Soft & Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls (With Tangzhong)
Soft & Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls (With Tangzhong)
These soft and fluffy cinnamon rolls are everything a homemade cinnamon roll should be. The dough is incredibly light and pillowy with tender, feathery layers, while the centers are filled with a rich brown sugar and cinnamon swirl. A generous layer of cream cheese frosting melts over the warm rolls for the perfect finishing touch.
The secret to their incredible texture is a simple tangzhong, a mixture of flour and milk that is cooked before being added to the dough. Combined with a little bread and cake enhancer, butter, milk, and an extra egg yolk, it creates cinnamon rolls that are exceptionally soft and tender.
A small amount of warm heavy cream is also poured between the risen rolls just before baking. As the cinnamon rolls bake, the cream helps create wonderfully moist, gooey bottoms while the tops become lightly golden.
If you love big, bakery-style cinnamon rolls that pull apart in soft layers, this is the recipe to make.
Why You’ll Love These Cinnamon Rolls
These cinnamon rolls are incredibly soft and fluffy without being dry or overly bread-like. The tangzhong helps the dough retain moisture, while the rich cinnamon-brown sugar filling creates beautiful swirls throughout every roll.
They’re also baked closely together in a 9×13-inch pan, which keeps the sides soft and tender.
Best of all, you don’t need bread flour to make them. Regular all-purpose flour works beautifully in this recipe.
What Is Tangzhong?
Tangzhong is a simple technique that involves cooking a small portion of the flour and liquid before making the dough.
When flour is heated with milk, the starches absorb and hold onto more moisture. That cooked mixture is then incorporated into the cinnamon roll dough.
The result is an exceptionally soft dough with a light, fluffy texture.
Don’t let the name make the recipe sound complicated. Making the tangzhong takes only a few minutes on the stovetop.
Soft & Fluffy Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Servings: 12 cinnamon rolls
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Rise Time: 1 1/2–2 1/2 hours
Bake Time: 22–27 minutes
Oven Temperature: 350°F
Ingredients
Tangzhong
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup whole milk
Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 3/4 cup whole milk, warmed to approximately 105–110°F
- 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast (1 packet)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- Prepared tangzhong
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, very soft
- 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus additional flour only if needed
- 2 tablespoons King Arthur Bread & Cake Enhancer
- 1 teaspoon salt
Cinnamon Filling
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, very soft
- 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Before Baking
- 1/3 cup heavy cream, slightly warmed
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1–2 tablespoons heavy cream
Instructions
Make the Tangzhong
Add 3 tablespoons flour and 1/2 cup milk to a small saucepan and whisk until smooth.
Cook over medium-low heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens into a smooth paste similar to pudding.
Remove from the heat and allow the tangzhong to cool until it is warm rather than hot.
Prepare the Yeast
If using active dry yeast, combine the warm milk, yeast, and about 1 teaspoon of the measured sugar.
Let the mixture stand for approximately 5–10 minutes, or until the yeast becomes foamy.
If using instant yeast, it can be incorporated directly into the dough.
Make the Cinnamon Roll Dough
Combine the milk and yeast mixture with the remaining sugar, prepared tangzhong, egg, egg yolk, and vanilla.
Add the flour, bread and cake enhancer, and salt.
Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
Begin kneading the dough and gradually add the softened butter.
Continue kneading for approximately 8–10 minutes with a stand mixer, until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, and very soft.
The dough may initially feel sticky. Avoid immediately adding additional flour. As the dough is kneaded and the gluten develops, it should become smoother and easier to handle.
The finished dough should remain soft and slightly tacky.
If the dough is still excessively wet after it has been thoroughly kneaded, add additional flour just 1 tablespoon at a time.
First Rise
Place the dough in a lightly buttered bowl and cover.
Allow it to rise in a warm place for approximately 60–90 minutes, or until roughly doubled in size.
Make the Cinnamon Filling
Combine the softened butter, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, vanilla, and salt.
