How to make brioche cinnamon rolls

Make the softest cinnamon rolls of your life!

These Brioche Cinnamon Rolls are a soft, fluffy, bakery-style twist on the classic homemade cinnamon roll. Made with a a warm cinnamon sugar filling, these cinnamon rolls are designed to be incredibly tender, buttery, and full of flavor. The secret to their soft texture is the combination of Tanzhong and heavy cream, two techniques that take this classic pastry to another level.

Tanzhong is a simple Japanese bread-making technique that involves cooking flour, milk, and water together to create a smooth paste before adding it to the dough. This extra step helps the dough retain moisture, resulting in cinnamon rolls that stay soft and fluffy instead of becoming dry or dense. When combined with butter, milk, and an egg, the Tanzhong creates a rich dough with the tender texture you expect from a bakery-style brioche cinnamon roll.

The heavy cream adds another layer of richness and softness. Just before baking, the cream is poured over the risen cinnamon rolls, allowing it to soak into the dough as the rolls bake. The result is an incredibly soft center with buttery, caramelized cinnamon sugar tucked between every layer.

The filling keeps things classic with room-temperature butter, dark brown sugar, ground cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. The dark brown sugar adds a deeper molasses flavor that pairs beautifully with the rich brioche dough. Once the rolls come out of the oven, they are finished with a smooth homemade cream cheese frosting made with cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, milk, and a touch of salt.

These homemade brioche cinnamon rolls are perfect for breakfast, brunch, holidays, weekend baking, or whenever you want an impressive homemade pastry. They are especially delicious served warm while the frosting is still slightly melted over the tops.

If you love classic cinnamon rolls but want something softer, richer, and more indulgent, this brioche cinnamon roll recipe is worth adding to your baking rotation. The combination of Tanzhong, heavy cream, buttery cinnamon sugar, and cream cheese frosting creates the ultimate soft and fluffy cinnamon roll that tastes like it came straight from your favorite bakery.

Grocery List for the Brioche Cinnamon Rolls

Tanzhong Ingredients

2 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons bread flour
2 tablespoons room-temperature water

Dough Ingredients

5 cups bread flour, sifted and divided
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk, heated to 105 to 110°F
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large egg, room temperature

Cinnamon Sugar Filling Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

For Baking

1/2 cup heavy cream

Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 30 mins

Rest Time 20 mins

Total Time 1 hr 20 mins

Difficulty: Intermediate

Cooking Temp: 350 F

Servings: 12

Best Season: Suitable throughout the year

Description

These soft and fluffy brioche cinnamon rolls use Tanzhong and heavy cream to create an incredibly tender dough, layered with cinnamon sugar and topped with homemade cream cheese frosting.

Ingredients

For the Tanzhong
2 tablespoons whole milk
2 tablespoons bread flour
2 tablespoons room-temperature water
For the Dough
5 cups bread flour, sifted and divided
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups whole milk, heated to 105 to 110°F
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 large egg, room temperature
For the Cinnamon Sugar Filling
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch of salt
For Baking
1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1
Add the bread flour, whole milk, and room-temperature water to a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk continuously until the mixture thickens into a smooth paste. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
2
Add 4 1/2 cups of the sifted bread flour, granulated sugar, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix until combined.
3
Heat the milk to 105 to 110°F. Add the active dry yeast to the warm milk and stir immediately. Cover and let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes, or until the yeast becomes activated.
4
Attach the dough hook to the stand mixer. Begin mixing the dry ingredients on low speed while gradually adding the yeast and milk mixture.
5
Add the egg and mix until incorporated. Add the Tanzhong and continue mixing.
6
Add the butter one tablespoon at a time, allowing each addition to incorporate before adding the next.
7
Gradually add the remaining bread flour until the dough comes together into a sticky but manageable ball. Avoid adding too much flour, as the dough should remain soft and slightly tacky.
8
Lightly flour your work surface and shape the dough into a ball. Place it into a greased bowl.
9
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and a warm towel. Place it in a warm, draft-free environment and allow the dough to rise for approximately 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
10
While the dough rises, combine the room-temperature butter, dark brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.
11
Mix until smooth and evenly combined. Set aside
12
Once the dough has doubled in size, gently punch it down to release excess air.
13
Lightly flour your work surface and transfer the dough onto it. Shape and stretch the dough into a large rectangle using a rolling pin and your hands to gently stretch and pinch the edges.
14
Spread the cinnamon sugar butter mixture evenly across the center of the dough, leaving a small border around the edges.
15
Starting from the longest side of the rectangle, tightly roll the dough into a log.
16
Gently tighten the roll as you work toward the opposite end. Pinch the final seam closed and tighten the ends to help prevent the filling and dough from spreading.
17
Using unflavored dental floss or a very sharp knife, cut the log into individual cinnamon rolls.
18
Place the cinnamon rolls into a parchment-lined baking dish, leaving some space between each roll.
19
Cover with plastic wrap and a warm towel. Allow the rolls to rise for approximately 1 hour, or until they have doubled in size and look noticeably puffy.
20
Once the rolls have completed their second rise, remove the plastic wrap and towel.
21
Pour 1/2 cup of heavy cream evenly over the cinnamon rolls. This helps create an exceptionally soft and rich texture as the rolls bake.
22
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
23
Bake the cinnamon rolls for approximately 30 minutes, rotating the baking dish halfway through the cooking time for even browning.
24
While the cinnamon rolls bake, prepare the frosting.
25
Add the room-temperature cream cheese to a stand mixer or mixing bowl and beat until smooth.
26
Gradually add the sifted powdered sugar and mix until incorporated. Add the butter, vanilla extract, whole milk, and salt.
27
Continue mixing until the frosting is smooth and creamy.
28
Remove the cinnamon rolls from the oven and allow them to cool.
29
Once they have cooled enough to handle, spread the cream cheese frosting generously over the tops.
30
Serve and enjoy these soft, fluffy, bakery-style Brioche Cinnamon Rolls while they are fresh.

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