These milk bread cinnamon buns are extra soft and pillowy. Made with milk bread dough and swirled with cinnamon sugar, they bake up golden brown with a melt-in-your-mouth texture. Perfect for slow mornings, brunches, or holidays. This milk bread recipe is also no-fuss and doesn’t require a tangzhong starter!
Growing up Chinese, milk bread has been a staple in my diet for as long as I could remember. My family would road trip to Chicago, go to Chinatown, and buy lots of fluffy buns, both plain and filled with goodness like bbq pork or cream. It was always something I thought I had to go to the Chinese bakery to get (shoutout to my fav Chiu Quon bakery), and then I grew up, realized I was an adult with free will and could just…make it myself if I wanted to lol.
Now if we are to take that free will a step further, something else I learned is that I can use milk bread dough however I want to. I’m a sucker for a good cinnamon roll (a classic old fashioned cinnamon roll never fails) so making milk bread cinnamon buns felt like only a natural progression. Here are the deets:
- Texture: Milk bread is incredibly soft and fluffy, made from an enriched dough containing egg, cream, and milk. Combine that with cinnamon brown sugar and you have yourself an ultra-pillowy, gooey pastry that’s great for breakfast or brunch.
- Vanilla Glaze: Since milk bread is more soft and delicate, I didn’t want to overwhelm it with too thick a layer of frosting. Therefore, I chose to top off these cinnamon buns with a simple vanilla glaze.
- No tangzhong required: Traditionally, milk bread uses tangzhong, which is a flour-milk paste that helps hydrate the bread. However, I’ve learned that you can achieve a similar effect with heavy cream. Due to its high fat and water content, it results in an equally tender crumb with less effort.
- Cinnamon Sugar Swirl: Keeping the filling classic with dark brown sugar and ground cinnamon.
- Shape: Instead of a traditional cinnamon roll spiral, I went with a twisted knot look — just something a little fun!
Ingredients for Milk Bread Cinnamon Rolls
You will find a full list of ingredients in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. In the meantime, here are a few key ingredient notes.
- All-Purpose Flour: AP flour works great for this recipe. While you could opt for a combination of bread + cake flour, but I don’t notice any substantial difference with just using AP in this case.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Heavy whipping cream has the highest milkfat % compared with other milks/creams.
- Whole Milk: No surprise, fat is a key player in delicious milk bread so whole milk will yield the best results.
- Milk Powder: I think of milk powder as a ‘booster’ in this recipe. It softens dough texture, improves flavor, and increases moisture retention.
- Egg (at room temperature): Soak the egg in a bowl of hot water for 5-10 minutes before using to warm it up.
- Granulated Sugar: Adds sweetness to the dough and also helps the yeast rise.
- Active Dry Yeast: Make sure that you are using active dry yeast instead of instant yeast.
- If you only have instant yeast available, you will need to keep a close eye on the dough as rise time will be faster.
- Dark Brown Sugar & Ground Cinnamon: For the filling. Light brown sugar also works.
- Softened Butter: For the filling, either salted or unsalted is fine here.
- Optional Bread and Cake Enhancer: This ingredient is truly 100% optional, only if you have it. Throw a few tablespoons of a bread improver such as this one from King Arthur. It’ll help make the rolls moister and stay fresh for longer.
Equipment Notes
Stand Mixer: Use a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment to knead dough. This dough requires 14-15 minutes of kneading with the mixer, so I don’t recommend doing it by hand.
Baking Pan Options: One 9×13 pan, two round 9″ cake pans, two square baking pans, or individually in jumbo muffin cups.
How to Shape Milk Bread Cinnamon Buns
1. Start by rolling the dough out into a 12×16 inch rectangle. It doesn’t have to be perfect and you can always trim off any super wonky edges.
2. Spread a layer of butter all over the rectangle and then sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture on top. Use your fingers to rub the sugar into the butter to moisten it, until all of the sugar is incorporated into the butter and sticks to the dough.
3. Fold the dough in half along the long side, aka hot-dog style. From there, cut it into 12 equal width strips.
4. Grab the ends of each strip and twist a few times to form a twisted shape (see picture below). Then, roll the twist up into a spiral and tuck the end in or pinch to seal it off.
5. Place the buns into the baking pan(s) of your choice, cover, and let rise in a warm spot for ~60 minutes, or until they are visibly puffed up. Make sure you space the rolls at least an inch apart to give them room to grow.
Tips for Success
- Ensure Yeast is Active: Test your yeast in warm water or milk before baking to make sure it still works. It should get foamy within a few minutes. If it does not, consider a new jar or packet.
- Lukewarm Liquids: Warm the heavy cream and milk up until they are just warm to the touch (around 110°F) before starting on the dough, otherwise it will not rise as well. On the other hand, too hot of liquid will actually kill the yeast so do not go over 130°F.