Mix until a thick, spreadable cinnamon-sugar paste forms.
Roll and Fill the Dough
Turn the risen dough onto a lightly floured work surface.
Gently roll it into approximately an 18×14-inch rectangle.
Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the dough, leaving a small border along one of the long edges.
Starting with the opposite long edge, gently roll the dough into a snug 18-inch log.
Cut the Cinnamon Rolls
Cut the log into 12 equal pieces.
For beautifully shaped cinnamon rolls, use a piece of unflavored dental floss to cut through the dough. This prevents the rolls from becoming flattened the way they sometimes can when cut with a knife.
Second Rise
Generously butter a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Arrange the cinnamon rolls in the prepared pan.
Cover and allow them to rise for another 30–60 minutes.
The cinnamon rolls are ready to bake when they look noticeably larger, soft, and very puffy. They should be touching or nearly touching one another.
Add the Heavy Cream
Warm 1/3 cup heavy cream until it is just lukewarm.
Immediately before baking, gently pour the cream into the spaces between and around the cinnamon rolls.
There is no need to completely saturate the tops of the rolls.
Bake
Bake the cinnamon rolls at 350°F for approximately 22–27 minutes.
Begin checking them at about 22 minutes.
The tops should be lightly golden, but the centers should remain very soft and tender.
If you have an instant-read thermometer, the center of one of the middle cinnamon rolls should reach approximately 190°F.
Avoid overbaking. Removing the cinnamon rolls while they are just lightly golden is one of the keys to keeping them wonderfully soft.
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth and fluffy.
Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt.
Beat until creamy.
Add heavy cream a little at a time until the frosting reaches your desired consistency.
Frost the Cinnamon Rolls
Allow the baked cinnamon rolls to cool for approximately 5–10 minutes.
Spread the cream cheese frosting generously over the warm rolls.
The warmth from the cinnamon rolls will melt some of the frosting into the cinnamon swirls while leaving a creamy layer over the top.
Serve warm.
Tips for the Softest Cinnamon Rolls
The most important thing is not adding too much flour. Cinnamon roll dough should be softer and tackier than ordinary bread dough. Adding flour until the dough feels completely dry and easy to handle can result in heavier rolls.
Give the dough enough time to knead. The dough becomes significantly smoother as the gluten develops.
Allow both rises to happen fully. Rising times are estimates because the temperature of your kitchen can dramatically affect yeast dough. Look at the dough rather than relying exclusively on the clock.
Make sure the heavy cream is lukewarm rather than refrigerator-cold before pouring it around the risen cinnamon rolls.
Finally, don’t overbake the rolls. Lightly golden cinnamon rolls will be considerably softer than rolls baked until deeply browned.
Can I Make These Cinnamon Rolls Ahead of Time?
Yes. Prepare and shape the cinnamon rolls and arrange them in the baking dish. Cover the pan tightly and refrigerate overnight before completing the second rise.
The following morning, remove the pan from the refrigerator and allow the cinnamon rolls to come closer to room temperature and become noticeably puffy.
Once they have completed their second rise, add the warm heavy cream and bake as directed.
How to Store Cinnamon Rolls
Because these cinnamon rolls are topped with cream cheese frosting, store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.
For the best texture, gently warm an individual cinnamon roll before serving.
Why Are These Cinnamon Rolls So Soft?
Several parts of the recipe work together to create the texture.
The tangzhong allows the dough to retain additional moisture. Milk, butter, egg, and an extra egg yolk create a rich and tender enriched dough. Bread and cake enhancer helps improve the softness and texture, and the warm heavy cream added before baking keeps the bottoms wonderfully moist.
Most importantly, the dough is kept soft rather than overloaded with flour and the finished cinnamon rolls are baked only until lightly golden.
The result is a pan of tall, fluffy cinnamon rolls with tender layers, gooey cinnamon centers, and rich cream cheese frosting—the kind of cinnamon roll that is especially delicious while it’s still slightly warm.
