Homemade Brioche Cinnamon Rolls
Twelve soft, rich cinnamon rolls made from an egg and butter brioche dough, filled with butter, light brown sugar and cinnamon, baked close together in a 23 × 33 cm (9 × 13-inch) pan and spread with cream cheese icing.
Ingredients
Dough
- 180 ml (¾ cup) whole milk, warmed to 38°C (100°F)
- 7 g (2 ¼ tsp) instant or active dry yeast
- 65 g (⅓ cup) granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs (about 150 g), at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 450 g (3 ¾ cups) plain or bread flour, plus up to 30 g (¼ cup)
- 6 g (1 tsp) fine salt
- 115 g (½ cup) unsalted butter, very soft
Filling
- 75 g (5 tbsp) unsalted butter, very soft
- 150 g (¾ cup, packed) light brown sugar
- 16 g (2 tbsp) ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
Cream cheese icing
- 115 g (4 oz) full-fat cream cheese, softened
- 40 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter, softened
- 180 g (1 ½ cups) icing sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1–2 tbsp (15–30 ml) milk
Instructions
- Whisk the warm milk, yeast and a pinch of sugar (leave active dry yeast 5–10 minutes until foamy).
- Add the remaining sugar, eggs and vanilla, then the flour and salt. Mix on low for 2–3 minutes, then knead on medium-low for 5 minutes.
- Add the butter a piece at a time, then knead 5–8 minutes more until smooth, glossy, tacky and passing the windowpane test.
- Cover and rise in a warm place for 1 ½–2 hours until doubled.
- Roll into a 30 × 45 cm (12 × 18 in) rectangle. Spread with the soft butter and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar, leaving a 1 cm (½ in) border on the far edge.
- Roll up from the long side, seal, and cut into 12 pieces. Arrange in the buttered pan.
- Rise 45–60 minutes until puffy and touching. Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F), or 160°C (325°F) fan.
- Bake 22–26 minutes until golden and 88–90°C (190–195°F) in the centre roll.
- Beat the cream cheese and butter, then the icing sugar, vanilla, salt and enough milk to spread.
- Cool the rolls 10–15 minutes, then ice and serve warm.
Notes
- Overnight: refrigerate the shaped rolls 8–16 hours, then rise 45–75 minutes before baking.
- Pan size: two 23 cm (9 in) round pans bake in 20–24 minutes; a smaller 20 × 30 cm (8 × 12 in) pan needs 28–32 minutes.
- Dark metal pans brown faster; glass or ceramic may need 3–5 minutes longer.
- Spoon and level the flour if using cups; too much flour makes dry rolls.
- Freeze baked, un-iced rolls for up to 2 months.