The Best Cinnamon Rolls You'll Ever Make | Cinnamon Buns Recipe

This recipe requires some labor of love, but it's totally worth it: trust! You will definitely avoid looking at cinnamon buns the same way, after trying these ones. If you think you can just go right to the mall and get your cinnamon roll fix, think again.

There's a secret to this recipe ::whispers:: "Tang Zhong" that makes these cinnamon rolls, extra soft, ooey, and gooey in the middle. During the shelf life of it (if it lasts long enough on your counter) the rolls stay soft the entire time. It won't be hard as a rock the next day and it'll taste just as fresh, if not even better the next morning!

The candied almond topping with the sweet cream cheese glaze, slathered on top of a soft and fluffy cinnamon bread bun is just....fughettaboutit. TUH-DIE-FAWR!

INGREDIENTS:

MAIN DOUGH:

2.5 cup bread flour
1/2 cup TangZhong (roux) - See ingredients below
1/3 cup milk + 2 tbsp
1/2 stick butter (at room temperature)
1/4 cup sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 tsp salt
1tsp instant yeast
1tsp vanilla extract

TANGZHONG (ROUX):

100 ml milk (preferred)
2 tbsp + 1 tsp flour

SCHMEAR (FILLING)

1 stick room temp. butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp. cinnamon
pinch salt
1/4 cup brown sugar for sprinkling

TOPPING:

2 cups crushed raw almond pieces
5 tbsp. brown sugar
pinch salt

ICING GLAZE:

2 cups powdered sugar
8 oz. cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla extract
5-8 tbsp. milk (depending on consistency desired. Drizzled vs. thick)

DIRECTIONS:

To make the Tang Zhong (roux), pour the milk in a small sauce pot. Add the flour in increments and stir to dissolve. Heat the mixture in low heat and continue to stir nonstop until the mixture gets thicker and smooth. Turn off the heat and set aside to cool. You can make the tang zhong ahead of time and store it in the fridge overnight.
In a mixer, combine sugar, flour, salt and yeast. Mix dry ingredients until combined.
With a dough hook, mix in Tang Zhong, milk, egg and vanilla. Mix and knead until combined and has formed a soft and supple dough. It can be kneaded by hand as well.
In a mixer with the dough inside, add room temperature butter in increments. Keep mixing until butter is completely incorporated and dough begins to form gluten. This should take about 10-13 minutes. The dough begins to come off the sides of the bowl. It should be to the point where if you take a piece out, flatten it, (hold it up in the air) and stretch it lightly, it should form a thin, sort of transparent sheet. As long as it's a bit elastic and the butter is fully incorporated, you're good to go.
Form a clean ball out of the dough and place into a greased bowl, seam side down. Place into a warm spot, covered in plastic wrap or a dish towel for about 2 hours or until it's doubled in size. During the summer months, I actually put mine in the garage, because it gets quite warm in there, this time of year.
Now that it's doubled in size, you want to punch it down and allow it to double in size again for about an hour.
In the meantime, make your candied almonds. In a cast iron pan or non-stick skillet, add almonds, brown sugar and salt and toast on low heat. Constantly stir until almonds are toasted and have a slight golden color and until you can smell the toasti-ness (not a word) haha. Spread unto a silicone mat or parchment paper lined sheet pan and set aside to cool.
When it the dough doubled in size, place dough on a lightly floured table and form a rectangle. Roll the dough about 1/2" inch thick into a 13" x 9" rectangle. These measurements all just depends on how big you'd like each roll to be.
Make the Schmear by combining the brown sugar, butter, salt and cinnamon.
Spread all of the Schmear unto the rolled out dough. Sprinkle a little bit of extra brown sugar on top, as well as a palm size full of some of your candied almonds.
Starting from the bottom, tightly roll the dough into a log. With a serrated knife, slice each cinnamon roll about 2" - 2 1/2" thick.
In a 9" - 10" cake pan, place each cinnamon roll in a circular formation, starting from the center and going outward. Leave a lil' bit of space in between to allow the rolls to double in size. Place in a warm spot and allow to double in size.
In the meantime, make the frosting. In a mixer with a paddle attachment, mix room temperature cream cheese, add pinch of salt, then add the powdered sugar in increments. Mix milk and vanilla and add it to the mixture in increments, while it's mixing. Add the milk until it reached your desired consistency.
When the cinnamon rolls have doubled in size, bake in a 350 F oven for about 15-20 minutes, until the top and edges are slightly browned. If some rolls have risen more than others during the baking process, feel free to slightly push them down if you want an even top.
Drizzle or slather glaze on top of rolls and sprinkle remaining toasted almonds. Serve warm or cooled down to room temperature. Enjoy!