Soft Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

• 400 g Type 45 flour (All‑purpose flour, sifted)
• 50 g Butter (for the dough) (At room temperature, cut into small dice)
• 1 Egg (Medium‑sized egg)
• 8 g Dehydrated baker's yeast (Active dry yeast)
• 2.5 g Salt (Approximately ½ teaspoon)
• 4 g Baking powder (Approximately 1 teaspoon)
• 60 g White sugar (Granulated)
• 1 sachet Vanilla sugar (Approximately 8 g)
• 180 ml Warm milk (Milk slightly warmed (≈37 °C))
• 50 g Butter (for the filling) (Softened butter, slightly melted in microwave)
• 30 g Brown sugar (Unrefined brown sugar)
• 2 g Ground cinnamon (Approximately 1 teaspoon)
• 7 g Unsweetened dark cocoa (Approximately 1 tablespoon)
• 50 g Powdered sugar (For the glaze)
• 40 g Cream cheese (e.g., Philadelphia) (At room temperature)
• 15 g Butter (for the glaze) (Softened)
• 15 ml Milk (for the glaze) (Approximately 1 tablespoon)

Instructions

1. Mix the dry ingredients

   In a large bowl, sift the flour, add the sugar, vanilla sugar, salt, baking powder and dehydrated baker's yeast. Mix well.

   Time: PT5M

2. Incorporate the liquids and knead

   Make a well in the center, pour in the beaten egg and warm milk. Mix by hand or with a spatula until the dough begins to come together, then add the butter in pieces and knead for 8‑10 minutes until you obtain a soft and slightly sticky dough.

   Time: PT10M

3. First rise

   Shape the dough into a ball, place it in the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in the turned‑off oven (or at room temperature) until it doubles in volume, about 55 minutes.

   Time: PT55M

   Temperature: 25-27°C

4. Prepare the filling

   Mix the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and cocoa in a small bowl until you obtain a homogeneous paste.

   Time: PT5M

5. Degas and roll out the dough

   Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured work surface, gently degas it and roll it out into a rectangle about 30 × 40 cm.

   Time: PT5M

6. Spread the filling

   Spread the cinnamon butter over the entire surface of the dough, then sprinkle the brown sugar, cinnamon and cocoa evenly.

   Time: PT5M

7. Roll and cut the rolls

   Roll the dough onto itself starting from the longer side, form a log and cut it into 9 pieces 4‑5 cm thick.

   Time: PT5M

8. Second rise

   Place the rolls on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover with plastic wrap and let rise again until they puff up, about 30 minutes.

   Time: PT30M

   Temperature: 25-27°C

9. Baking

   Preheat the oven to 180°C fan‑forced. Bake the rolls for 25 minutes until golden.

   Time: PT25M

   Temperature: 180°C

10. Prepare the glaze

    While baking, mix the powdered sugar, cream cheese, vanilla sugar, softened butter and milk until smooth.

    Time: PT5M

11. Glaze the rolls

    Immediately after removing from the oven, generously drizzle the still‑warm rolls with the glaze. Let cool slightly before serving.

    Time: PT2M

Nutrition Facts

Calories

250

Protein

4 g

Carbohydrates

35 g

Fat

10 g

Fiber

1 g

Ingredient Substitutions

• Instead of Type 45 flour: all‑purpose flour, wheat flour
• Instead of Butter (for the dough): margarine, vegetable oil (for texture, less recommended)
• Instead of Egg: chicken egg, organic egg
• Instead of Dehydrated baker's yeast: fresh yeast (16 g), instant yeast
• Instead of White sugar: cane sugar
• Instead of Vanilla sugar: vanilla extract, vanilla powder
• Instead of Warm milk: warm almond milk, soy milk
• Instead of Butter (for the filling): margarine
• Instead of Brown sugar: brown sugar, cane sugar
• Instead of Ground cinnamon: gingerbread spice blend
• Instead of Unsweetened dark cocoa: cocoa powder
• Instead of Powdered sugar: very fine granulated sugar
• Instead of Cream cheese (e.g., Philadelphia): cream cheese, reduced‑fat cream cheese
• Instead of Butter (for the glaze): margarine
• Instead of Milk (for the glaze): almond milk, soy milk

Equipment Needed

• Large mixing bowl
• Silicone spatula
• Kitchen scale
• Plastic wrap
• Oven
• Baking sheet or loaf pan
• Knife or cutting wire
• Microwave (to soften butter) (optional)
• Rolling pin (optional) (optional)

Critical Steps — Do Not Skip

• Knead the dough until it reaches a soft and slightly sticky texture.
• First rise: let double in volume without touching.
• Do not add too much flour when rolling out to keep the dough tender.
• Second rise before baking.
• Bake at 180°C until golden.
• Apply the glaze on the hot rolls.

Chef Tips from the Video

• Use very soft butter for an even distribution of the filling.
• For a stronger flavor, add a pinch of nutmeg to the filling.
• Slightly warm the milk before adding it to the glaze to avoid lumps.

Troubleshooting

Storage

Refrigerator: Store in an airtight container for 3 days.

Freezer: Wrap individually and freeze for 1 month.

Room temperature: At room temperature for 1 day, consume quickly.

Make-Ahead Tips

• Prepare the dough the day before, let it rise in the refrigerator and shape it in the morning.
• The rolls can be frozen raw; bake directly from the freezer adding 5 minutes to the baking time.
• The glaze keeps for 2 days in the refrigerator, gently reheat before use.