Cinnamon Rolls Recipe (With Video and Step-by-Step)

Prep Time:

50 mins

Cook Time:

30 mins

Total Time:

13 hrs 35 mins

Servings:

12

Fragrant with warm spice and finished with a cream-cheese glaze, our cinnamon roll recipe makes an unforgettable breakfast. Mashed potato is the secret to the dough; it gives the buns their light texture, while bread flour provides structure and chew. After making the dough and forming the rolls, you’ll let them proof overnight in the refrigerator, which produces a delicious flavor and extra-tender texture. (It also makes them the perfect recipe for entertaining as all the work is done the day prior.)

It might be tempting to enjoy them straight out of the oven, but be sure to let the buns rest at least 20 minutes before serving—this completes the cooking process and yields buns that are tender and airy without a hint of gumminess. Finished with our tangy-sweet glaze, they’re an irresistible addition to any breakfast or brunch spread.

A serving of cinnamon roll on a plate with a fork with a tray of cinnamon rolls in the background — Jake Sternquist

Why Add Potato to Cinnamon Roll Dough?

Potatoes contain a hefty amount of starch, a complex carbohydrate that is fantastic at absorbing liquid. When added to dough, potato starch holds onto the existing moisture, making for a softer finished result. Starch also disrupts gluten formation resulting in a less chewy—and more tender—dough. (A similar effect occurs when making Japanese milk bread, only instead of using potato, the extra starch comes from tangzhong, a cooked mixture of flour and water.) Potato starch can be added to bread doughs in a variety of forms, from the mashed russet used here to store-bought dried potato flakes and potato flour.

Enriched Versus Lean Dough

This dough calls for milk and egg which classifies it as an enriched dough. (Other breads in the category include challah, brioche, and milk bread.) Softer and more tender than lean doughs—those made with just flour, water, yeast, and salt—enriched recipes favor flavor and richness over stretch and chew. Enriched doughs also take longer to rise, since the added fat impacts fermentation.

Active-dry yeast: This recipe calls for active-dry yeast. Unlike instant and rapid-rise yeast, the active-dry kind requires more time to do its job, making it ideal for a recipe like this one that calls for an overnight rest. We don't recommend swapping in instant yeast instead.

How to Make These Cinnamon Rolls Ahead

The rolls can be made, sliced, and frozen up to 3 months ahead. Freeze them in their baking dish, tightly wrapped in plastic, at the end of step 7. When ready to proceed, defrost them in the refrigerator overnight, before continuing with step 8.

Directions

Ingredients for making cinnamon rolls arranged on a countertop including flour eggs butter milk sugar and spices like cinnamon — Jake Sternquist

Cook potato and rice or mash:

Brush a large bowl with butter; set aside. Place potato in a small pot of water and bring to a boil. Cook until fork-tender, 10 to 12 minutes; drain. Pass through a ricer or mash with a fork until smooth (to yield 2/3 cup); let cool slightly.

Jake Sternquist
Heat milk and add yeast:

Heat milk until warm to the touch (110°F on a thermometer). Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer; add yeast. Let stand until foamy, about 5 minutes.

Jake Sternquist
Add other ingredients and mix dough:

Stir in butter, granulated sugar, potato, egg, flour, and salt until a ragged dough forms. Place bowl on mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment; mix on medium-low speed, scraping sides and removing dough from hook a few times, until soft and pliable, about 15 minutes.

Jake Sternquist
Knead dough, transfer to bowl, and let rise:

Transfer to a lightly floured surface; knead into a ball. Transfer to buttered bowl (dough will be very soft) and cover with plastic wrap. (Dough can be covered and refrigerated at this point up to 2 days). Let rise in a warm place until almost doubled, 1 hour and 10 minutes to 1 1/2 hours. Brush a 9-by-13-inch glass baking dish with butter; set aside.

Jake Sternquist

Jake Sternquist
Make filling and roll out dough:

In a medium bowl, stir together brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Punch down dough; transfer to a lightly floured surface. Roll out to a 14-by-18-inch rectangle.

Jake Sternquist
Spread with butter, then filling, and roll dough:

Spread evenly with butter, leaving a 1/2-inch border on far long edge; top with brown-sugar mixture. Starting at long edge closest to you, roll dough away from you into a tight jelly-roll shape. Transfer, seam-side down, to a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

Jake Sternquist
Cut dough into portions:

Trim ends, then cut roll crosswise into twelve 1 1/2-inch-thick rounds with a serrated knife. Arrange, cut-sides up, in prepared dish; cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 8 hours, or overnight.

Jake Sternquist
Preheat oven; let rolls rise, then bake:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove rolls from refrigerator and place in a warm spot until almost doubled in size, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove plastic and bake until browned on top and a thermometer inserted registers about 210°F, 30 to 35 minutes. Let cool in dish on a wire rack, 10 minutes.

Jake Sternquist

Jake Sternquist
Make glaze and spread on rolls:

Meanwhile, whisk together cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt. Spread rolls with glaze; let cool 15 to 20 minutes more before serving.

Start by adding 2 tablespoons of milk to the glaze and add more if needed.

Jake Sternquist

How to Store Cinnamon Rolls

Our tender, decadent cinnamon rolls are best enjoyed the day they're made but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 4 days.

What to Serve With Cinnamon Rolls

Let's face it: These cinnamon rolls will the star of your brunch, but we have plenty of other recipes well suited for serving alongside them, including:

A foolproof method for cooking ultra-crispy bacon in the oven
Martha's potato-and-onion frittata with creamy goat cheese
A creamy, bacon-studded quiche Lorraine
An eye-catching fruit platter (don't skip the whipped ricotta)
Home fries, whether classic or this smoky sweet-potato version

5 More Ways to Bake With Cinnamon

Updated by

Esther Reynolds

Cinnamon Rolls

Why Add Potato to Cinnamon Roll Dough?

Enriched Versus Lean Dough

How to Make These Cinnamon Rolls Ahead

Directions

Cook potato and rice or mash:

Heat milk and add yeast:

Add other ingredients and mix dough:

Knead dough, transfer to bowl, and let rise:

Make filling and roll out dough:

Spread with butter, then filling, and roll dough:

Cut dough into portions:

Preheat oven; let rolls rise, then bake:

Make glaze and spread on rolls:

How to Store Cinnamon Rolls

What to Serve With Cinnamon Rolls

5 More Ways to Bake With Cinnamon

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