Dough:

• Microwave milk for 20-30 seconds until it is warm to touch (~100-110F). Add it to a bowl with the yeast, whisk, and rest for 10 minutes or until the mixture looks foamy
• Add the rest of the dough ingredients (sugar, flour, eggs, salt, and room temperature butter) to the same bowl
• Kneading by hand: Use a large wooden spoon to mix everything and bring it into a shaggy dough. Tip out onto a clean work surface, then use clean hands to knead the dough with a push-pull motion for 15 minutes. The dough will be sticky to begin with, but don't add more flour and keep kneading until it becomes soft, smooth and very stretchy. After 5 minutes, clean your hands to remove sticky dough bits from them. If the dough still feels sticky, add just 1-2 tbsp flour and keep kneading. Eventually the dough will not be sticky, and should pass the window-pane test
• Kneading with a stand mixer: Transfer the dough ingredients to the bowl of your stand mixer and knead using the dough hook attachment on medium high speed for 7-10 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth, pulls away from the edges of the bowl, and becomes stretchy enough to pass the window-pane test
• Transfer to a clean bowl sprayed with some oil, cover with cling wrap and rest in a warm place for 60-90 minutes until the dough has at least doubled in size, and springs back partly when gently poked with a finger

Filling:

• While the dough is rising, prepare the filling by mixing softened butter with cinnamon, sugar and salt. If it feels hard to mix, microwave for a few seconds and mix again. It should be a spreadable consistency

Assembly & baking:

• Line a 9x13" baking pan with parchment paper
• Once the dough has risen, punch it down and transfer it to a clean surface dusted lightly with flour. Using your hands and a rolling pin, roll it into a 12x18" rectangle. The dough will be really soft so won't need much pressure
• Use a spatula to spread the filling evenly across the rectangle
• With the 12" side towards you, divide the dough into 12 strips (each strip will be 1" wide and 18" long). This is easiest done if you use a long acrylic ruler and a pizza cutter
• Roll each strip tightly into a cinnamon roll, and transfer to the baking tray. You will arrange the rolls in a 4x3 formation
• Once all rolls are shaped, let them rest in a warm spot for another ~30-45 minutes until they look a puffed up and spring back partly when gently poked
• In the last 20 minutes of the second rise, preheat your oven to 350F (conventional / no fan)
• Right before putting the rolls in the oven, pour the 1/2 cup heavy cream over them carefully. It will get soaked up as the rolls bake
• Transfer to the oven and bake for 22-25 minutes until the rolls develop a light golden color and feel firm to touch. If in doubt, I think it's better to slightly underbake for a gooey texture, vs overbaking and having dry rolls
• Remove from oven and let the rolls rest for 10 minutes

Cream Cheese Icing:

• Whisk together the cream cheese, butter, cream and icing sugar until creamy to make the cream cheese icing
• Spread generously onto warm rolls
• Serve & enjoy!

 

Video Tutorial:

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