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There is nothing better than a warm cinnamon roll and these giant cinnamon rolls are soft, gooey and super fluffy! They are filled with a cinnamon sugar filling and topped with a cream cheese frosting! These bakery-style giant cinnamon rolls are made with a soft and fluffy, enriched tangzhong milk bread dough that stays fluffy for days. Making the tangzhong might be small extra step, but it makes them extra good! Each roll is baked separately on a baking tray, and covered in heavy cream, for beautiful golden edges and a gooey center.
This super fluffy and soft giant cinnamon roll recipe is a new weekend stable. These jumbo cinnamon rolls are so incredible. They have a soft dough, using the tangzhong method. Tangzhong is a slurry made of milk and flour that gets added to the dough. The rolls are filled with cinnamon sugar filling and topped with a tangy cream cheese icing.
If you haven't tired the tangzhong method (the method used in milk bread), you'll never want to go back after you try it. It might sound like an extra step, but it a simple and quick extra step that will make for extra fluffy cinnamon rolls!
For more soft cinnamon roll recipes, try Caramel Cinnamon Rolls, Chocolate Cinnamon Rolls and Banana Cinnamon Rolls.
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WHY YOU'LL LOVE THESE GIANT CINNAMON ROLLS
- Tangzhong dough: The dough for these rolls is so soft and incredibly delicious! You'll never want to make another dough than this one!
- Cinnamon Sugar: Spread out over the dough is a delicious cinnamon sugar butter spread.
- Cream cheese frosting: A simple cream cheese frosting is spread over the cinnamon rolls while they are still warm.
INGREDIENT NOTES
These are some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- Yeast: I use fresh yeast but you can also use active dry yeast
- Butter: Take it out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking.
- Whole milk: Heat the milk up to 37ºC, make sure it's not warmer as it can kills the yeast if it's too hot.
- All-purpose flour: I use all-purpose flour. It is used both in the tangzhong and with the rest of the dough.
- Brown sugar: Brown sugar gives lot's off caramel flavor notes.
- Cinnamon: Ground cinnamon is a key part of cinnamon rolls. It is mixed together with the brown sugar and butter for a delicious filling.
WHAT MAKES THEM SO SOFT: TANGZHONG MILK BREAD METHOD
Tangzhong origins from Japan’s yokone (or yudane). Tangzhong is a method used in yeasted bread and was popularized around Asia by Taiwanese cookbook author Yvonne Chen. It is a slurry that is made of flour and a liquid before adding it together with the rest of the ingredients. By precooking the flour and milk, it makes your bread incredibly soft and fluffy, more tender and extends the shelf life.
Source: King Arthur Baking
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS
Here is how make and bake these small batch cinnamon rolls. This recipe needs a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment and two large baking trays lined with baking paper.
The full recipe is down below in the recipe card.
STEP 1: Start by making the tangzhong for the dough. Add the milk and flour to a small saucepan. Stir it together with a whisk until the flour has mixed together with milk. Place it on the stove over medium-high heat. Keep constantly stirring until it becomes a thick paste. Add the tangzhong into a small bowl and place it in the fridge room temperature.
STEP 2: Heat up the milk until it’s lukewarm (37ºC). Crumble the fresh yeast into your mixing bowl and pour in the heated milk. Stir it together until the yeast has melted. (If you are use dry yeast, let it bloom in the warm milk per instruction of the pack)
STEP 3: Add granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, tangzhong, eggs, cardamon, salt and using the dough hook, mix until it is all hydrated and there is no dry flour left. Then mix further for 4 minutes on medium speed.
STEP 4: Add the butter in two parts and continue on medium speed. Keep mixing the dough for 8-10 minutes. Add the dough to a clean bowl, and cover the bowl with cling film and a tea towel. Let it proof for 1 hour in a warm spot.
HOW TO MAKE THE FILLING AND ASSEMBLING
STEP 1: Mix together softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon together until one mixture, and set it aside.
STEP 2: After the first rise roll out your dough, on a lightly floured work surface, into a big rectangle. Spread out the cinnamon sugar and using a pizza cutter, cut 10 strips and then roll each cinnamon roll. Tuck the tail of the cinnamon roll underneath itself so the cinnamon rolls keeps its shape.
STEP 3: Divide the cinnamon rolls on two baking trays and let them rise for a second time for 40 minutes under cling film and a tea towel. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 190ºC/ 375ºF conventional oven.
STEP 4: After the second rise, pour heavy cream over each cinnamon roll and bake them for 17-19 minutes on the second lowest rack. For the last 5-10 minutes of the baking time, cover the cinnamon rolls with aluminium foil, to not brown too much.
