Bread Machine Tangzhong Cinnamon Rolls (Stay Soft Longer)
Sneak Preview: These bread machine Tangzhong cinnamon rolls stay soft longer thanks to a quick flour-and-milk paste that locks in moisture. Shape, bake, and glaze bakery-style rolls in about 3–3½ hours. Makes 16 rolls.
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If you love cinnamon rolls but wish they didn’t go stale by noon, these are the ones you’ve been waiting for.
Results can vary depending on your flour, climate, and storage method, but in my kitchen, these rolls keep their soft texture noticeably longer than the average homemade batch.
How I Use a Bread Machine for Better Bread
I use my bread machine (this is the model I use) to mix and knead the dough using the DOUGH cycle, then shape it by hand and bake it in a conventional oven. This approach takes advantage of the machine’s consistent kneading while giving me full control over shaping, rising, and baking—especially important for rolls, pizza, and other swirled and shaped breads.
My free Bread Machine Crash Course explains this approach in more detail.
Ingredients and Substitutions
MILK: Whole milk makes the softest rolls, but low-fat or non-dairy options (like almond or oat milk) will work too. No need to warm milk when using a bread machine.
FLOUR: All-purpose flour gives a tender crumb. Use bread flour if you want a chewier texture. Always weigh for accuracy.
EGG: Use one large egg. If your egg is extra-large or small, adjust the liquid slightly.
YEAST: Instant, quick-rise, or bread machine yeast are best. See notes if using active dry.
SUGAR: Use regular granulated sugar for the dough and brown sugar for the filling. No sugar subs tested.
CINNAMON & CLOVES: Use fresh ground cinnamon for flavor. A pinch of cloves is optional but adds warmth.
CREAM CHEESE & COFFEE (FOR GLAZE): You can substitute milk for coffee, but don’t skip the cream cheese unless needed. If you don’t have cream cheese, consider this browned butter icing, instead.
Why the Tangzhong Technique Helps Cinnamon Rolls Stay Soft Longer?
Tangzhong, or “water roux,” is a cooked paste made from flour and milk (or water) that’s stirred into the dough. In Japan, a similar method is called yudane.
Heating the mixture first changes the starches, allowing the dough to absorb more liquid. That extra moisture means softer, fluffier rolls that tend to stay tender longer—without adding preservatives.
Step-by-Step Photos: Making Tangzhong Cinnamon Rolls with a Bread Machine
⬇️ Jump to the recipe below for exact amounts and detailed instructions.
Bread Machine Tangzhong Cinnamon Rolls (Stay Soft Longer)
Ingredients
Tangzhong Paste:
- 2 tablespoons (15 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (113 g) whole milk
Dough:
- ½ cup (114 g) cool milk
- 1 large (50 g) egg
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream OR 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1¼ teaspoon table or sea salt
- 4 tablespoons (57 g) cold unsalted butter (chopped)
- 2¾ cups (330 g) unbleached all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons bread-machine or instant yeast
Filling:
- 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter (soft)
- ¾ cup (160 g) brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 pinch ground cloves (optional)
- ½ cup (57 g) chopped pecans (optional)
Glaze:
- 2 cups (227 g) powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons coffee
- 1 ounce (28 g) softened cream cheese
Instructions
- Make the Tangzhong paste: In a microwave-safe bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons (15 g) unbleached all-purpose flour into ½ cup (113 g) whole milk . Microwave, whisking every 15 seconds, until thick like pudding. Whisk in ½ cup (114 g) cool milk to cool down the Tangzhong paste.
- Make the Dough: Add Tangzhong paste mixed with cold milk to the bread machine along with 1 large (50 g) egg, 1 tablespoon heavy cream OR 1 egg yolk, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, 1¼ teaspoon table or sea salt 4 tablespoons (57 g) cold unsalted butter (chopped), 2¾ cups (330 g) unbleached all-purpose flour and 2 teaspoons bread-machine or instant yeast.
- Select the DOUGH cycle and start.First check: After a couple of minutes, check the dough to make sure it is coming together into a raggedy ball. If not, add more water 1 tablespoon at a time. If you see pancake batter instead of dough, you forgot some flour—just add it slowly until everything pulls together.Second check: Check dough again after about 15 minutes. The dough should stick to the sides of the pan, then pull away cleanly. If too wet, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time. If too dry and the dough doesn’t stick at all, add more liquid. See more details–Surprising Secret for Making Better Bread with a Bread Machine.Note: Getting the dough consistency right makes all the difference in how light and tender these rolls turn out.
- Filling: Mix ¾ cup (160 g) brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 pinch ground cloves (optional) in a small bowl. Set aside.
- End of DOUGH cycle: The dough should be doubled. If not, give it more rise time until it is. Restart the DOUGH cycle and knead for 1 minute to deflate the dough. Stop the machine and turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, shape into a smooth ball, cover, and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Shape the Rolls: Remove the dough from the bread machine and divide in half. Roll each into a 13×10″ rectangle. Spread with 2 tbsp softened butter. Sprinkle half of the filling (above) and ½ cup (57 g) chopped pecans (optional) over the dough. Roll up tightly (starting from the long side) and cut each cylinder into 8 slices.
