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.
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Easy yeasted bread? Really? YES, really. These easy cinnamon rolls really are seriously easy to make. So if you haven't made your own yeasted rolls before, this is a great recipe to start with.
🤷♀️ What is Tangzhong?
Tangzhong is an Asian yeast bread technique that uses a starter that's briefly cooked on the stove. It's basically a slurry formed from water and / or milk plus flour. They're whisked together over heat until the liquid thickens. It's cooled, and then added to the bread dough.
There's a bit of science behind this, but tangzhong allows the flour in the dough to absorb more liquid, whether it be water or milk. This makes the dough less sticky and therefore easier to work with.
Using the tangzhong method is what makes these rolls easy. A sticky dough can be hard to work with, and this method makes the dough much less sticky.
Using a tangzhong method also creates a softer yeasted bread, helps keep the bread soft and fresh longer, and your rolls may rise higher. So it's totally worth taking the extra step!
For more details, check this article out on the King Arthur Flour site.
🤷♀️ Why Use Dry Milk Powder When Making Bread?
Dry milk is fantastic in most any baked goods, from cookies to cakes to bread. You can find it in the baking aisle of most markets, or order it online. There are a few reasons to add dry milk powder in your next bread dough:
- Dry milk makes any baked good more tender and helps promote a higher rise in breads.
- It boosts nutrition and flavor in the finished baked good.
- Compared to liquid milk form, it's much easier to store in bulk for long lengths of time.
🧅 Main Ingredients + Notes
The secret to faster and easier meals often lies in the ingredients. For example, store-bought items and ingredients you make ahead and store in the refrigerator (or freezer) can turn a 60-minute recipe into a 30-minutes meal or less.
For the all of the ingredients, measurements and directions, go to the Recipe Card at the bottom of this post.
- Whole milk
- Bread flour - I typically go for King Arthur bread flour for it's consistency.
- Dry milk powder
- Yeast - I use instant yeast since then I don't have to wait for it to bloom.
- Eggs
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar - if you don't have any on hand, make your own brown sugar.
- Ground cinnamon
Optional Icing
- Confectioners Sugar
- Unsalted butter
- Vanilla extract
- Whole milk
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🔪 Recommended Equipment
Having the right equipment is a key to making these cinnamon rolls (or any yeasted bread baking) easy.
- Kitchen scales - to accurately weigh the flour.
- Whisk - for the tangzhong, cinnamon roll filling and the icing.
- Standing mixer with a dough hook attachment - for easy kneading of the dough.
- Rolling pin
- Bench scraper - for easy measuring and cutting of the individual rolls.
- 9" X 13" baking dish
- Sifter or fine mesh strainer - to remove any lumps in the confectioners sugar.
- Rubber spatulas - for mixing the icing and smearing it on the rolls.
- Instant read thermometer - to check the temperature of the rolls when baked.
📝 Instructions Overview
Detailed instructions for making these tangzhong cinnamon rolls are in the recipe card below, but here's an overview!
Step 1
Make the tangzhong. This is a thickened slurry of flour and milk quickly whisked together on the stovetop. Transfer to the bowl of a standing mixer.
Step 2
Make the dough. Add the milk, bread flour, dry milk powder, instant yeast, and unsalted butter to the tangzhong in the bowl, and mix using a rubber spatula.
Cover with plastic and let rest.
Clip the bowl into a standing mixer, and knead the dough into a smooth, stretchy dough using the dough hook attachment.
Step 3
First rise. Lightly oil a clean bowl, transfer the dough to it, cover and allow to rise for 60 - 90 minutes. It won't double in size, but will rise quite a bit.
Step 4
Shape the dough. Divide the dough in half. Stretch each half of the dough to form a rectangle using your fingers. Then use a rolling pin to roll them out to rectangles roughly 8" X 18".
Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl, and sprinkle half of it over the surface of the dough. Starting with the long edge of each rectangle, roll the dough up into a long roll. Slice into individual rolls.
Arrange in a baking dish.
Step 5
Second rise. Allow the dough to rise to puffy rolls that take up all the space in the baking dish.
Step 6
Bake and ice. Bake the rolls until done, and cool slightly before icing. When they are almost at room temperature, I ice them again.
🏔️ High Altitude Baking Adjustments
Baking at high altitude often requires adjustments because of the difference in air pressure and increased dryness. I make these adjustments when I make these cinnamon rolls at 7100 feet.
- Decrease the instant yeast amount to 2 ½ teaspoons.
- Increase the milk to ¾ cup PLUS 2 teaspoons.
- Increase the butter to 7 tablespoons.
- Increase the baking time to 30 - 35 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches approximately 190˚F when tested with an instant read thermometer.
💡Ideas for Possible Variations
- If you don't have, or can't find, dry milk powder, you can eliminate it without making any other changes.
- Use ground cardamom in place of cinnamon.
- Ice with a cream cheese frosting.
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Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls (Tangzong Method)
Equipment
-
Whisk
-
Small skillet
-
Kitchen scale
-
Large mixing bowl
-
rolling pin
-
small bowl
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
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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.
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Pro-Tip: You'll know it's thick enough when the whisk leaves lines on the bottom of the pan.
Cinnamon Roll Dough
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Serve. To serve, use a sharp knife to separate each individual roll. You may need to slice through the dough. Serve warm.
Nutrition
This recipe was modified for high altitude baking from a popular recipe for Cinnamon Rolls on the King Arthur Flour website.
Wendy Klik
Your cinnamon rolls looks mouthwateringly delicious.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I had FOUR of them yesterday. I couldn't stop eating them, they were so good! Thanks so much!
