Cinnamon Roll

Prepare the tangzhong: Mix 15g bread flour with 75g water, heat over low flame, and stir until it thickens. Cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight if time permits, or let it cool before using. The 15g of bread flour is additional and not part of the dough ingredients. Tangzhong is a component of the dough; refer to previous blog posts if unfamiliar. Method: Add all dough ingredients except butter into the stand mixer bowl.

Knead until smooth, then add the butter and continue kneading until fully developed, able to form a strong and transparent thin film.

Shape the dough into a ball and place it in a dry bowl for the first fermentation until it doubles in size. I proofed it in the oven at 28°C for one hour.

Near the end of the dough fermentation, prepare the filling: Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon powder, crumble the walnuts into small pieces, chop the candied orange peel, and melt the butter over hot water while keeping it warm to prevent solidification.

After the first fermentation, punch down the dough and let it rest for 10 minutes under plastic wrap.

Roll the relaxed dough into a rectangle of 22x30cm, and brush with a layer of melted butter.

Leave 2-3cm at the bottom edge unbrushed to help seal when rolling up.

Sprinkle evenly with the cinnamon sugar mixture, followed by the candied orange peel and walnut pieces.

Roll the dough tightly from top to bottom, thinning the edge for sealing.

Brush a little water to aid sealing; the seam must be tightly pinched to avoid bursting during baking. Roll from the 22cm edge downward, then gently lengthen the rolled dough to 24cm.

Divide evenly into 6 pieces using a serrated knife.

Place the pieces with their cut sides up and gently flatten them.

Put them into molds. Pressing after placement makes it fit better.

Let the rolls rise for the final fermentation until doubled in size. I put them in the oven with a cup of hot water at 35°C for 40 minutes. At the 30-minute mark, remove to preheat the oven to 200°C on top and bottom heat for 10 minutes.

Baking: Bake on the middle rack of the oven at 190°C for about 12 minutes. Use the leftover melted butter to brush the rolls immediately after baking. Transfer them to a cooling rack and let cool. Store them in a sealed bag while still slightly warm.

Adjust the liquid according to the flour's absorption. Flour types vary greatly in absorption; the dough should be soft but non-sticky. If it's slightly sticky, use a little dry flour to prevent sticking during shaping.

If you don't have molds, bake them directly on a baking sheet. Make sure the seams are tightly pinched because they face the side instead of the bottom, and are prone to bursting.

For the candied orange peel, I used one from Tomiz. Alternatively, zest a fresh orange and mix with the cinnamon sugar to release its fragrance. You can omit it if you dislike the orange peel taste.

Be aware that candied orange peel (with sugar) and fresh orange zest (without sugar) will produce different sweetness levels in the final product. Adjust the sugar accordingly. This is meant to be a sweet bread, so too little sugar won't taste good. Ensure the rolled dough maintains its prescribed size to avoid overly dry baked bread.

If you prefer a stronger cinnamon flavor, increase the cinnamon powder to around 15g. Alternatively, reduce it for a milder flavor. You can also switch up the filling, like using apple jam, which pairs well too.

In warmer regions, chill the mixer bowl and ingredients for the dough before use to prevent overheating the dough during kneading, which may cause premature fermentation or gluten breakdown.