MAKING THE TANGY CREAM CHESSE FROSTING
STEP 1: After the cinnamon rolls has come out of the oven, make the cream cheese glaze. Cream the butter and cream cheese together with a hand mixer. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Mix it all together until smooth and combined. Then spread the frosting over the cinnamon rolls while they are still warm.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams. It is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Don't over mix your batter: I always use a spatula after everything has mixed together, to give it one final gentle fold together. This makes sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
- Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pans are light in color and therefore attract less heat. That means it bakes more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat. That will then give a darker crust, which can result in a dryer cake.
FAQ
Yes, let the dough rise its 1st rise in the fridge overnight, proofing for no more than 16 hours. Then follow the recipe instructions as and let the dough do its 2nd rise at room temperature.
Yes, prepare each of the element, the day before, so you only need to assemble the cinnamon rolls the next morning. Make the dough as described in the FAQ above. Prepare the cream cheese frosting and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Prepare the cinnamon sugar filling and store it in an airtight container at room temperature.
HOW TO STORE
Store the giant cinnamon rolls in the fridge covered tightly with cling film. Best enjoyed within a 2-3 days. They taste the the best when reheated in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minutes.
Other Fall Recipes To Try
Make sure leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats. To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.
Giant Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- 2 baking trays
Ingredients
TANGZHONG
- 30 g all-purpose flour
- 150 g whole milk
DOUGH
- 100 g whole milk
- 30 g fresh yeast (10 g dry active or instant yeast)
- 30 g granulated sugar
- 510 g all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom optional
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 100 g butter room temperature
CINNAMON FILLING
- 100 g butter room temperature
- 100 g brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- 150 g heavy cream for pouring over the cinnamon rolls
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- 70 g butter room temperature
- 140 g cream cheese
- 140 g powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
TANGZHONG
- Start by making the tangzhong. Add the milk and flour to a small saucepan. Stir it together with a whisk until the flour has mixed together with milk. Then place it on the stove over medium-high heat. Keep constantly stirring until it becomes a thick paste, similarly to smooth mashed potatoes. Take it off the heat and add it to a flat surfaced bowl so it can cool down faster. Place it in the fridge to cool down so it becomes cold. Give it a stir here and there. It’ll take about 20-30 minutes.30 g all-purpose flour, 150 g whole milk
DOUGH
- Heat up the milk until it’s lukewarm (37ºC). Crumble the fresh yeast into your mixing bowl and pour in the heated milk. With a whisk stir it together until the yeast has melted. (If you are use dry active or instant yeast, let it bloom in the warm milk per instruction of the pack)100 g whole milk, 30 g fresh yeast
- Add the granulated sugar, all-purpose flour, tangzhong, eggs, cardamon, salt and using the dough hook, mix the dough on low-medium speed until it is all hydrated and there is no dry flour left. Then mix further for 4 minutes on medium speed.30 g granulated sugar, 510 g all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon ground cardamom, 2 eggs, 1 teaspoon salt
- Continue on medium speed and add the butter in two parts. Add the second part of the butter, once you don't see any big lumps of butter. This part looks messy but don’t worry. Once the second part has incorporated, keep mixing the dough for 8-10 minutes. It should end up looking smooth and glossy.100 g butter
- Add the dough to a clean bowl, and cover the bowl with cling film and a tea towel. Let it rise for 1 hour. See FAQ above for overnight rising.
CINNAMON FILLING
- While the dough rises, mix together all of the ingredients until one paste and set it aside.100 g butter, 100 g brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon
ASSEMBLING
- After the first rise, it should now be double in size. Punch the air out of the dough and roll out your dough on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle of around 30x38 cm/ 12x15 inches, with the longest side towards you. Spread first the cinnamon sugar filling over the dough in an even layer with a spoon or offset spatula.
- Use a pizza cutter, and cut 10, 3,8 cm/1.5 inch strips, on the long side, and gently roll each individually. Tuck the tail of the cinnamon roll underneath itself so the cinnamon rolls keeps its shape.
- Divide them on two baking trays lined with parchment paper and let them rise for a second time on the kitchen counter for 40 minutes under some cling film and a tea towel.
- Meanwhile preheat the oven to 190ºC/ 375ºF conventional oven.
- After the second rise, pour the heavy cream over each cinnamon roll and bake them for 17-19 minutes on the second lowest rack (mine baked for 18 minutes). For the last 5-10 minutes of the baking time, or when they start to become golden in colour, cover the cinnamon rolls with aluminium foil, to prevent too much browning.150 g heavy cream
- Let them cool down while making the frosting.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- Once the cinnamon rolls are out of the oven, make the cream cheese frosting. In a mixing bowl, start by creaming the butter and cream cheese together for 1 minute with a hand mixer. Sift the powdered sugar and add it to the bowl with the vanilla extract. Mix it together with the butter and cream cheese until smooth and combined.70 g butter room temperature, 140 g cream cheese, 140 g powdered sugar, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Spread the frosting over the cinnamon rolls while they are still warm. They are ready to be enjoyed.
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