These soft and chewy cinnamon rolls use 50/50 blend of bread flour and all-purpose flour to deliver the best of both worlds: taller, more structured spirals with a pleasant chew, while staying wonderfully pillowy and tender inside.
I skipped the classic glaze here, because you can just find it on the internet, like this one, not because I ran out of powdered sugar 😅. Instead, for a richer, more unique alternative, try my Cream Cheese Honey Glaze!
These rolls are fantastic fresh from the oven, but they also reheat beautifully and make a wonderful weekend breakfast or brunch centerpiece.
Sweden celebrates National Cinnamon Roll Day (Kanelbullens dag) on October 4th, where these popular pastries are often topped with pearl sugar rather than heavy icing.
They originated in 1920s Sweden, and the average Swede eats 316 cinnamon buns per year!
Cinnamon Roll Ingredients#
- Flour blend (345 g total): The star for structure + softness. Bread flour (higher protein) provides strong gluten for tall rise and chewy spirals that hold shape. All-purpose flour keeps the interior tender and pillowy. The 50/50 split balances both worlds perfectly.
- Caster sugar (60 g): Feeds the yeast for better rise and adds subtle sweetness and tenderness to the dough without making it overly sweet.
- Salt (1 tsp): Enhances flavor and strengthens the gluten network.
- Instant yeast (7 g): Creates the light, airy texture through fermentation. Use active dry if preferred, but activate it first in warm liquid.
- Warm water (140–150 ml) + milk (60 ml): Provides hydration and activates yeast. Starting with 140 ml accounts for bread flour’s higher absorption; adjust by feel for a soft, slightly tacky dough.
- Butter (45 g in dough + 70 g in filling): Enriches the dough for soft, tender crumb and creates the rich, caramelized cinnamon swirl when mixed with sugar.
- Large egg (1): Adds richness, structure, and moisture. Added last to support optimal gluten development.
- Filling (cinnamon, dark soft brown sugar, soft butter): Dark brown sugar brings deep molasses notes and caramelization; cinnamon delivers warm spice; butter melts into gooey layers.
Why the 50/50 Flour Blend?#
- Bread flour brings higher protein for better gluten development → taller rise, stronger structure, and rolls that hold their beautiful spiral shape without collapsing.
- All-purpose flour keeps everything soft and tender.
- Together they give you chewy-yet-soft texture that’s more forgiving and flavorful than 100% all-purpose, but not as dense as 100% bread flour.
I have added a small liquid increase (starting at 140 ml water) compensates for bread flour’s higher absorption. Always adjust by feel during kneading!
Step-by-Step Instructions with Tips#
Activate the yeast: Warm milk + water to 38–43°C, mix with yeast and a bit of sugar. Wait for foamy — this ensures active yeast and great rise. If you are using instant yeast, please mix in with the dry ingredient instead. Add the butter into the warm milk to melt it.
Warm milk, water, and butter mixture. Mix the dry ingredients (50/50 flour blend, sugar, salt, instant yeast)
Dry ingredients ready in the bowl. 
Flour blend, sugar, salt, and yeast combined. Make the dough: Combine milk + butter + water mixtures to the dry ingredient, then add the egg. Knead until soft and slightly tacky.
Pouring wet ingredients into dry mixture. 
Adding the room-temperature egg last. 
Smooth, soft dough ready for the first rise. Why add egg last?Adding eggs last to bread dough allows for better gluten development, prevents premature fat coating on flour, and makes the dough easier to handle. Since egg yolks contain fat that can weaken gluten and lecithin that emulsifies, adding them last helps create a more uniform, rich dough, improving volume, texture, and crumb.
Flour a clean surface and knead. Time to get your hands dirty.
Floured surface prepared for kneading. 
Kneading the dough by hand. 
Be patient, do not add more flour just coz it is sticky, it will come to a beautiful dough after kneading, like this. First rise: Cover and let it rest for 15 min.
Dough resting and beginning its first rise. While the dough is resting, it is time to make the cinnamon filling and preheat the oven to 180°C (take around 15 - 20 min to reach). Mix soften butter, sugar and cinnamon together.
Ingredients for cinnamon filling. 
