Bakery Style Cinnamon Rolls | The Secret To Fluffy Moist Dough Recipe

Hello friends,
Today I’m walking you through step-by-step how to make the softest, most pillowy cinnamon rolls using the Tangzhong method—a magical milk bread technique that gives these rolls an unbeatable texture.

We’ll also be making a rich brown sugar filling, a silky cream cheese frosting, and an optional (but highly recommended!) homemade caramel sauce to take things over the top. Perfect for holiday mornings, brunch, or any time you want to impress!

👇 Scroll for all the ingredients + measurements!

📝 RECIPE:
1. Tangzhong Dough (Milk Bread Style)
Tangzhong Starter:
• ¼ cup all-purpose flour
• ⅔ cup whole milk

Dough:
• Tangzhong (cooled)
• 1 cup whole milk (minus the amount used in Tangzhong)
• ¼ cup ice-cold water
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp active dry yeast
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temp, cut into chunks
• Splash of vanilla (optional)
⸻

2. Cinnamon Filling

• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 2 tbsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp salt
• 12 tbsp (170g) unsalted butter, room temp
• 1/2 cup crushed gingersnap or Speculoos (optional but amazing!)
⸻

3. Homemade Caramel Sauce (Optional but Incredible)
Make this ahead—it thickens beautifully as it cools.

• 1½ cups granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temp, cubed
• 1 cup heavy cream (or evaporated milk), room temp
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
⸻

4. Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, room temp
• 8 oz cream cheese, room temp
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp heavy cream (more if needed for consistency)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt
⸻

🥄 BAKE & ASSEMBLY
• Roll dough into 24×13” rectangle
• Spread filling evenly
• Roll tightly and cut into ~15 even slices
• Place in a buttered or parchment-lined 13×9” pan
• Let rise again 20–25 min
• Bake at 350°F for 30 min (15 min covered, 15 min uncovered)

Let cool 5–10 minutes, then frost while warm. Drizzle caramel sauce on top and garnish with chopped nuts if you like.

⸻
Links:
KitchenAid: https://amzn.to/3G0BaOE

Cast Iron Casserole: https://amzn.to/4ehf1Zd

Dough Scraper: https://amzn.to/40iICvg

Cinnamon: https://amzn.to/4lb9pCt

Lotus Biscoff: https://amzn.to/4ek2zb8

Ginger Snaps Cookies: https://amzn.to/3ZFJnyu

💬 LET’S CONNECT!
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Tag me if you make this recipe—I’d love to see your cinnamon rolls!

