Brioche Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

• 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (612g, or bread flour)
• 2 teaspoons instant yeast (see recipe note #1)
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 1/3 cups lukewarm water
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons cinnamon
• 8 tablespoons butter (spreadably soft)
• 6 ounces cream cheese (room temperature)
• 6 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (168g)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• pinch kosher salt

Instructions

1. 1

   Whisk together flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.

2. 2

   Heat butter and milk in a small saucepan until butter has just melted. Remove from heat to cool slightly.

3. 3

   Whisk together warm water and eggs in a medium bowl. Add warm milk and butter mixture and whisk until combined. Pour over flour mixture and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until no dry flour remains and you have a sticky, shaggy dough. Cover bowl tightly with a lid or plastic wrap and let stand in a warm place 2 to 4 hours until dough has doubled in size. Or tightly cover and chill for 12 to 24 hours to rise slowly in the refrigerator. (When chilling overnight at this point, I typically give the dough a head start at room temperature before refrigerating. Just enough to let it begin to bubble and rise, 30-60 minutes depending on how warm the kitchen is.)

4. 4

   Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

5. 5

   Place brown sugar and cinnamon in a medium bowl and combine with a fork or spoon.

6. 6

   Turn risen dough out onto a well floured work surface and pat into a loose rectangle with lightly floured hands. With a floured rolling pin, roll dough into a 12x16-inch rectangle.

7. 7

   Spread soft butter evenly over dough and sprinkle with brown sugar cinnamon mixture in an even layer. Starting at the long end, carefully roll the rectangle into a tight spiral (dough will be soft and sticky - use a bench scraper as necessary to separate any areas that are sticking to the work surface. I promise the rolls will be worth your effort!). Cut into 12 equal slices, using dental floss or a serrated knife, and place on prepared baking sheet, making 4 rows of 3 cinnamon rolls each. For overnight cinnamon rolls, cover well with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Before baking, remove from refrigerator and let rise 1 to 2 hours, until rolls are puffy and light to the touch. OR to bake the same day, cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and let rise until rolls are puffy and light to the touch, about 1 hour.

8. 8

   When ready to bake, preheat oven to 375˚F.

9. 9

   Bake 20-25 minutes or until tops are golden brown and rolls are cooked through in the center.

10. 10

    Meanwhile, make the frosting. In a large bowl with a handheld mixer or stand mixer fitted with the paddle or whisk attachment, beat the softened cream cheese and butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt until fluffy, 2-3 minutes.

11. 11

    Spread frosting generously over warm rolls and serve.