Baking · · By Ashley
Pour warm heavy cream over the rolls right before they go in the oven. It soaks down into the swirls and bakes into something close to a Cinnabon.
Where the time goes
The center is the classic: soft butter, dark brown sugar and plenty of cinnamon. What makes these different is the heavy cream soak. Just before baking, warm cream goes over and around the risen rolls and pools into the gaps. The bottoms turn gooey and the middles stay plush.
The icing is cream cheese and butter with a splash of bourbon and a concentrated strawberry reduction. Spread it on while the rolls are still warm so it melts down into the swirls.
Serves 12 large rolls
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Wake up the yeast
In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the warm water, yeast and a pinch of the granulated sugar. Leave it 5 to 10 minutes until frothy.
Add the wet ingredients
Add the milk, the rest of the granulated sugar, the eggs, melted butter, salt and vanilla. Mix until combined.
Knead
With the dough hook, gradually add 3½ cups of the bread flour and knead on low-medium for 6 to 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Only add the last ½ cup of flour if the dough is sticking hard to the bowl. Softer dough makes softer rolls.
First rise
Put the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and leave it somewhere warm for 1½ to 2 hours, until doubled.
Roll out
Punch the dough down, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, and roll it into an 18 by 12 inch rectangle.
Fill
Spread the soft butter evenly over the dough. Toss the brown sugar and cinnamon together and sprinkle it evenly over the butter.
Shape
Starting from a long side, roll the dough up into a tight log.
Slice
Cut the log into 12 even rolls with a sharp serrated knife or unflavored dental floss, and arrange them in a greased 9 by 13 inch baking dish.
Floss slides under the log, crosses over the top and pulls through without squashing the swirl.
Second rise
Cover the pan loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let the rolls rise for 45 minutes, until puffy and touching.
The cream soak
Heat the oven to 350°F / 175°C. Right before the pan goes in, pour the warm cream evenly over and around the rolls so it runs down into the gaps.
Bake
Bake for 28 to 33 minutes, until the tops are deep golden brown. The cream means they need a few minutes longer than usual to cook through to the center.
If the tops are browning too fast but the middle still feels doughy, lay a piece of foil loosely over the pan for the last 5 minutes.
While the rolls bake, beat the cream cheese and butter together until completely smooth.
Gradually beat in the powdered sugar, then the bourbon, strawberry reduction and a pinch of salt. Beat on high for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
Spread the icing generously over the rolls while they are still warm so it melts down into the swirls.
Ingredients · 3 hr 45 min · Serves 12 large rolls
The dough
The filling
The soak
The strawberry bourbon icing
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