RECIPE: Damn good brioche cinnamon rolls

Editor’s note: I originally wrote this post during the height of COVID in 2020, and in the height of some professional/personal stuff that — while all resolved now — kinda took over my 2020 in a way I’m not proud of. Thus, this post waited in drafts for far too long. I’ve kept it intact and posted it now because…well, I did call these damn good cinnamon rolls for a reason.

Was anyone else a sucker for Cinnabon whenever you went to the mall? …just me? (Have I aged myself severely by talking about going to the mall?!)

Well, I could HOUSE one of those suckers at a moment’s notice (the Hayes metabolism is a gift from the gods). Fast forward to adulthood where the metabolism gods are slightly less forgiving, the Bay Area is my home (where SF and Oakland are Cinnabon-less, to my knowledge), and graduating from pastry school. I should be able to handle cinnamon rolls — and I can — but for whatever reason, we didn’t cross paths in school, staging, or externing.

An attempt at a “quick” cinnamon roll recipe two years ago looked pretty but was like eating glazed cardboard. I hadn’t bothered to try and make drool-worthy cinnamon rolls at home since…until now.

In my recent baking itch to kill time and feed us during this COVID-19 shelter-in-place, I threw all my reservations to the wind and hunkered down for the “commitment” of a proper cinnamon roll recipe. Not having a surplus of supplies and still skeptical of the results, I made modifications on the filling and glaze on the fly based on experience of what I think should work. However, for the dough, I didn’t want to sacrifice precious bread flour and used Erin’s brioche dough recipe from her blog, Cloudy Kitchen, almost to a tee.

One potentially polarizing opinion: I like the cinnamon roll itself to shine and the topping (be it frosting or glaze) serve as an accessory. As such, you’ll note that my milk glaze is subtle and scant. If you want to substitute in another frosting that is more in-your-face and plentiful, go for it!

Damn good brioche cinnamon rolls

Brioche dough slightly adapted from Cloudy Kitchen; filling and glaze by Kathleen Hayes; yield = 24, 1” tall cinnamon rolls

MISE IT

Brioche dough

  • 2 1/4 teaspoon active dry yeast (1 packet)

  • 225 grams whole milk, warmed to 110 - 115 degrees F

  • 50 grams organic sugar, divided into 14 grams and 36 grams

  • 570 grams all-purpose flour

  • 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 2 eggs, room temperature

  • 1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (use vanilla paste if you have it)

  • 100 grams unsalted butter, room temperature

Filling

  • 150 grams clarified butter / ghee, melted

  • 350 grams organic brown sugar

  • 3 tablespoon + 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Milk glaze

  • Powdered sugar, sifted

  • Whole milk

  • Optional flavorings: vanilla extract, orange juice

Special equipment

  • Stand mixer

  • Quarter-sheet pans (and/or 9” cake pans)

  • Mixing bowls

  • Dental floss

  • Ruler

  • Whisk

  • Pastry brush

  • Parchment paper

MAKE IT

  • To activate the yeast, warm up milk to 110-115 degrees F (don’t have it higher than that, or else the milk will kill the yeast). Combine warmed milk with 14 grams of sugar and the yeast, and let sit for 10 minutes. The mixture will look a bit foamy and give off a “yeasty” scent, which is the yeast activating.

  • Combine flour, salt, 36 grams sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer that’s fitted with a dough hook. Briefly mix the dry ingredients together with you hand, then add the milk/yeast mixture, eggs and vanilla to the bowl. Mix on low for 3 minutes. Increase the mixer speed to medium and mix for another 5 minutes.

  • After the additional 5 minutes, start incorporating the butter in pieces into the dough. Increase the speed to medium or medium-high and mix for an additional 8-10 minutes. The dough should be soft and smooth and pass the window pane test. (Window pane test = being able to gently stretch a small piece dough with your hands until it’s see-through, meaning the dough is properly developed.)

  • Loosely cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough proof for 45 minutes to an hour. The dough will increase in volume during this time.

  • While dough is proofing, prepare your filling by melting your clarified butter. Set aside to cool slightly. Separately, combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.

  • Once dough has proofed, turn it out onto a floured surface and roll out to a 24” x 18” rectangle. Once rolled out, use a pastry brush to spread a healthy layer of melted clarified butter on the surface of the dough. Then sprinkle ~1/2 of the sugar mixture onto the dough/butter, pressing it gently with your fingers as you go. Apply a second (lighter) layer of clarified butter by flicking drops of it with the pastry brush, then follow up with another ~1/4 of the sugar mixture. Repeat the process once more to use the remaining clarified butter to moisten the sugar mixture and apply the last ~1/4 of the sugar mixture on top. The sugar will be moist but not saturated.

  • Starting with one of the longer edges, begin rolling up the dough into a spiral. This should be fairly tightly rolled but be mindful of going too tight and having the filling ooze out. Once it’s completed rolled, pinch together the seams and cut the ~24” roll in half. This will leave you with 2, 12” logs. Chill logs in the refrigerator for 5-10 minutes.

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

  • Have parchment-lined quarter sheet pans or 9” cake pans ready. (Or use one of each.) Using a ruler and dental floss, cut 1” per roll and place roll into pan. Repeat for 12 rolls per log, 1 log per pan. Loosely cover pans with plastic wrap or a towel and let proof for 45-60 minutes. They will expand in size and are ready to be baked when you press your finger into the dough and it doesn’t fully spring back.

  • Bake the rolls for 30-40 minutes. Let cool slightly before drizzling with milk glaze, which can be made while the rolls are baking.

  • To make the milk glaze: combine ~1/4 cup of powdered sugar in a bowl (sift if it’s lumpy). Add 2-3 splashes of milk and slowly whisk the sugar into the milk. Adjust the amount of sugar/milk to get the consistency you desire.

  • Drizzle glaze onto rolls, serve, and try not to eat them all in one sitting!

  • To freeze: you can tightly wrap cooled, unglazed rolls for up to a month. To reheat, bake in 350 degree oven for 10-20 minutes, until you hear the filling start to sizzle.

TWEAK IT

  • Use cardamom instead of cinnamon!

  • Make bigger rolls by cutting them into 1.5” or 2” rolls instead of 1”.

  • Switch up the frosting you put on top; I’m not a cream cheese frosting fan, but a lot of folks are. ;)

  • Flavor your glaze with maple, orange zest, or vanilla extract/paste.

  • Use chocolate babka filling instead of this filling for a chocolate-y treat.

Kathleen Hayes