Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls (Tangzong Method)

Cinnamon rolls smeared with icing, nestled in a baking dish.

4.81 from 57 votes

Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls (Tangzong Method)

These soft cinnamon rolls are incredibly soft and fluffy from the tangzhong method of making a yeasted bread. And there's an added secret ingredient, dry milk powder, that I learned from David Chang, of Momofuku fame. This deepens the flavor for everything you add it to.

Course: Breakfast / Brunch

Cuisine: Any

Keyword: cinnamon rolls high altitude, fluffy cinnamon rolls, tangzhong cinnamon rolls

Servings: rolls

Calories: 152.1kcal

Author: Susan Pridmore

Equipment

Whisk
Small skillet
Kitchen scale
Standing Mixer
Rubber spatula
Large mixing bowl
rolling pin
small bowl
Instant Read Thermometer
sifter

Ingredients

Tangzhong

5 tablespoons water
5 tablespoons whole milk
3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon unbleached bread flour

Cinnamon Roll Dough

all of the tangzhong, above
496 grams unbleached bread flour, (4 cups + 2 tablespoons)
3 tablespoons non-fat dry milk
2 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt, (or 1 ¾ teaspoons table salt)
1 tablespoon instant yeast
¾ cup lukewarm whole milk
2 large eggs
6 tablespoons unsalted butter

Filling

¾ cup brown sugar, packed
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Optional Icing

1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
pinch kosher salt
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 - 2 tablespoons whole milk, or enough to make the icing thick but spreadable

Instructions

Tangzhong

Whisk together all of the tangshong ingredients in a small saucepan, until no lumps remain. Warm over medium heat, whisking until thick, 1 - 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
Pro-Tip: You'll know it's thick enough when the whisk leaves lines on the bottom of the pan.

Cinnamon Roll Dough

Mix together the ingredients. Combine all of the dough ingredients together in the bowl of a standing mixer. (If you plan to knead the dough by hand, use any large bowl.) Using a rubber spatula, mix it together until all of the ingredients come together. There shouldn't be any loose flour left.
Rest. Cover the dough with plastic, and let it rest on the counter for 15 - 20 minutes before kneading. This gives the flour more time to absorb the liquid, making it easier to knead.
Knead. Remove the plastic and using a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, knead the dough for 6 - 7 minutes on a medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic. It will be a little sticky, but not overly.
First rise. Lightly oil a fresh, clean bowl, and transfer the dough into it. Cover with plastic, and let sit for 60 - 90 minutes. The dough will rise over this time, but not necessarily double.

Making Cinnamon Rolls

Shape. Lightly punch the dough down, and remove it from the bowl. Place the bowl on a kitchen scale, zero it out, and place the dough back in the bowl to weigh it. Now divide it in half. Cover ½ of the dough with the plastic wrap, and manually stretch out the other half using your fingers. Cover it with plastic, and repeat with the half dough in the bowl. Cover it with plastic.
Roll. Remove the plastic from the first dough rectangle, and using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to roughly 8" X 18". Try to square off the corners as best you can, using the rolling pin. Cover it in plastic, and repeat with the other rectangle. Cover with plastic.
Pro-Tip: It's important to keep the dough covered when not being worked on. Otherwise the flour in the dough creates a dry crust on the dough.
Fill, roll up, and cut. Combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl to make the filling. Butter a 9" X 13" baking dish. Remove the plastic from one dough rectangle, and spread ½ of the filling over the dough. Starting with the long edge, gently tuck the edge in and roll up the dough to form one long roll, 18" long. Slice the roll into 12 pieces, each 1 ½" wide. Arrange them in the baking dish. Cover with plastic, and repeat with the other dough rectangle.
Second rise. Cover and rest for 45 - 60 minutes, or until the dough rises and is puffy. The rolls should take up all the space in the baking dish.
Bake. While the rolls are doing their second rise, move a rack to the lower ⅓ of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350˚F. Bake the rolls for 22-25 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches close to 190˚F. I use an instant thermometer to test this.
Ice. Whisk together all of the ingredients for the icing, being sure to sift the confectioners' sugar. All lumps must be removed to get a smooth icing. When the rolls are done, run a sharp knife around the edges, and slight lift from the baking dish. Flip out onto a cooling tray, and turn over. Lightly ice each roll using a small rubber spatula. After 10 minutes of cooling, lightly ice each roll again.
Serve. To serve, use a sharp knife to separate each individual roll. You may need to slice through the dough. Serve warm.

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