- Measure Flour Properly: Use a scale to accurately measure ingredients. Flour is easy to over or under-measure.
- Don’t Over-bake: Err on the side of caution when baking to keep the rolls soft and gooey. Bake until the rolls are light golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 190°F.
- Use Egg Wash: Brush some egg wash on top of the buns before baking to give them a shiny, golden brown sheen.
- Enjoy Fresh: I think these milk bread cinnamon rolls are best enjoyed fresh and day-of. Serve them warm with some hot coffee or tea!
FAQs
- How do I know when milk bread cinnamon rolls are done baking?
- Milk bread is done once it has reached 190°F and should go no higher than 210°F. It will be puffed up and golden brown on top. When in doubt, err on the side of under-baking to keep the rolls soft and gooey.
- How do I store milk bread cinnamon buns?
- Store in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in plastic at room temperature. They will be good for 2-3 days, or up to 5 in the refrigerator. Reheat them in the microwave before eating.
- Can I skip the icing?
- Yes, to cut back on sugar these rolls are great without the icing.
Pin & Save for Later
If you’re interested in making this recipe, browsing around, or not ready to bake yet, no problem! Simply hover over or tap (on mobile) any image in this post (pick your favorite or use the one below), and use the pin icon in the corner to save for later.
Hope you love your milk bread cinnamon buns!
For other great morning pastries, I also recommend:
Milk Bread Cinnamon Buns with Vanilla Icing
The softest, fluffiest cinnamon swirl buns made with milk bread dough. Milk bread is known for its light and pillowy texture, resulting in silky and soft cinnamon rolls. Finish it all off with an easy and simple vanilla bean glaze.
Ingredients
Milk Bread Dough
- 1 cup whole milk, lukewarm*
- ½ cup heavy cream, room temperature*
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- ⅓ cup (67g) sugar
- 4 cups (480g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp dry milk powder
- 1 tbsp active dry yeast
- 1 and ½ tsp fine sea salt
- Optional: 2-3 tbsp bread improver/dough enhancer
- Egg wash
Cinnamon Filling
- 3 tbsp (43g) unsalted butter, very soft
- ½ cup dark brown sugar
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
Vanilla Icing
- 1 and ½ cups powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (or pure vanilla extract)
Instructions
Milk Bread Dough
- In a mixer fitted with the hook attachment, add the whole milk, heavy cream, egg, and sugar. Whisk to combine and break up the egg yolk. Then add the all-purpose flour, dry milk powder, yeast, salt, and dough enhancer (if using). Mix on low speed to bring the ingredients together and then knead for 13-15 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough may be very sticky at first but will become more manageable as you build up the gluten strands. If the dough continues to be super sticky after 10 minutes, add another tablespoon or two of flour.
- Transfer the dough to a large greased bowl, cover, and allow it to rise in a warm spot for 60-90 minutes until it is doubled in size. Rise time will depend on temperature -- I find that it takes longer in the Winter.
Shaping and Filling
- Make the filling by whisking the dark brown sugar and ground cinnamon together in a small bowl until combined. Set aside
- Punch down the dough after proofing and knead it a few times with your hands to get rid of large air bubbles.
- Dust a flat surface and rolling pin with some flour and roll the dough out to a large 12x16 inch rectangle.
- Spread the soft butter evenly over the surface of the dough (if the butter doesn't spread easily you can warm it up a bit). Sprinkle the brown sugar mixture on top and then use your fingers to rub it into the butter.
- Fold the dough in half from the long side (hot dog style) and gently press the ends together. Use a sharp knife or pizza cutter to cut it into 12 equal-width strips. Grab the ends of each strip and twist a few times, and then roll the twist into a spiral and pinch or tuck the end to seal it off and form a bun. Refer to the photos in the post if needed.
- Place the buns into a greased or parchment-lined 9x13 inch pan (or two round cake pans). Make sure to give them some space to grow. Cover and let rise again for 60 minutes, or until they are visibly puffed up.
Bake and Ice
- Around 15 minutes before baking, preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Beat one egg with a splash of water to make the egg wash. Brush the egg on top of each bun right before baking.
- Bake for 24-25 minutes, until the tops are golden brown.
- Make the icing by whisking the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract together until smooth. Spoon the icing over the buns while they are still hot. The rolls are best enjoyed fresh and warm out of the oven.
Notes
*Warm the milk and heavy cream in the microwave to bring them to a lukewarm temperature. They should feel just warm to the touch, but not too hot or cold.
Bread and Cake Improver: This is a completely optional ingredient, but something I love adding to breads and rolls to make them softer and fresh for longer.
Leave a Reply