Bigly Cinnamon Rolls
Prep
30m
Cook
25m
Total
55m
Bigly says
Sit down for this one. We're doing cinnamon rolls. BIGLY cinnamon rolls. And these are not the cinnamon rolls you grew up with. Those were SAD. Those were dry. Those were the cinnamon rolls that come out of a tube and POP at you on a Sunday morning like a tiny explosion of disappointment. A disgrace to the cinnamon roll. Cheap. Embarrassing. Wet sadness on a plate, with frosting.
My cinnamon rolls are soft. Pillowy. So soft that big strong men have wept openly into them — tough men, construction workers, men with beards, men who never cry — they take one bite, they weep, they cannot continue, I tell them to continue, they continue, they weep more. It happens. It happens every weekend at my house. It will happen at yours. Buy tissues. The cinnamon roll causes feelings, that's just a fact.
Now, the secret. Other sites bury this behind 18 popups and a cookie banner with 47 toggles. They want you to share your data with 200 advertising partners before they let you see the FILLING. Auto-play video as you scroll. A crime. Here on BiglyEats: the secret is a tangzhong. A little cooked flour-and-milk paste. Sounds weird. IS weird. Doesn't matter, it works. The Japanese figured it out generations ago. The tangzhong holds water inside the crumb, and the crumb stays soft for days. Many people don't know this. You will know after today. Believe me.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cupwhole milk (for tangzhong)
- 3 tbspall-purpose flour (for tangzhong)
- 2/3 cupwhole milk, warm (for dough)(warm, not hot — hot kills the yeast, dead yeast is dead dough)
- 2 1/4 tsp (1 packet)instant yeast
- 1/4 cupgranulated sugar
- 1large egg
- 4 tbspunsalted butter, softened
- 1 tspkosher salt
- 3 1/4 cupsbread flour
- 6 tbspunsalted butter, softened (for filling)
- 3/4 cupdark brown sugar, packed
- 2 tbspground cinnamon(two tablespoons, not two teaspoons, do not be a coward)
- 4 ozcream cheese, softened (for frosting)
- 3 tbspunsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
- 1 cuppowdered sugar
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- pinchkosher salt (for frosting)
Steps
- 1
Make the tangzhong: whisk the 1/3 cup milk and 3 tbsp flour in a small saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a smooth pudding-like paste, about 2 minutes. Scrape into a bowl and let it cool to lukewarm.
- 2
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the warm milk, yeast, and 1 tbsp of the sugar. Let sit 5 minutes until foamy.
- 3
Add the cooled tangzhong, remaining sugar, egg, 4 tbsp softened butter, salt, and bread flour. Knead on medium-low for 8-10 minutes until smooth, elastic, and tacky but not sticky.
- 4
Transfer to a greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
- 5
While the dough rises, mix the filling: stir the 6 tbsp softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon together into a smooth paste.
- 6
Punch down the dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a 12x16-inch rectangle. Spread the filling evenly to all edges.
- 7
Starting from the long edge, roll the dough up tightly into a log. Pinch the seam to seal. Slice into 12 equal rolls using unflavored dental floss or a sharp serrated knife.
- 8
Arrange the rolls in a buttered 9x13-inch baking pan, leaving small gaps between. Cover and let rise 30-45 minutes until puffy.
- 9
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake the rolls 22-25 minutes until golden on top and cooked through. Let cool 10 minutes.
- 10
Beat the cream cheese, 3 tbsp butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until smooth. Spread generously over the warm rolls and serve.
One more thing
You pull these out of the oven and the smell hits the house and suddenly everyone is awake. Everyone. The kids. The dog. The neighbor — somehow the neighbor knows, the neighbor always knows, the neighbor is at the door, you don't have to share but you probably will, you're a generous person, that's why you cook. Spread the frosting on while they're still a little warm so it melts into the cracks. That's where the magic lives. In the cracks. Save me a piece.
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Substitutions, what to serve it with, why other chefs are wrong about it. He's got opinions.
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