Cinnamon Rolls

Quick answer

Total time: 115 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients: 6

About this dish

Cinnamon rolls are yeasted enriched dough baked into spirals of butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar, with roots in both Scandinavian and North American baking traditions.

The dough, enriched with milk, butter, and eggs, rises into a crumb soft enough to pull apart in layers by hand. A thick layer of softened butter and cinnamon-sugar is spread on the rolled dough before it is coiled tightly and sliced into rounds. During baking, the sugar melts and caramelizes between the coiled layers, and the cinnamon aroma filling the space is one of the most recognizable in all of baking. A cream cheese glaze poured over the hot rolls melts into a tangy coating that balances the sweetness. In Sweden the same concept appears as kanelbulle with less sugar and added cardamom; in the United States the rolls are rolled thicker and buried under a generous glaze.

Ingredients (12 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
Bread flour	400	g
Butter	80	g
Sugar	60	g
Ground cinnamon	2	tbsp
Yeast	7	g
Cream cheese	100	g

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Season

Dissolve 7g yeast in 180ml water at about 40°C and let it stand for 5-10 minutes.

When the surface looks foamy, combine 400g bread flour and 60g sugar, then pour in the yeast liquid.
2

Step

Add 40g butter and knead for at least 10 minutes.

Continue until the dough feels smoother, sticks less to your hands, and stretches without tearing quickly, adding only minimal extra flour if it is too wet.
3

Control

Place the dough in a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour.

When it is nearly doubled, press it gently to release excess gas before rolling.
4

Season

Roll the dough into a 30 x 45cm rectangle, keeping the thickness even so the rolls bake at the same pace.

Spread 40g butter over the surface, then sprinkle 2 tbsp cinnamon and sugar evenly to the edges.
5

Prep

Starting from the long side, roll the dough into a firm cylinder without squeezing out the filling.

Cut it into 12-15 pieces about 2cm thick, then place them in a buttered baking pan with space between each roll.
6

Control

Cover and proof for 30 minutes, until the rolls look puffed and closer together.

Bake at 180°C for 22-25 minutes until lightly browned, then spread the glaze made with 100g cream cheese while the rolls are still warm.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Brown sugar and cinnamon melt into caramel seams within these soft yeasted spirals.
Finish cue: Cover and proof for 30 minutes, until the rolls look puffed and closer together.