These Spiced Cinnamon Rolls Will Take Teatime to the Next Level!

I am a full-time chef as most of you already know. The vast majority of my baking is done at home for the main purpose of creating videos for you. But sometimes I do bake at work just because it’s fun and I like to give the customers and my team members a special treat from time to time.

Usually, I post pictures of upcoming projects on the Community Tab of my channel. And I also post the bakes I do at work occasionally. That is where this recipe comes from.

A lot of times I make things up as I go along, even more so when I’m baking at work. The recipe for these rolls was inspired by my hot cross loaf recipe. I changed some of the ingredients and the method and I’m pretty happy with the result.

My days are relatively busy so usually I get to mix my doughs in the evening. That’s why cold fermentation is the best option for me. Because of the high sugar and cinnamon content of this dough it will ferment quite slowly. I left the dough on the table for bulk fermentation and a good chunk of the final proof, but it was late, and I had to refrigerate and then continue on the next day.

As is always the case you don’t have to follow a recipe as it is written. Recipes can be infinitely adjusted. If you want to bake on the same day and if you don’t want to wait too long, then increase the amount of yeast and/or make the dough warmer and keep it in a warmer place.

If you do want to cold proof like I did, then I’d suggest starting sooner in the day and letting the roll final proof at room temperature for an additional hour or hour and a half before refrigerating so that you don’t have to wait on the next day.

Simply let the rolls come up to room temperature whist the oven is pre-heating and then bake. I had to let my rolls ferment for another 2 hours before I baked them.

You can swap the spices for cocoa powder. You can swap the currants and mixed peed for nuts or chocolate chips and adjust this recipe any way you like. You can add more butter if you want to make them even richer. You can even use the scalding method to make these rolls extra soft like my super soft cinnamon roll recipe.

Watch the video down below for detailed instructions.

Ingredients

For the dough –

300g (10.6oz) white bread flour

5g (0.17oz) instant dry yeast or 6g (0.21oz) active dry yeast or 15g (0.52oz) fresh yeast

6g (0.21oz) salt

50g (1.75oz) soft butter

50g (1.75oz) sugar

10g (0.35oz) mixed spice

60g (2.1oz) currants or raisins

60g (2.1oz) mixed candied peel

180g (6.35oz) milk

Soft butter to brush the roll after shaping.

If you are using active dry yeast, then you may need to let it sit in the water for 10 minutes before adding the other ingredients or else it could take a lot longer to raise the dough.

For the filling –

60g (2.1oz) sugar

6g (0.21oz) cinnamon

40g (1.4oz) soft butter

For the icing –

60g (2.1oz) icing sugar

8g (0.28oz) lemon juice

For the sugar syrup –

30g (1oz) sugar

20g (0.7oz) water

Method

1. Make the filling. Combine the sugar, cinnamon, and butter. Mix until smooth and leave on the side for later. Do not refrigerate.
2. Make the icing. Sift the icing sugar and mix it with lemon juice until smooth. Transfer to a piping bag and leave on the side for later. Also don’t refrigerate.
3. Make the dough. In large bowl combine the milk, yeast, salt mixed spice, sugar, currants, and mixed peel. Mix well to dissolve the salt and sugar.
4. Add 4 tablespoons of the flour to the mix and whisk it to a smooth paste. Add the softened butter and whisk that in too.
5. Add the remaining flour and mix to a dough. *Desired dough temperature around 24C – 25C (75F – 77F). If your dough is warmer, then it will ferment more rapidly. If it is cooler, then it will take longer. Adjust proofing time accordingly.
6. Cover and ferment for 40 minutes.
7. Fold #1.
8. Ferment for 40 minutes.
9. Fold #2.
10. Ferment for 40 minutes.
11. Roll the dough out and spread the filling over the surface leaving a gap at the top. Brush the top with water. Roll the dough up and seal it.
12. Brush the roll with butter all over. Slice into individual rolls. You can do fewer larger ones or more smaller ones.
13. Place on a non-stick paper lined tray.
14. Cover and final proof until doubled in size. Cold proof if you want to.
15. Bake at 160C (320F) fan on for 25 minutes. Right before the rolls come out the oven make the syrup by boiling the water and sugar.
16. Brush the rolls with the hot syrup as soon as they come out the oven.
17. Leave to cool down and top with the icing.

Enjoy!

Keep in mind that the conditions in each kitchen are different, so fermentation times may vary for you. It is up to the baker to control the bread and react accordingly.

Your oven may be different too, so your baking time may vary.