- Second Rise: Arrange in 8 or 9-inch round greased pans. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled.
- Bake: About 15 minutes before rolls are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375˚F (190˚C).Bake rolls for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and the interior temperature reaches 190˚F (88˚C).Troubleshooting: If rolls rise unevenly or pop up in the center, the pan may be too small, or the rolls rolled too tightly. Gently press centers down after baking, and use a larger pan next time.
- Glaze: Mix 2 cups (227 g) powdered sugar 2 tablespoons coffee, and 1 ounce (28 g) softened cream cheese to your desired thickness. Spread over warm rolls. (if you don’t have cream cheese, consider browning some butter in your microwave and adding it to your powdered sugar instead.)
Notes
- You only need a pinch of cloves–that stuff is potent.
- If you prefer, substitute milk or cream for coffee in the icing. The coffee taste is unidentifiable, but it’s so good! It makes for a nice caramel color, too.
- Unbaked dough: Freeze after the DOUGH cycle or after shaping (before final rise). Defrost in the fridge overnight.
- Baked bread: Double-wrap and freeze up to one month. Reheat gently.
- Stand Mixer: Mix until moistened, then knead with a dough hook (speed 2–3) until smooth and elastic (5–10 minutes). Let rise, deflate, and shape as directed.
- By Hand: Mix to a shaggy dough, knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic (10–20 minutes). Let rise, deflate, and shape as directed.
Equipment
Nutrition
All images and text ©️ Paula Rhodes for Salad in a Jar.com
Final Thoughts
Are you wondering if these cinnamon rolls are worth the extra trouble? I think they are. To me, Tangzhong cinnamon rolls have a better texture and flavor than most cinnamon rolls. However, we all have different tastes, standards, and priorities. So, if you want a more straightforward recipe, try my original cinnamon roll recipe.
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— Paula
Home Economist
Homemade Food Worth Sharing
Need help troubleshooting?
Email me: Paula at saladinajar.com — photos help!
Fabulous rolls and system for making breads of all kinds. Consistent results especially when you weigh ingredients.
Also Paula responded quickly to my email question, amazing!
Thank you, Carol. Readers like you make my day!!!
Oh my. Family says they’ve never tasted ANY cinnamon rolls as good as these. Melt in your mouth delicious. I made them last weekend to rave reviews. Really too many for my small family of 4 so I froze half the dough prior to shaping. Truthfully, I was skeptical that dough that had been frozen would produce such great rolls. Wrong. Every bit as good. Thank you for this keeper!
Hi Gretchen,
I am so glad you wrote about your experience with freezing the dough. I get so many questions about it. Your testimony should alleviate any fears. Thank you so much for writing.
I just made this today exactly except for the 9″ pans only had 8″ pans… other than that…DElish…
Thanks for the 5-star rating Malcolm. My favorite way is to use one 8-inch pan with 7 rolls and one 9-inch pan with 9 pans.
Paula I am trying to make a “universal dough” I can use for both cinnamon rolls and ensaymada (Philippine/Spaniard brioche). The brioche is a bit sweeter, so will it hurt the texture of the cinammon recipe above if I increased the sugar content from 1 T sugar to 1/4 cup sugar?
You can try it, Mickie. I reduce the sugar in dough that I use for cinnamon rolls because of all the added sugar in the filling. But you can certainly more sugar. Expect the rise time to be slightly longer with that much sugar.
Kosher or regular table salt?
I use regular or sea salt. If you want to use Kosher, add ¼-½ teaspoon more.
Can I freeze half of this recipe unrisen and unbaked?
Hi Nancy,
Freeze the dough after the DOUGH cycle completes. That means there will be an initial rise in the machine. Do the final rise after the dough thaws, and you have shaped the rolls.
I made these exactly as directed and they came out perfect. So delicious! Thanks!
Salted or unsalted butter?
Good question, Kit. I will go into that recipe and be more specific to say “unsalted butter.” In reality, either will work. I like a lot of salt in my bread so I often use salted butter and it works great, too. Thanks for writing.
Can you use fresh ground wheat with the Tangzhong technique? Would the measurements be the same? Would I use white wheat berries?
Hi Donna,
I have never tried it. But if I did, I would start by using only 1 cup of flour made with fresh ground white wheat berries as a substitute for one cup of the white flour. If that goes OK, increase gradually. Using 100% whole wheat would likely result in dense and compact rolls. If you try it, I would love to know what happens.