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hello everyone i hope you all are well and having a great day so far today we are baking something so good it honestly might just ruin all other breakfasts for you we are making cinnamon rolls but not just any cinnamon rolls these are the softest fluffiest most addicting rolls you will ever try i’ve made all kinds of rolls before pumpkin cacao and chocolate blueberry and lemon but I always come back to the classic and according to my family these are the best I’ve ever made they are billowy soft thanks to a magical little trick I’ll show you it’s called the tongzang method they are topped with rich creamy frosting and the cherry on top we are drizzling them with homemade caramel sauce i mean come on so before we get started on this video please be sure to subscribe to my channel down below hit that thumbs up and with all of that said let’s get into it now the secret to the softest cinnamon rolls ever is the tanzan method sounds fancy but basically it is really just a simple r made with flour and milk so I’m going to take a portion of my milk and add that to a saucepan along with some flour make sure you are using one to five ratio one part flour to five parts milk now whisk that together and put it over medium low heat and stir constantly until it thickens it takes about 2 to 5 minutes but this little step gives us a high hydration dough that bakes up soft fluffy and tender and because of all the moisture the rolls stay fresher longer it should look like a smooth creamy base almost mashed potato like this is perfect so now all I’m going to do is just allow it to cool down slightly before we move on okay now this is perfect i’m using my stand mixer for this today so to the bowl of my stand mixer I’m going to add my R base the rest of the milk my water eggs and splash of vanilla extract whisk all that together it already smells cozy in here and now I’m going to add my flour yeast i have the dough hook attachment on and now I’m going to mix it on low speed to avoid that flour explosion at this point once all the flour is mixed in I’m going to pause it and I’m going to cover it up and let it sit for 5 minutes this little short rest allows the flour to fully hydrate and jumpst start glute formation many professional bakers use this method delaying adding the sugar and salt to give the yeast a head start and make the dough easier to handle after 5 minutes I’m going to add the sugar and salt and I’m only using a half a teaspoon and now we’re going to let it mix on medium low speed for about 15 to 20 minutes it usually takes about 18 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic i will make sure to write all the ingredients with the exact measurements in the description box below now a pro tip whenever your stand mixer is getting a serious workout like this place a dump cloth on top of the motor housing i also have some ice in here but this really helps to cool down the motor and prevent your machine from overheating and also make sure you are scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl every now and then all right after 18 minutes my dough is looking pretty good so now it is time to add the butter i’m going to add it one piece at a time and make sure each piece fully incorporate before adding the next all right after you add the last piece of butter make sure you keep kneading for 1 to 2 minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides and it feels soft but not too sticky so this is actually perfect my dough right now it is tacky but not too sticky at all now I’m going to transfer it to a lightly oiled or buttered bowl and we’re going to cover it up and let it sit at room temperature for about an hour and then we’re going to transfer it to the fridge and let it slow rise overnight this is called cold fermentation this gives the dough time to develop deeper flavor and better texture and honestly it is also kind of convenient because you can do this step the night before a holiday birthday or even weekend brunch and wake up the next morning to bake it fresh half the work is already done and let’s be honest who can resist a warm freshly homemade cinnamon roll in the morning while the dough is rising let’s make the rich spiced filling that really takes these cinnamon rolls to the next level and here’s what I’m using some unsalted butter brown sugar cinnamon and little bit of salt now that’s already a classic combo but if you are feeling a little creative if you want to add a little bit of depth and complexity to your rolls here’s what you do if the recipe calls for one cup of brown sugar add half a cup of brown sugar and half a cup of a crushed really good quality cinnamon cookies or ginger snaps they really bring a warm caramelized spice and a hint of a crunch that contrasts beautifully with the gooey filling it is the kind of detail that really gives your buns a bakery level flavor and a little surprise in each bite and all you have to do really is just mix all the ingredients together in a bowl until you have a nice soft spreadable paste all right now this is perfect i’m going to set this aside now until the dough is ready we’ll spread this all over and roll things up now listen we already nailed the filling and gave it that special touch but we’re not stopping there we are going full baker style here so let’s make homemade caramel sauce that is honestly a lot easier than it looks and we basically need only four ingredients so you need some sugar butter and heavy whoopy cream make sure you use good quality ingredients and have those at room temperature and we also need some salt and vanilla extract for flavoring grab a medium saucepan and set it over medium low heat we are doing what’s called the dry caramel method so no water here just sugar go ahead and add the sugar and stir it constantly with a wooden spoon as it starts to melt keep an eye on it and whatever you do don’t walk away sugar has zero chill it can go from golden and gorgeous to burnt and bitter real fast