Mixed cinnamon-sugar-butter filling, smooth and spreadable. Fill and shape: Roll out, spread the cinnamon-sugar-butter filling, roll tightly, and slice (dental floss gives the cleanest cuts!).
Roll it out! 
Evenly spreading the cinnamon filling over the rolled dough. 
Tight roll for perfect spirals. 
Clean slices for perfect spirals. 
Cute looong dough Second rise: Place in pan and let puff up (30–45 min).
aww look at how cute they are. 
aww look at how big they grew. Bake: 180°C for 20–28 minutes until golden. Tent with foil if needed to prevent over-browning.
Golden, puffy rolls straight from the oven. While baking -> go to here and make the cream cheese honey glaze!
Glaze while warm: Mix the glaze and drizzle generously. The warmth helps it melt slightly into the rolls for beautiful coverage.
Applying the glaze over warm cinnamon rolls. Enjoy!
Freshly glazed cinnamon rolls ready to serve.
Success tips:
- Weigh your flour — volume measurements can vary.
- Use room-temperature egg and softened butter for smooth dough.
- If it’s humid, check dough consistency carefully and adjust liquid sparingly.
Glaze#
Simple, sweet, and adjustable. For a richer, floral alternative that adds beautiful glossy finish and depth, use the linked Cream Cheese Honey Glaze. It pairs especially well with the richer flavor from the bread flour blend.
Recipe#
Soft & Chewy Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Roll dough
- 172 g bread flour
- 173 g all-purpose (plain) flour
- 60 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 7 g instant yeast (or 9 g active dry yeast)
- 140–150 ml water (start with 140 ml; warm)
- 60 ml milk (warm with water if desired)
- 45 g butter, softened or melted and cooled
- 1 large egg, room temperature
Filling
- 70 g soft butter (for filling)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon (or 2 Tbsp for stronger flavor)
- 60 g dark soft brown sugar (for filling)
Glaze
- 120 g icing sugar (powdered sugar)
- 2 Tbsp milk (plus more if needed for thinner consistency)
- pinch salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Warm the milk and water together to 38–43°C (100–110°F). Stir in the yeast and 1 tsp of the caster sugar. Let it sit for 5–10 minutes until foamy. (For instant yeast, mix directly with dry ingredients and add butter to the warm liquids.)
- In a large bowl or stand mixer, combine the remaining caster sugar, salt, the foamy yeast mixture (or dry yeast), softened or cooled melted butter, and egg (added last). Mix well.
- Add the 50/50 blend of bread flour and all-purpose flour (345 g total). Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then knead by hand for 8–10 minutes or in a stand mixer with dough hook for 5–7 minutes on medium speed. The dough should be soft, smooth, and slightly tacky. If it feels too stiff due to the bread flour, add 1 Tbsp warm water or milk at a time until it reaches the right consistency.
- Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size (about 60–90 minutes).
- While the dough is resting, prepare the filling by mixing the 70 g soft butter, ground cinnamon, and dark soft brown sugar until smooth. Preheat oven to 180°C.
- Roll the risen dough into a rectangle about 30 x 40 cm (12 x 16 inches). Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the surface.
- Roll tightly from the long side into a log. Use dental floss or a sharp knife for clean cuts and slice into 9–12 equal pieces.
- Arrange the rolls in a greased 9x13 inch (or similar-sized) baking pan. Cover and let rise again for 30–45 minutes until puffy. (Overnight option: shape, cover, and refrigerate; bring to room temperature for 1–1.5 hours before baking.)
- Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) if not already done. Bake the rolls for 20–28 minutes until golden brown on top. If browning too quickly, cover loosely with foil for the last 5–10 minutes. Cool in the pan for 5–10 minutes.
- While the rolls are still slightly warm, prepare the glaze by whisking together the icing sugar, 2 Tbsp milk, pinch of salt, and vanilla until smooth. Add a little more milk if you prefer a thinner drizzle. Spread or drizzle generously over the rolls.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 1 roll
Amount Per Serving
% Daily Value *
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Storage Tips#
- Room temperature: Best enjoyed the day they’re baked, but leftovers keep well in an airtight container for 1–2 days. Reheat in the microwave for 10–15 seconds to restore softness.
- Freezer: Bake without glaze, cool completely, wrap tightly, and freeze up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the fridge, then warm and add fresh glaze.
