Cinnamon rolls is such an indulgent comfort food that I only have once in a while, although I truly wish I could have it every every day! Matcha cinnamon rolls add the perfect balance of smooth bitterness to the sweet cinnamon and glaze, and I don’t think I can go back to plain cinnamon rolls anymore.
My matcha cinnamon rolls were made with the Tangzhong method. It allows the rolls to be much softer and stay fresher for longer after baking. For more information on Tangzhong, I talk about it more in my Japanese Milk Bread recipe.
This recipe was adapted from King Arthur Flour’s Soft Cinnamon Rolls. I do make some adjustments where I incorporate the matcha and reduce the sugar. Cinnamon rolls are already very sweet, so I’m always trying to reduce sugar while preserving the taste.
Tips:
- These can be frozen for up to a month, but make sure to seal it tightly. To rebake, first defrost then lightly cover with aluminum foil and heat in 350ºF/176ºC for about 10 minutes until warm.
Matcha Cinnamon Rolls with Matcha Condensed Milk Glaze
Ingredients
Tangzhong Starter
- 5 tbsp water 71g
- 5 tbsp whole milk 71g
- 3 tbsp bread flour 25g
Main Dough
- 4 cups bread flour 490g
- 3 tbsp dry milk 21g
- 1 tbsp instant yeast
- 5 tbsp matcha powder
- 3/4 cup whole milk lukewarm, 170g
- 2 large eggs 100g
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter softened, 85g
- 1 3/4 tsp salt
Filling
- 3/4 cup brown sugar 142g
- 4 tsp cinnamon 9g
Icing
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar 114g
- 3 tbsp condensed milk 58g
- 2 tbsp matcha powder
Instructions
Tangzhong Starter
- Combine starter ingredients in saucepan and whisk over medium heat until the consistency thickens and resembles mashed potatoes. This should take about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
Main Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, sift the matcha powder and combine the rest of the main dough ingredients. Let rest for 20 minutes before kneading the dough until it is smooth and elastic.
- Shape dough into a ball and cover for 60 to 90 minutes. Does not have to be doubled in size.
Filling
- Combine brown sugar and cinnamon until thoroughly mixed.
- Gently deflate dough, divide in half, and shape both pieces into a rectangle.
- Use a rolling pin and roll dough into 18" x 8" (45cm x 20cm) rectangle.
- Sprinkle half filling into rolled-out dough.
- Starting with the long edge, roll dough into a log shape. Make sure the seam is on the bottom and cut the log into 12 slices. Repeat with second piece of dough and filling.
- Lightly grease 9" x 13" (22cm x 33cm) pan. Evenly space the rolls in the pan. Cover and let rise for 45 to 60 minutes until the rolls are puffy and crowded. In the meantime, preheat oven to 350ºF / 176ºC.
- Bake rolls for 22-25 minutes or until slightly browned. Internal temperature should be around 188ºF / 86ºC.
- While rolls are baking, prepare icing by slowly adding milk until it becomes a thick, spreadable icing.
- Fill a piping bag with the icing and in a quick motion, drizzle icing thinly over the buns. Add more if needed and serve warm.