Sweet Rolls

When I need to fix something quick but really good, I use this sweet rolls recipe. These rolls have never disappointed, they are rich, sweet, soft, and simply irresistible. You can use this dough with any kind of filling and make cinnamon rolls or sticky buns, or just use the Biscoff cookie butter spread and it will be a wonderful dessert!

One of the best things about this sweet roll dough is how reliable and easy it is to work with. The dough comes together beautifully, creating rolls that bake up incredibly fluffy, tender, and rich every single time. Whether you’re making them for a weekend breakfast, holiday brunch, or a quick dessert craving, these rolls always feel comforting and bakery-quality without requiring a complicated process.

The texture is soft and buttery with just the right amount of sweetness, making it the perfect base for endless flavor combinations. Cinnamon sugar, cardamom, fruit preserves, chocolate, cream cheese fillings, chopped nuts, caramel, or cookie butter all work wonderfully with this dough. It’s one of those recipes that can easily become a staple because it adapts so well to whatever ingredients you already have at home.

Using Biscoff cookie butter creates an especially indulgent version with deep caramelized flavor and a creamy filling that melts beautifully during baking. Finished with a simple glaze or cream cheese frosting, the rolls become almost impossible to resist while still warm from the oven.

Another reason I love this recipe is that it produces soft rolls that stay tender even the next day, making them perfect for preparing ahead of time. Whether served fresh with coffee, shared with guests, or enjoyed as an afternoon treat, these sweet rolls always disappear quickly and never fail to impress.

If you are looking for sourdough version, I have included it in my Sourdough Baking With Kids book.

Ingredients

Dough

• 230g  lukewarm milk
• 5g dry instant yeast 
• 80g sugar
• 1 large egg
• 500 g bread flour, plus more for dusting
• 90g unsalted butter at room temperature
• 10g salt

Cream cheese icing

• 2 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons milk
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 ½ cups confectioners sugar
• teaspoon salt

Directions 

Dough

• 8 am in a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients (except salt and butter) for the dough together. Mix the dough on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 minutes, or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 3-4 minutes until well incorporated.
• Add salt and mix for a couple more minutes. The dough should form a ball.
• Add soft butter, increase the speed, mix for 10-15 minutes until the dough comes up together.

• 8.30 am  cover the dough and let it proof for 2-2.5 hours at 76-80F/ 24-28C.
• During that time perform 1 stretch and fold.
• The dough should become puffy.
• 11 am move the dough to fridge for at least 2 hours, or until next day.
• 1 pm remove the dough from fridge, sprinkle work surface with flour, roll the dough  in a rectangular with sides about 20×12 inch/50 x 30 cm and about 0.2 inch/ 0.5 cm thin.

• Spread filling all over the dough surface. Then start to roll the dough tightly, forming a roll.
• Cut the toll into 1-1.5 inch/3-4cm thick rolls.

• Cover baking tray with parchment paper, place rolls on a parchment paper. Cover them with plastic wrap to prevent drying and let them proof for 1.5-2  hours at 76-80F/ 24-28C.

• Preheat the oven to 375F. Bake sweet rolls for 10 min, then lower temperature to 350F and continue baking for 15-18 min, until golden brown.
• Meanwhile prepare the icing by mixing all ingredients together.
• Spread icing on top of warm rolls.

Enjoy!

Versatile Yeast Sweet Rolls

264kcal

No ratings yet

Pinterest Facebook Share on X

Share Print

Prep 35 minutes mins

Cook 28 minutes mins

Rise & Rest Time 6 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Total 7 hours hrs 33 minutes mins

An exceptionally reliable, comforting, and bakery-quality sweet enriched dough that bakes up incredibly fluffy, tender, and rich every single time. Perfectly balanced in its sweetness, this soft and buttery dough serves as an adaptable canvas for a wide array of sweet fillings, from classic cinnamon sugar and chocolate to indulgent Biscoff cookie butter spread.

Servings 12 Large Rolls

Cuisine American

Ingredients

1x2x3x

The Enriched Dough

• ▢ 230 g Lukewarm milk
• ▢ 5 g Dry instant yeast
• ▢ 80 g Granulated sugar
• ▢ Large egg
• ▢ 500 g Bread flour (plus extra for dusting your workspace)
• ▢ 90 g Unsalted butter (softened completely to room temperature)
• ▢ 10 g Salt

The Classic Cream Cheese Icing

• ▢ 2 oz Cream cheese (softened)
• ▢ 2 tbsp Milk
• ▢ 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
• ▢ 1 1/2 cups Confectioners sugar
• ▢ Salt 1 pinch

Equipment

• ▢
  Stand Mixer (fitted with the dough hook attachment)
• ▢
  Large Baking Sheet Pan
• ▢
  Rolling Pin
• ▢
  Kitchen Scale
• ▢
  Parchment Paper
• ▢
  Plastic Wrap

