Cinnamon rolls are an ultimate comfort food, and when you elevate them by using brioche dough and kick up the spice, they reach a whole new level. Brioche does take a lot longer, but it isn’t difficult, and it’s well worth it!

Makes 12 Rolls

Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Rise Time: 3 Hours

Inactive Time: 12 Hours

Bake Time: 30 Minutes

Total Time: 16 Hours

Ingredients:

For the Dough:

2 ½ Tsp (9g) Active Dry Yeast

2 Tsp (8g) Granulated Sugar

½ Cup (120mL) Warm Milk (around 100 Degrees F)

5 Large Eggs, Room Temp

1 Large Egg Yolk, Room Temp

1 Tbs (13g) Vanilla Extract

1/3 Cup (67g) Granulated Sugar

1 ½ Tsp (6g) Kosher Salt

4 ¼ Cups (510g) All Purpose Flour

1 ¼ Cups (2 ½ sticks, 282g) Very Soft Unsalted Butter

For the Filling:

¾ Cup (169g) Softened Unsalted Butter

3/4 Cup (150g) Granulated Sugar

1 Tbs plus 1 tsp (12g) Cinnamon

1 ½ Tsp (4g) Ginger

½ Tsp (1g) Nutmeg

1 ½ Tsp (4g) Cardamom

½ Tsp (1g) Cloves

Pinch of Salt

Additional 1/4 Cup (50g) Granulated Sugar

For the Icing:

2 Cups (250g) Icing Sugar

¼ Cup (60mL) Milk

½ Tsp (2g) Vanilla

Optional: 2 Tsp (10g) Orange Zest

Directions:

1.     In a liquid measuring cup, sprinkle the yeast and sugar into the warm milk and gently stir. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, until the yeast activates and is foamy.

2.     Add the activated yeast, eggs, egg yolk, sugar, and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer and whisk until combined, then add the salt and flour. Use the dough hook to mix on a low speed until the dough comes together, then turn the speed to medium and knead the dough for 5 minutes.

3.     Turn the speed to low and add the butter 3 tbs at a time, and once all the butter is added, turn the mixer to medium high speed and knead for 5-10 minutes, or until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl and forms a ball.

4.     Turn the dough out on to a floured surface, itll be soft but shouldn’t be too sticky, it’ll be a little tacky. Gather it into a tight ball and place in a well-greased bowl. Cover tightly with plastic and allow to rise at room temperature for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.

5.     Once the dough is risen, punch it down to deflate it, then stretch and pull each corner of the dough in towards the center. Cover tightly with plastic and chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 12 hours, up to 24 hours.

6.     Make the filling by adding the butter, ¾ cup sugar, and all the spices to a bowl, stirring until well combined.

7.     Take the dough out of the fridge, turn it onto a well-floured surface. Collect it into a ball, then roll it out into a rectangle until the dough is ¼ inch thick. You can use a pizza cutter to trim the edges to get a neat rectangle. Don’t discard the scraps, you can get creative with them later! This dough may be a little sticky so re flour your dough and surface as needed.

8.     Spread the spiced butter all over the surface of the rectangle of dough, leaving about ½ inch border around the edges. Sprinkle over the other ¼ cup of sugar.

9.     Starting with the long end, tightly roll the dough up into a log. Use a serrated knife to trim a little off the edges to make it neater, then use the knife to gently score the dough into 12 even rolls. I like to start in the center, make a mark halfway on the log, then score each half in the middle again to make 4 even sections, then score each section into 3 parts for 12 even size rolls. You can use unflavored dental floss, wrap it around the dough, and gently pull to get clean cuts without squishing the dough down at all, or you can gently cut with a serrated knife.

10.  Place the cut rolls in a generously greased 9x13 baking dish, cover with plastic, and allow to rise at room temperature for 1.5-2 hours, until doubled in size and puffy. Preheat your oven to 350 Degrees F (180C).

11.  Gently brush the tops of the rolls with egg wash (1 egg plus 1 tbs water), then bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and baked through. The internal temperature should be 190 Degrees F. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before icing.

12.  To make the icing, simply add all the ingredients to a bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour over the rolls, allow to sit for 5 minutes before cutting.

-Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.