These rolls are soft, fluffy sweet and decadent filled with cream cheese glaze on top. These cinnamon rolls make a perfect weekend brunch and you can make the buns in advance the day before, put them in the fridge overnight, bring them up to room temperature the next morning and bake them to a golden brown. In a mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, yeast and warm milk then lightly whisk them to combine.

If you are using active dry yeast, you will add the yeast to warm milk and set it aside for the yeast to bloom. Into the yeast mixture, add butter, one egg and salt then with the hook attachment combine the mixture until the dough forms. The dough should come together in a ball and should not be sticky.

You will knead the dough for about 10 minutes until it is smooth and it springs back when lightly pressed. Lightly oil a clean bowl then place the dough in and cover it then let it sit in a warm place for about an hour or until it doubles in size. Prepare the filling by adding very soft butter in a small bowl together with cinnamon and brown sugar. Use a spoon to mix the paste making sure all the ingredients are well combined.

Once the dough has been proofed, bring it to a lightly floured surface and lightly knead the dough out just to remove air from it. Roll the dough out with a rolling pin then take the cinnamon and brown sugar paste and spread it over the surface of the dough. You can also brush the top of the dough with butter then sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top.

Roll the dough starting with the longest side and roll it as tightly as you can and be as even as possible. Keep the rolls tight and this will help the cinnamon keep their shape and keep all the filling perfectly inside. Cut the rolls into equal pieces and line them on a greased 11 by 8-inch baking tray.

Cover the rolls and place them in a warm place for about an hour and once risen bake these cinnamon rolls in a 350 degrees Fahrenheit preheated oven for 25 minutes. Whip up the cream cheese glaze and once the rolls are out of the oven let them cool down then spread the glaze over the top of the cinnamon rolls.

Ingredients;

  • 2 tsp / 1 packet / 7g Yeast
  • ⅔ Cup (170ml) Warm Milk
  • 3 Cups (375g) Bread Flour
  • ¼ Cup (50g) White Granulated Sugar
  • ½ Stick (55g) ¼ Cup Butter
  • 1 Egg

Cinnamon Spread;

  • 1 Stick (110g) /½ Cup Butter
  • 2 Tbsp Cinnamon
  • 1 Cup / 200g Brown Sugar

Cheese Glaze;

  • 5oz (150g) Cream Cheese
  • ½ Stick (55g) ¼ Cup Butter
  • 1½ Cups (190g) Powdered Sugar (Icing Sugar)
  • 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
  • 1-2 Tbsp Milk

Instructions;

  1. Add the yeast, warm milk and 1 tsp of the sugar to a small bowl, stir to combine and leave for 10-15 to activate.
  2. In the bowl of your stand mixer or a large bowl add the flour, remaining sugar, butter, and egg. When the yeast has bubbled up add it to the bowl and combine the ingredients to form a dough.
  3. Knead for 5-10 minutes in your stand mixer or by hand until the dough is smooth, and stretchy and springs back when lightly pressed. Place the dough in an oiled bowl, cover and leave to rise in a warm place for an hour or until doubled in size.
  4. While the dough is rising, combine the cinnamon, brown sugar and butter to make a paste to spread over the dough.
  5. Remove the risen dough from the bowl. Knead a few times just knock out the air and using a rolling pin roll the dough out into a rectangle measuring about 40x20cm or 15x10inches.
  6. Spread the cinnamon paste over the dough evenly, right to the edges. Start at the longest edge and begin to roll the dough up, keeping it tight.
  7. Cut the uneven edges off the roll and cut it into 8 even pieces. Place the cinnamon rolls in a greased large rectangle baking dish. Cover the cinnamon rolls and place somewhere warm for an hour to rise or in the fridge overnight.
  8. Once your cinnamon rolls have risen or if you’ve placed your cinnamon rolls in the fridge overnight bring them up to room temperature, and place them in a 180C/350F oven for 25 minutes.
  9. While the cinnamon rolls are baking in a small bowl combine the cream cheese and butter with a hand mixer or a whisk until smooth.
  10. Add in the sugar and combine. Add in the vanilla and the milk to get the consistency of glaze you would like.
  11. Remove the cinnamon buns from the oven and leave to cool for 5-10 minutes before spreading over the cream cheese glaze. Serve warm.