These strawberry cinnamon rolls are soft, gooey and loaded with a homemade strawberry filling. Topped with a sticky lemon glaze, they’re zingy and totally irresistible.
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
stand mixer
Rolling Pin
9x13 baking tray
Instructions
Make the tangzhong starter: Add the water and flour to a small saucepan and whisk until smooth. Place of low-medium heat and cook, whisking constantly until you have very thick roux (thick paste). Remove from heat and set aside.
Bloom the yeast: Add the warm milk, yeast and 1 tablespoon of sugar to a bowl of a stand mixer and mix a little. Let it sit for 5 minutes to bloom.
(Keep in mind this is a very sticky dough and will be best made in a mixer. If you do try it by hand, don’t be tempted to add too much flour and use a bench scraper to help.)
Create the dough: Add the rest of the ingredients in the order listed (you mainly don’t want the salt to touch the yeast directly), including the remainig sugar. Add the tangzhong to the opposite side of the bowl to the eggs in case it’s still a bit hot. Make sure to use a rubber spatula so you don’t leave any behind.
Knead: Using the dough hook, start on low speed just until the ingredients are combined. Turn it up to level 2 and knead the dough for around 7 minutes. The dough at the end will still be quite sticky and sticking to the sides of the bowl.
Add a splash of oil to a large clean bowl and rub it around the sides. Rub a little of the oil over your hands and over the rounded edge of a dough scraper so the dough is easier to handle.
Rise: Lightly oil your hands and a dough scraper. Scrape around the dough bowl to pull the dough into a ball, then lift it out with your hands and roughly fold it into a ball. Place into the oil bowl and flip to lightly coat. It will be sticky but that’s perfect. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and rest and allow to rise for 1 hour to rise until about doubled in size.
MAKE THE FILLING:Place the lemon juice and cornflour into a heavy based saucepan over low heat and mix until combined. Add the sugar and strawberries and mix well.
Heat gently, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t catch on the bottom of the pan 10 minutes until you notice the liquid double. Mash the strawberries and bring to a simmer.
Cook for another 10 minutes or so, stirring regularly so it doesn’t catch, until very thick like jam.
Stir in the cinnamon and transfer to a dish in the fridge to cool.
ASSEMBLING THE CINNAMON ROLLS: Grease a 9×13 inch baking tray well with butter.
Punch down the dough and transfer it to lightly floured surface.
Gently stretch or roll the dough out to a large 35x40cm (14×16 inches) rectangle, about 7mm thick.
Spread over the cooled strawberry filling.
Roll up from the longest side nearest you towards the other, as tightly as you can without squeezing the filling out.
Cut 12 even slices using a piece of cotton or dental floss. The dough is extremely soft so and will try to stick back together. Have a sharp knife on hand and slice through the joins when you pick them up. Use light fingers to transfer them to the baking tray and adjust them slightly once there.
THE SECOND RISE: Place the rolls evenly spaced onto the baking tray cut side up (cleanest side up). Let them rest and rise for another 45-60 minutes until roughly 1 ½ times the size and they look puffy.
Preheat the oven to 180C (160C fan forced) / 350F.
BAKE: Bake for around 20-22 minutes, turning the tray at the halfway mark, until pale golden brown and baked through (if you have a digital thermometer handy, they should reach 88C/190F).
Let them cool a little before serving, so they are warm and fluffy but not piping hot.
FOR THE LEMON GLAZE: Sift the icing sugar into a medium mixing bowl.
Add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice. Mix until smooth and runny adding a little more lemon juice as necessary to get a thick consistency that still runs off the spoon.
Pour over the strawberry cinnamon rolls and serve.
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Notes
Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons). Check yours before measuring.
For best results, you should always weigh ingredients where a weight is the first measurement given. Kitchen scales are relatively cheap but if you can’t weigh the ingredients, use the spoon and level method (don’t scoop).
All ovens vary – test for doneness 2-3 minutes before the recipe suggests
Yeast: You can use instant or active dry yeast. If you use rapid rise, your dough may double in size quicker. If using active dry, add it to the milk mixture and let it sit for 5-10 minutes until it’s nice and frothy before proceeding.
Strawberry cinnamon rolls are best eaten fresh but will keep fairly soft in an airtight container 2-3 days. They can be warmed for 10-15 seconds in the microwave (even iced) to soften them if a little stale.
Make ahead: The recipe can be made ahead up to the point that the individual rolls have been placed in the baking tin. Cover the tin with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge overnight. Let them come to room temperature before baking – roughly 60-90 minutes.
Cutting with dental floss or cotton: Take a nice long piece of floss or cotton. Gently slide it underneath the dough log to the centre. Take the two ends of the floss and cross them over the top, then pull the two ends away from each other in a quick movement to cut straight through. Repeat until you have 12 even pieces.
Have you tried this recipe?Don't forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.