Easy Milk Bread Cinnamon Rolls (no Tangzhong needed!)

As the seasons change into autumn and winter, all we want is to be cozy inside with a warm cup of tea, a blanket, and a delicious homebaked treat. Imagine yourself all cozied up with a milk bread cinnamon roll!

Milk bread cinnamon rolls are a soft and delicious twist on the classic fall pastry. Soft and sweet milk bread is rolled together with a rich brown sugar and cinnamon filling, then baked until golden and topped with cream cheese icing.

Milk bread dough, which uses yeast and does not require the tangzhong method, replaces the typical cinnamon roll dough in this Asian American easy recipe.

A homestyle cinnamon roll is hard to beat when it comes to comfort, sweetness, and of course deliciousness. We think our Asian American style of cinnamon rolls satisfies all of our cravings!

You can eat them for breakfast or as a dessert – they’re that good!

We’ll teach you how to make this delicious treat at home in just a few steps.

Our baking recipe is straightforward and beginner-friendly. First we’ll make the dough, then assemble the rolls with cinnamon spread, and bake it in the oven until golden brown. Serve warm with homemade cream cheese icing!

If you’ve got a sweet tooth, come check out more of our dessert recipes and brunch recipes!

Keep reading for the recipe!

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Table of Contents

Classic Cinnamon Rolls vs. Milk Bread Cinnamon Rolls

You may be wondering what sets milk bread cinnamon rolls apart from traditional cinnamon rolls. The answer lies in the dough’s ingredients.

Milk bread dough is soft and fluffy because it uses uses simple ingredients like milk, milk powder, yeast, bread flour and salt. It’s a versatile dough that can be used in many applications, including cinnamon rolls!

Milk bread dough is simple to make and has a pleasant slightly sweet taste that’s different from other breads. And while it is indeed soft, its structure is sturdy enough to hold up heavier toppings like cinnamon spread and roasted nuts.

Compared to classic cinnamon rolls, milk bread cinnamon rolls are softer and more tender. They taste milky and pleasantly sweet.

The crumb is fine and soft due to the high milk content in the dough. The crust is thin and crisp, and underneath is a bouncy, moist, and soft crumb. When cut, they fall apart into delicious, cinnamon-y layers.

And while a large classic cinnamon roll would be super heavy and filling, a large milk bread cinnamon roll will leave you satisfied but not too full. Although it is still an indulgent treat!

Why you’ll love milk bread cinnamon rolls

No tangzhong needed – Tangzhong is a method of cooking some flour in liquid prior to making the dough. Tangzhong enhances that feathery light milk bread texture.

To make these easy milk bread cinnamon rolls, we don’t use the tangzhong method, because the technique can take up extra time as well as intimidate beginners.

Instead, we use a combination of milk, powdered milk, and heavy cream. This forms a high-fat liquid that is easy for the dough to absorb and creates that pillowy milk bread texture we love so much.

Easy to make – You don’t need any fancy equipment or hard to find ingredients to make these delicious rolls. And while there is rising time involved, you don’t have to begin the recipe the night before (like many tangzhong recipes.)

It’s shareable – Our recipe yields 6 large milk bread cinnamon rolls. That means one for you, one for me, and four to share with friends and family!

And of course, you can divide the dough into smaller portions, or multiply the recipe, so that there is more to share! This would also make for a great giftable treat for any upcoming holiday parties or events you might have!

Delicious results! The delightful taste and texture of these cinnamon rolls will make you want to get a cup of tea and a blanket and cozy up on the couch for a homemade cinnamon roll brunch. It’s the perfect indulgence on a cold, rainy day.

How to store milk bread cinnamon rolls:

Once cooled completely, store the rolls in an airtight container. You can keep them on the counter for a 2-3 days, or place them in the refrigerator for a week. They can be frozen for up to one month.

