Cinnamon Roll

I'm a bread lover, I can eat bread everyday without feeling sick of it. Haha.. I not use to like baking bread due to the kneading part because is a wiped out task but after I started using the electric hand mixer to do the job, and so I start to experience more on making bread. Using mixer take about 15 to 20 minute to finish the kneading part. Having a bread machine will be a bonus.

This cinnamon roll has been pending in my to do bake list for quite a long time until recently I decided to give a try. This time I using the Tang Zhong (water-roux) method making the dough. This is my first time using tang zhong method and I see many blogger praised tang zhong method give a fluffy and soft texture. However..

The result I received did not have the kind of fluffy and soft texture that I wanted. None-the-less the batch of bread taste yummy, especially the combination of cinnamon and brown sugar give a punch. Traditional cinnamon roll should topped with a layer of icing or glaze but I did not, without the glaze is sweet enough too.

*Recipe Source: http://happyhomebaking.blogspot.sg/2010/07/whats-your-reason.html

Ingredients:

Tang Zhong (water-roux)

• 25g bread flour
• 125ml water

Bread Dough:

• 210g bread flour
• 56g cake flour
• 20g milk powder
• 42g caster sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 6g instant yeast

Filling:

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• 30g brown sugar
• 25g unsalted butter (melted)

Prepared:

• 30g egg, lightly beaten (about half an egg, reserve the leftover for egg wash)
• 85g water
• 84g tang Zhong (water-roux)
• 22g unsalted butter

Method:

Making Tang Zhong (yields about 90g tang zhong):

1. Place 25g bread flour in a saucepan. Add 125ml water, mix till smooth, making sure there are no lumps of flour.
2. Cook over medium to low heat, stirring constantly with a hand whisk to prevent it from burning. Within 1 to 2 mins, the mixture will start to thicken, stop when you see traces in the mixture for every stir you make with the hand whisk.
3. The 65degC tang zhong is ready. Immediately transfer the hot tang zhong into a bowl and cover it with a cling wrap, making sure the cling wrap sticks onto the surface of the mixture. This is to prevent a film from forming on the surface.
4. Leave to cool completely before using it.

Making the Dough:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
2. Make a well in the centre and add in the egg, water and tang zhong. Mix to form a rough dough.
3. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Knead the dough till smooth or using a electric hand mixer to do the job.
4. Knead in the butter. Continue to knead the dough until becomes smooth and elastic. Do the window pane test, pinch a piece of the dough, pull and stretch it. It should be elastic, and can be pulled away into a thin membrane without tearing/breaking apart easily.
5. Place dough in a lightly greased (use vegetable oil or butter) mixing bowl, cover with cling wrap and let proof in room temperature (around 28 to 30 degC) for about one hour, or until double in bulk.
6. Mix cinnamon powder and sugar together. Reserve about 1 teaspoon of the mixture.
7. Remove the dough from the bowl and give a few light kneading to press out the gas in the dough.
8. Roll the dough into a rectangle, about 30cm by 25cm, 1/2 inch thick. Brush surface with melted butter. Sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar mixture over the dough surface. Roll over the surface with a rolling pin, this is to make sure the fillings will stick onto the dough.
9. From the longer end (30cm), roll up the dough to form a long log (30cm in length). Pinch the edges to seal. Place the log seam side down, trim off the two ends.
10. With a sharp knife, cut the roll into 9 equal pieces, about 3cm each. (To get even rolls, use a dental floss to slice the log. Position a long string of dental floss under the log, hold the two free ends, criss-cross over the top of the log, pull the two end to cut the roll.
11. Arrange the rolls cut-side up in a greased (or lined with parchment paper) square pan or any suitable baking tray. Leave some space in between the rolls to allow them to expand.
12. Cover with damp cloth or cling wrap and leave doughs to proof for the second time for about 45mins, or until double in size.
13. Brush top with egg wash (mix leftover egg with 1 tbs water) and sprinkle the reserved cinnamon sugar mixture over the top. Bake in pre-heated oven at 180°C for 15-20 mins or until golden brown. Remove from oven and once cool store immediately in an airtight container.