Hi Paula, Nice to chat! I’ve just started using, the cooking by weight method. You said to use 3 cups or 360gr of AP flour. That comes out to 120gr per cup of flour. But I’ve been using the 140gr for a cup of flour. That’s 20gr difference, which would make it 60gr total. That’s a big difference in bread making. Cinnamon rolls are my nemesis. HAH! I can make them, they are good, but not the texture I want. I’ve learned I’m heavy on the flour, weighing has helped tremendously! If you could clear this up for me, that would help bunches! Thanks, Cheryl
I usually go by the numbers King Arthur uses. They say AP flour and bread flour weigh 120 gr per cup. I find that this agrees with what the package says more often than not. However, if you know the person who wrote the recipe uses a different number, you should go with what the recipe creator uses. I will say I’ve never heard of anybody using 140 gr as the standard for one cup of flour. In the end, if you check your dough while it’s kneading you can make it just right on the fly. Here’s the post about that. The Most Important Tip Ever for How To Use a Bread Machine
@Paula, Southern Living, The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook, first printing 1999. This could explain my dough issues. As I said, I’m new to measures. I’m going to have to go back and adjust several recipes, see I can still learn at 60. Hah! I went through your list of supplies. You didn’t have a metric measures guide on there, I’d get one! Thank you for your fast response! Have a great week! Cheryl
Great suggestion about the metric guide, Cheryl. Thanks!
This is the third recipe I have tried from your blog since I subscribed on 8/18/20. I bought a bread machine at the beginning of April and really wasn’t a fan. I previously had one that I lost in Hurricane Katrina and never replaced it until this year. I had decided that I didn’t like the bread baked in the new machine and started baking it in my oven, but still wasn’t thrilled with the taste.
Then, I came across your blog, subscribed to your emails and have since become a fan. The brioche is to die for…so delicious, the crusty round bread was a hit and this cinnamon rolls were as well. Can’t wait to try them all. BTW, I wish I would have spent a little more and bought the machine you have. I love the two paddle feature…maybe in the future.
Jane,
You sure know how to brighten my day. I’m thrilled to hear the recipes were successful for you. Can’t wait to hear about more in the future. If you ever run into trouble, don’t hesitate to write back.
Looking forward to trying this recipe. Was hoping to try it today. How long do I keep the dough to rise after mixing it? And how long do I keep it to rise after shaping it and putting it in pan before I bake it?
Let the dough rise until not-quite-double in both cases. If making in a bread machine, just let the dough cycle run. If making in a mixer, set the dough aside to rise. I would allow at least an hour for the first rise and 35-45 minutes for the second rise. But I don’t know the temperature in your kitchen, so I can’t tell you exactly. I hope the rolls work out for you. Let me know if you have more questions about the instructions.
Hi Paula..Making cinnamon rolls today 🙂 I tried KA recipe yesterday and it didnt work out. I am thinking maybe my yeasts werent good so I am trying your recipe today and new yeasts. I have a question about this dough…when it is kneaded in a bread machine…should it stick to the bottom little bit or just form a smooth not sticky ball? Mine is smooth and doesnt stick to the bottom. It was like that yesterday too and I am thinking maybe too much flour and not enough water? Or it should be like that? Yesterday rolls raised very little. Thank you Paula!
Hi Elina,
Sounds like your dough ball was about perfect. If it didn’t rise, it was either too cold in the room where you put it to rise, your yeast was old or got killed by other ingredients that were too hot, or you didn’t give the dough enough time to proof. Not enough water affects the texture and moisture of the rolls more than the rise. I hope this helps. Wish I could come to your house and smell those cinnamon rolls baking, and then, help you eat them. ?Write me back if you have any problems. p.s. Are you using instant yeast or bread machine yeast?
Thank you for your reply, Paula! Second time rolls raised a little bit more but still not like on your picture. First time I used instant yeast, second – active yeast. Second time: first rise in bread machine, second rise in turn off oven more then an hour. Dough was nice to work with, not stick, soft and smooth. I still think I am not doing something right…rolls were good and kids enjoyed them but not as soft as I would like them to be…second day they were ok, not really soft. I may try to increase water and see what happens. I dont think yeasts were killed. Water was warm on touch…I remember making milk bread a while ago and it was wonderfully soft. Also maybe cheap walmart flour didnt help as well…that was all I could buy considering present circumstances…
@Elina, did you use salted or unsalted butter?
@Elina,
Somehow I missed this email. I’m so sorry it has taken me this long to answer. Active yeast usually takes longer to rise. In general, dough with a lot of sugar is slower to rise.
Cheap flour doesn’t help. But I think there’s something else going on. Unfortunately, I can’t put my finger on it without watching you.
Have you tried my original cinnamon rolls? They are a bit simpler and really very good. https://saladinajar.com/recipes/my-cinnamon-rolls/
These look amazing!
So delicious!
These rolls taste amazing, very addictive. I made them Monday evening, last one consumed on Thursday morning. (I shared wih family, don’t judge me) They still tasted fresh and homemade. I will definitely make them again.
These rolls taste amazing, very addictive. I made them Monday evening, last one consumed on Thursday morning. (I shared wih family, don’t judge me) They still tasted fresh and homemade. I will definitely make them again.
These look amazing!
So delicious!