Extra-soft tangzhong cinnamon rolls that use up unfed sourdough discard, finished with a browned butter cream cheese frosting. Makes 12 rolls.
Prep Time:30 minutesmins
Cook Time:25 minutesmins
Rise Time:2 hourshrs
Total Time:2 hourshrs55 minutesmins
Equipment
Microwave safe bowl
stand mixer with dough hook
Whisk
Rolling Pin
9x13 baking dish
pizza cutter or sharp knife
Small light-colored skillet
Heatproof bowl
electric hand mixer
Ingredients
Tangzhong
3tablespoonsbread flour27g
½cupwhole milk121g
Dough
⅓cupwhole milk73g, warm but not hot
¼cupgranulated sugar49g
2 ¼teaspoonsactive dry yeast9g
½cupsourdough discard130g, unfed
3 ¼cupsbread flour390g
1large eggroom temperature
4tablespoonssalted butter58g, very soft
1 ¼teaspoonsfine sea salt7g
Cinnamon filling
½cupsalted butter1 stick, very soft, plus extra to butter the dish
1cupdark brown sugarpacked
2tablespoonsground cinnamon
½teaspoonground cloves
Before baking
½cupheavy cream140g
Browned butter cream cheese frosting
½cupsalted butter1 stick
4ouncesfull-fat cream cheese½ brick, softened
2tablespoonsheavy cream
1tablespoonvanilla bean paste
½teaspoonsalt
1 ½cupspowdered sugar155g
Instructions
Make the tangzhong
Whisk the flour and milk. In a microwave-safe bowl or measuring cup, whisk the bread flour and milk until mostly combined; a few lumps are fine.
Microwave until thick. Heat in 30-second increments, whisking well between each, until the mixture forms a paste that looks like mashed potatoes, about 1 minute 30 seconds total.
Mix, knead, and first rise
Combine the wet ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the still-warm tangzhong, milk, sugar, and sourdough discard until well combined.
Proof the yeast. Sprinkle the yeast over the top and let it sit 5-10 minutes, until bubbly. If nothing is happening after 5 minutes, the yeast is probably dead and you'll need to start again with fresh yeast.
Add the first flour. Swap the whisk attachment for the dough hook, add ⅓ of the flour, and run the mixer on its lowest setting until a ball of dough forms.
Work in the butter. Add the butter one tablespoon at a time, letting each addition fully combine before adding the next.
Add more flour. Dump in another ⅓ of the flour and mix until the dough comes together into a ball again.
Add the egg. Mix until the egg is fully incorporated.
Knead the dough. Add the final ⅓ of the flour along with the salt and knead for about 15 minutes, until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky but not sticky.
Finish kneading by hand. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead another 5 minutes, until you can stretch a piece thin enough to see through without tearing.
Let the dough rise. Lightly oil the mixer bowl, return the dough, and cover with a clean towel. Let rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour depending on how warm your kitchen is.
Fill, shape, and second rise
Butter the dish. Generously butter a 9x13 casserole dish and set it aside.
Mix the filling. In a small bowl, stir together the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and cloves until fully incorporated.
Roll out the dough. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a rectangle about 16x12 inches; it doesn't have to be exact.
Spread the filling. Use the back of a spoon to spread the mixture evenly over the dough, leaving about a ½ inch border around the edges.
Cut the strips. Use a pizza wheel or sharp knife to cut 12 strips along the long edge of the dough, each about 1 to 1 ¼ inches wide.
Shape the rolls. Roll each strip up like a snail and nestle it into the buttered casserole dish.
Let the rolls rise. Cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let rise about 1 hour, until the rolls have puffed up and are touching. Toward the end of the rise, preheat the oven to 350°F.
Cream and bake
Pour on the cream. Pour the heavy cream evenly over the risen rolls.
Bake the rolls. Bake at 350°F for 23-25 minutes, until the rolls are lightly golden and the edges are still slightly bubbly.
Browned butter frosting
Brown the butter. While the rolls bake, melt the butter in a small, light-colored skillet and stir occasionally for 6-10 minutes, until light golden brown and smelling like toffee. Watch closely; it can burn quickly.
Cool the butter. Pour the browned butter into a large heatproof bowl and let it cool for about 10 minutes.
Beat in the cream cheese. Add the cream cheese, heavy cream, vanilla bean paste, and salt, then beat with an electric hand mixer until smooth with no lumps of cream cheese.
Add the powdered sugar. Beat on the lowest setting until the sugar is incorporated, then continue beating until slightly lighter in color and completely smooth.
Frost and serve
Frost the rolls. Let the rolls cool almost completely, then spread the frosting over the top. They can still be slightly warm, but if they're too hot the frosting will melt and slide off the sides.
Notes
Makes 12 rolls in a 9x13 pan. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; rewarm individual rolls in the microwave for 15-20 seconds.