Karen
These look amazing. I love how fresh bread made with tangzhong stays.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm in love with the tangzhong method. Since it's very dry here in the mountains, this is such a great tip for moistness and staying fresh longer. Thank you so much for choosing this theme this month. It's a game-changer for me.
Kelly
They look sheer perfection! I used to use baker's special dry milk all the time too! Good sub for scalding the milk in the recipe.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I just started using dry milk in baking, and am so happy with the results! Thanks so much!
Stacy
I just happen to have some dry milk powder in the cupboard from another baking experiment so I am all set to try your cinnamon rolls, Susan. They look spectacular!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much Stacy!
Swathi
I like adding tangzhong in cinnamon rolls, it makes so soft rolls. . Your version is delicious.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
It worked so well. Thanks so much!
namita
Absolutely gorgeous cinnamon rolls. These look so tempting.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much!
Kelster
These cinnamon rolls have been on my to-make list for a good while now. I definitely need to make them this weekend.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I hope you like them as much as we do!
Allyssa
This tasted so delicious and really easy to make! Will surely have this again, thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! Highly recommended!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm so glad you like them! Thanks for letting me know 🙂
Renu
They look so perfect. Best for brunch on a weekend or for a picnic. Looks soft and delicious.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
They came together so easily, I'm making them with my granddaughter when the family comes at the holidays.
Sneha Datar
Love this cinnamon rolls, looks delicious!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Thanks so much!
Kayla DiMaggio
I have never tried the tangzhong method before but they were so easy and came out great!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm completely sold on tangzhong method now!
Onah
This recipe is for high elevation baking. That information would have been helpful at the beginning of the recipe, not at the very end. What a complete waste of time to follow a recipe to find out at the end you have done it all wrong. doh!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
OMG I am so sorry. High altitude was originally in the title, and I was converting the entire recipe to sea level when I clearly got distracted. The recipe will absolutely still work, and be just as good. They just won't rise quite as much. I'm making the changes to the recipe tonight so that this doesn't happen to anyone else. I understand how upsetting that can be. My sincere apologies, and thank you so much for letting me know.
Marie
Wow, I'd never heard of that tangzhong method before but it sounds like there are only bright sides to using it for making rolls! Your cinnamon rolls look just so fluffy and perfect. I can't wait to give this clever recipe a try!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
It was completely new to me too. I only learned about it through a baker in our baking group. But it's absolutely fantastic. The only downside is there's an extra step to make the tangzhong, but it takes just a few minutes.
Jessica
I’m excited to have come across this recipe. First of all because it looks amazing and secondly because I’ve never tried Tangzhong. I love trying new ingredients and techniques - thanks for the info!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
So do I! And it's a fantastic technique I'll always use now!
LaKita
These cinnamon rolls look so sweet, fluffy, and amazing! Love the process to make them and your instructions made it so simple and convenient.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm so happy! Thanks for letting me know. They really are amazingly soft 🙂
Aya
I love the use of tangzhong method in this cinnamon rolls recipe.
It looks and sounds amazing. A must try for me!
Marisa Franca
I made the recipe this week and I can attest to the fact that they are delicious and very light. I loved this method. I have been baking bread for years and I haven't tried this with my regular white bread. I'll be doing it this week.
Jenny
These cinnamon rolls are awesome! So easy and flavorful. I love this recipe, fantastic – thank you!
Enriqueta E Lemoine
I'm in heaven with these cinnamon rolls. I need to try this Asian yeast and method.
Moop Brown
These cinnamon rolls look so soft and like the perfect temperature. Thanks for sharing
Hayley Dhanecha
These easy cinnamon rolls look so tempting and heavenly. Must try this coming weekend for my family.
Radha
These look perefct and delicious! I guess it is hard to stop with one.
Grace
These look delicious! I want to try to make these in preparation for Christmas morning. Can these be made ahead and frozen? How would the bake time change?
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I should first say that I haven't tried this. But I see 2 options:
(1) Make them through step 4 above in the recipe card. Wrap the entire pan in plastic wrap, and then slide into a plastic bag you can seal. If the pan is too large for a plastic bag, then double wrap it in plastic, and slide it into a bag as far as possible. Slide another plastic bag over the other side, so that although it's not sealed, it's well covered. Or slide the pan into a plastic bag that is larger but not sealable, like a trash bag. When you bring it out of the freezer, defrost the night before you bake them in the refrigerator. Then that morning, let them come to room temperature and go through their second rise. It will take longer since they'll be cold. Bake as you normally would.
(2) The other option, which is far easier, is to make them all the way through all of the steps, let the rolls cool completely, and then freeze them in an air-tight container or sealable freezer bags. Thaw in the refrigerator, and re-warm in a 350˚F oven before serving.
Sydney
Hello!
These look great and I plan to make them tomorrow! My only problem is that I don’t have dry milk powder and I’m not able to go get some. Can I omit it? Or replace it with something else? I really want to try these but I don’t want to mess them up.
Thanks!
The Wimpy Vegetarian
It’s totally fine to omit the milk powder. If you do, there’s no need to make any other adjustments. These are my very favorite cinnamon rolls. I hope you love them too!!
MtnMe
May I ask what is your altitude? We live at 7400 feet, and curious to see if we need to adjust the recipe.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
Hi there! I’m at 7100 feet, so you should be fine with the high altitude version! I hope you love these rolls.
Adriana Gutierrez
Thanks for the high altitude adjustments!
Rosemary Mark
Loved this recipe ! Even though I several changes - didn’t have buttermilk or enough butter so used 4T oil and 2T butter, and apple butter plus cinnamon sugar for filling. Super light and soo good, will make again.
The Wimpy Vegetarian
I'm so excited that you made these. Thanks for letting me know the substitutions you made and that they worked! I hope you're having a wonderful holiday season.