To reheat, we recommend microwaving them for 30 seconds or heating them up in the oven at 350°F for a few minutes. To help them regain moisture, place a small heatproof bowl of water next to them while they heat up.

Equipment You’ll Need:

• mixing bowl(s)
• rolling pin
• pastry mat
• dough scraper/cutter
• Our Place Ovenware – We used the main bake dish which has a 3.5 qt capacity and measures 13.65 in x 8.41 in.
• electric mixer optional
• baking spray
• thermometer

Ingredients

Note: For accuracy, I am providing weight measurements for the dough’s dry ingredients. However, it is perfectly okay to use cup measurements. Make sure to not pack the ingredients into the measuring cups, and use a knife to level them.

Milk Bread Dough

• 3¾ cup bread flour 560 g
• 3 tbsp powdered whole milk 16 g
• 2¼ tsp instant dry yeast 7 g
• ¼ cup sugar 55 g
• 1 tsp salt 5 g
• 1 cup milk warm (120-130 °F)
• ½ cup heavy cream warm (120-130 °F)
• 1 egg room temp
• 4 tbsp butter melted
• roasted unsalted nuts (pecans, walnuts, etc.) optional

Cinnamon Spread

• ½ cup butter melted
• ¼ cup ground cinnamon
• 1 cup brown sugar

Cream Cheese Icing

• 4 oz cream cheese room temp, softened
• 1 tbsp butter room temp, softened
• ½ cup powdered sugar sifted 50 g
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp milk

Recipe

Make dough and rise 1

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, instant dry yeast, salt, and sugar.

2. Add in the milk and heavy cream. Whisk to combine.
3. Add egg and butter. Mix with a spatula. It will be very sticky so mix until you can comfortably begin kneading by hand.

4. Sprinkle flour on your hands and the kneading surface. Use only enough flour so that it doesn’t stick. Knead for 12-16 minutes by hand until the dough comes together and passes the window pane test. See note 1.

Note 1: Check out The Kitchn’s blog posts on the window pane test  and the poke test.

5. Place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover and let it proof for 1 hour or until the size is doubled.

Make Cinnamon Spread

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Then add the butter. Set aside.

Divide dough and rise 2

1. Remove the cover. Punch the dough to release excess air.

1. Roll out the dough into a rectangle.
2. Add a layer of cinnamon spread on the entire surface of the dough.
3. Use a dough cutter to divide the dough into 6 equal sized strips.

1. Roll each strip into a spiral. Place them in a greased baking pan. Cover and let is rise for 30 minutes – 1 hour until size is about doubled.

Bake the milk bread cinnamon rolls

1. Generously spread the rest of the cinnamon spread all over the tops and sides of the rolls. Top with nuts if desired.
2. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.
3. Remove from the oven when the crust is light brown and a toothpick test runs clean. Leave it in the hot baking pan, to allow the center to finish baking. See note 2.
4. Let it cool for at least 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Note 2: It is important to remove the rolls from the oven once the crust is light brown all over and a toothpick test runs clean. At this point, the outer crust is done baking but the center is ever so slightly under. Once they are taken out of the oven, the rolls will continue to slightly bake in the baking pan, which will finish off the center. The center will be soft but fully cooked. You will know that you overbaked it if the outer crust is deep brown/burned and the center is hard and well done. 

Final Thoughts

A delicious cinnamon roll lovingly made with milk bread, cinnamon filling, and cream cheese icing. Use our beginner-friendly recipe to make a cozy treat to share with family and friends!

Need to satisfy your sweet tooth even more? We have many more dessert recipes for you to try!

Thank you for reading! If you enjoyed this recipe, please give a star rating and review on the recipe card below + share your creations on Instagram and tag us @itsforkandspoon!

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References & Further Reading

https://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/tangzhong-makes-milk-bread-better

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tangzhong

https://food52.com/hotline/17315-fix-for-lumpy-frosting

https://www.ehow.co.uk/how_8267570_lumps-out-icing.html