so stay close and keep it moving once the sugar is fully melted and it turns this rich color carefully whisk in the butter a few pieces at a time yes it’s going to bubble like crazy but that’s the fun part don’t be scared just keep whisking until the butter is completely melted and you’ve got a smooth glossy caramel base now slowly pour in the cream whisking constantly it will bubble again but just keep whisking once all the butter and the cream are in let the caramel boil for about 1 to two minutes so it can thicken up and if you’re using a candy thermometer you are aiming for a temperature between 220 to 225 Fahrenheit once it is there just remove it from the heat and add your salt and vanilla extract and just mix that all together now you can transfer your caramel sauce to a mason jar and it will continue to thicken as it cools down all right this dough has been resting in the fridge overnight and look at this rice it’s poofed up beautifully and here’s the best part you don’t need to bring it to room temperature you can take it out of the fridge and jump right into rolling it is ready to go but first let’s work on our band so here I have a 13×9 in cast iron band you can use whatever you have ceramic glass metal anything will work just line it up with parchment paper and I’m going to brush it down with a little bit of butter this gives you a nice golden crust and makes sure nothing sticks now punch down the dough to gently deflate it and we’re going to transfer it to a lightly flowered surface and roll it out into like 22x 15 in rectangle i usually just eyeball it you don’t need to be precise here once you’ve got your rectangle you’re going to spread that filling all over edge to edge but just leave about a/4 of an inch border around the sides that little border helps it seal properly when we roll it now roll it up tight like a cinnamon burrito start from the long edge and work your way across [Music] when you’re done just make sure the seam is facing down that keeps it sealed during baking now we can trim off the ends they usually don’t have much filling you can discard those or bake them separately as little bonus bites then just give the dough log a gentle tuck and breast sometimes it stretches out unevenly when rolling and this just brings everything back into shape we’re going for about 15 equal rolls before I cut I like to mark each roll first just to help get even slices so I’m using a dough scraper for that but the back of a knife works just fine now for slicing you can use a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss just slip the floss underneath the log at each mark and you’re just going to cross the ends over the top and bull quickly and firmly it will cut it cleanly without smashing the dough and as you slice just place each bun cut side down into your prepared pan give them a little space because they will expand as they rise again once all your rolls are in cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let them sit in a warm spot for their second rise we’re going to let them sit for about 20 to 25 minutes or until they’ve doubled in volume and while they’re doing their thing you can go ahead and preheat your oven to 350 F it has been about 25 minutes and my oven is now hot and ready so I’m going to cover these up with aluminum foil and we’re going to bake them covered for 15 minutes and then we’re going to remove the aluminum foil and continue baking them for another 15 minutes until they are nice and golden brown while those cinnamon rolls are baking away and making the whole house smell like a dream let’s talk frosting this is a classic rich cream cheese frosting just the way I like it and for it you need some cream cheese butter powdered sugar a dash of salt and vanilla extract heavy whipping cream and again I’m using the stand mixture for this you can absolutely do it by hand but let’s be real it’s just faster and easier and go in on a medium speed until it’s smooth fluffy and irresistible you can absolutely taste it and tweak it you can add a little bit more sugar if you want it more sweet or splash more cream if you want it to be lighter and glossier all right my cinnamon rolls just came out of the oven they baked for 30 minutes and look at them absolute perfection but we’re not diving in just yet give them a few minutes 5 to 10 minutes top to cool down slightly that way the frosting melts just enough to get into all those warm fluffy layers without sliding right off and now for the best part grab that cream cheese frosting and just spread it generously while the rolls are still warm it melts beautifully it gets into every swirl every crevice this is the moment we’ve all been waiting for and because we don’t stop at good we go for unforgettable i’ve got the homemade caramel sauce in a piping bag and I’m just going to drizzle this all over the top if you’re feeling fancy go ahead and garnish with chopped walnuts almonds or mix it up and do each row a little different it is not just breakfast you know it’s a work of art these are divine they are fluffy sweet buttery rich and everything a cinnamon roll should taste like and that r method we made it gives them that softest billowy texture almost like if milk bread married bakery style cinnamon roll you just can’t beat that if you love cinnamon rolls please do yourself a favor and make these whether it’s for like Christmas morning a weekend brunch or just a cozy treat they are worth every single step and if you’ve got leftovers just put them in airtight container they will stay good at room temperature for like 2 to 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week but listen promise me one thing when you take them out of the fridge just microwave them for like 20 to 30 seconds that’s all it takes and they’ll be soft fluffy warm like you just pulled them out of the oven but that’s all I got for you guys today i hope you enjoyed this video if you did please thumbs it up consider subscribing thank you so much for watching and I’ll see you in the next one bye