
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
- 125 ml (½ cup) warm heavy cream for pouring over the rolls
Icing:
- 113 g (4 oz) cream cheese softened
- 57 g (4 tbsp) unsalted butter softened
- 120 g (1 cup) powdered sugar
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla bean paste
Instructions
Tangzhong:
- In a small saucepan, whisk together the flour and milk until no lumps remain.
- Place over medium heat and whisk constantly until it forms a thick paste, 4-5 minutes. It should look a bit like gelatinous mashed potatoes.
- Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer and let it cool for 5 minutes or until it's no longer hot, but still warm to the touch.
Dough:
- Add the dough ingredients (minus the olive oil) to the bowl with the tangzhong in the order listed.
- Attach a dough hook to the stand mixer and mix on low speed for 2 minutes until a dough ball starts to form.
- Increase to medium-low and mix for 8-10 minutes until a smooth, elastic dough forms. While the mixer is running, lightly grease a large bowl with olive oil.
- Remove the dough from the stand mixer and shape into a ball. Place in the oiled bowl then cover tightly with plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm spot for 1 ½ to 2 hours or until doubled in size.
Filling and Baking:
- Make the filling by mixing together the softened butter, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon until well combined and spreadable.
- Grease a 9×13 inch (23×33 cm) baking dish with softened butter.
- Punch the dough down then tip out onto a lightly floured surface. Sprinkle the top of the dough with a bit of flour and roll into a 12×21 inch (30.5×53 cm) horizontal rectangle. If the dough starts to stick, sprinkle a bit of flour on it.
- Place dollops of the filling onto the dough then use an offset spatula to gently spread it all over.
- Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 12 equal sized strips (about 1 ¾ inch or 4.5 cm). Roll up each strip then evenly space them out in the prepared baking dish.**(see notes)
- Cover with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise for 60-75 minutes or until puffy and touching each other. During the last 15 minutes of rise time, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C).
- Pour the warm heavy cream over the puffed, pre-baked rolls. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until lightly golden brown. You can also check the centers with a thermometer which should reach 190°F (88°C).
- Let the rolls cool for 10 minutes before frosting.
Icing:
- Add the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, and vanilla bean paste to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or you can use an electric hand mixer and a bowl).
- Mix on low speed for 30 seconds then increase to medium-high speed, mixing for 1-2 minutes until light and creamy. Scrape down the bowl if needed.
- Spread the vanilla bean icing all over the cinnamon rolls and enjoy!
Notes
- **Once you’ve rolled the cinnamon rolls and placed them in the baking dish, you can store them covered in the fridge overnight or up to 24 hours. When you’re ready to bake, let them rest at room temperature for 2-2.5 hours until puffy and touching each other. Pour the warm cream over the top and bake as normal.
- If you have any leftover cinnamon rolls, they should last up to 1 week in the fridge when placed in an airtight container or covered with foil.
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