Method

Prevent Sleep ModePrevent Sleep Mode

Mechanical Kneading and Warm Primary Proof

1. 8:00 AM: In your stand mixer bowl, combine the lukewarm milk, dry instant yeast, granulated sugar, egg, and 500g of bread flour (hold back the salt and softened butter for now). Turn the machine onto low speed for 2 to 3 minutes (or speed 3 on a KitchenAid for 3 to 4 minutes) until the ingredients are well incorporated and a shaggy dough forms.
2. Sprinkle the 10g of salt directly into the bowl and continue mixing for an additional 2 minutes until the dough consolidates and wraps around the hook into a solid ball.
3. With the mixer still running on medium-low speed, gradually add the 90g of softened room-temperature butter in small chunks. Once all the butter is added, increase the mixer speed to medium-high and knead continuously for 10 to 15 minutes. The dough will appear slick and loose at first, but be patient; it will completely absorb the fat and pull away from the sides of the bowl into a smooth, shiny mass.
4. 8:30 AM: Shape the dough into a smooth ball, cover the bowl securely, and place it in a warm, draft-free area at 76–80°F (24–28°C) to proof for 2 to 2.5 hours.
5. Perform one clean stretch-and-fold session halfway through the rise to organize the internal gas structure. The finished dough should feel light, delicate, and noticeably puffy to the touch.

Cold Stabilization, Filling, and Precision Shaping

1. 11:00 AM: Transfer the covered dough container directly into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours (or leave it overnight if you prefer to split the process into a second day). Chilling the high-fat dough stiffens the butter, making it infinitely easier to roll out cleanly without sticking.
2. 1:00 PM: Remove the cold dough from the refrigerator. Lightly dust your countertop with flour and tip the dough out. Using a rolling pin, roll it out evenly into a large rectangle measuring roughly 20×12 inches (50×30 cm) and approximately 0.2 inches (0.5 cm) thick.
3. Spread your chosen filling (such as Biscoff cookie butter, Nutella, or cinnamon-sugar butter paste) evenly across the entire surface of the sheeted dough.
4. Starting from the long edge closest to you, roll the dough up tightly and evenly from bottom to top to form a dense, uniform log.
5. Using a sharp serrated knife or unflavored dental floss, slice the log cleanly into individual rolls measuring roughly 1 to 1.5 inches (3–4 cm) thick.
6. Line a large baking tray with parchment paper and arrange the sliced rolls across the surface. Cover them loosely with plastic wrap to prevent the outer skins from drying out, and let them proof for 1.5 to 2 hours at 76–80°F (24–28°C) until plumper and touching slightly.

Two-Step Baking and Glazing

1. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) during the final 20 minutes of proofing.
2. Slide the tray into the preheated oven and bake the sweet rolls at 375°F (190°C) for exactly 10 minutes to set the primary oven spring.
3. Reduce the oven temperature down to 350°F (175°C) and continue baking for an additional 15 to 18 minutes until the tops turn a beautiful, even golden brown.
4. While the rolls are baking, prepare the icing. In a medium bowl, thoroughly whisk together the 2 ounces of softened cream cheese, 2 tablespoons of milk, 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract, 1 1/2 cups of confectioners sugar, and a pinch of salt until smooth and pourable.
5. Remove the sweet rolls from the oven and immediately spread the cream cheese icing generously over the tops while they are still warm, letting it melt into the crevices. Serve warm!

Nutrition

Calories264kcalCarbohydrates54gProtein7gFat9gSaturated Fat5gPolyunsaturated Fat1gMonounsaturated Fat2gTrans Fat0.2gCholesterol25mgSodium84mgPotassium99mgFiber1gSugar8gVitamin A288IUVitamin C0.03mgCalcium41mgIron0.4mg

Notes

• Why the Mandatory Fridge Chill is Vital: Because this dough is highly enriched with 90g of butter, attempting to roll, fill, and slice it while it is at warm room temperature will result in a sticky, collapsing mess. Placing the dough into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours hardens the fats cleanly. This allows your rolling pin to glide over the dough smoothly and ensures clean, round spirals when you slice the log into individual rolls.
• Tailoring Versatile Filling Options: This sweet enriched dough contains just enough background sweetness to pair beautifully with nearly any filling you have in your pantry. For a decadent twist, you can spread Biscoff cookie butter or creamy Nutella directly over the rolled rectangle. If you prefer classic cinnamon rolls, cream together 100g of softened butter, 100g of brown sugar, and 1 to 2 tablespoons of ground cinnamon before spreading.
• The Logic Behind Staged Temperature Baking: Baking these rolls utilizes a precise two-step heat profile to maintain an incredibly plush texture. Starting at a hot 375 degrees Fahrenheit for the initial 10 minutes causes the gases inside the dough to expand rapidly, securing a light and airy rise. Dropping the temperature down to 350 degrees Fahrenheit allows the dense, buttery center of the rolls to bake through completely without over-browning or drying out the exterior edges.
• Make-Ahead and Freezing Protocols: This recipe is perfect for entertaining because the dough can stay tender even into the next day. If you want fresh, warm morning rolls without the early wake-up call, complete the shaping and slicing steps the night before, place the sliced rolls onto your lined tray, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and let them proof slowly in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, bring them to room temperature for 30 minutes while your oven preheats, then bake according to the instructions.

Tried this recipe?

Let us know how it was!

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.