By popular demand, it had to be done – the magic Soft No Knead Dinner Rolls have now been transformed into these No Knead Cinnamon Rolls!!! Soft and fluffy with a cream cheese glaze, these will change your life. No kneading, no stand mixer, no overnight rise. You’re welcome / I’m sorry….
I’m apologising for sharing these for a number of reasons. I’m sorry to all those trying to be healthy. (Me, me!) I’m sorry to everyone trying to cut down of their carb intake. (Me, me!)
I’m sorry to everyone who makes these once and are harassed to make them again and again…..
I actually wasn’t sure if I would ever share this. I had quite an astonishing number of messages here and on Facebook asking if the No Knead Dinner Rolls could be used to make cinnamon rolls. The concept sounded quite easy – just use the same dough but add a bit more flour so it was rollable into a large rectangle that could be slathered with butter and cinnamon sugar, then rolled up and cut.
The problem I kept running into – the 2 rolls in the middle of the tray just wouldn’t cook through properly. They looked cooked, but as soon as I bit into it, it was undeniably doughy.
Batches later… the answer was so simple. I ran out of bread flour and used normal flour.
Boom. It worked. Duh! Head smack! No-knead dough is more fragile than kneaded dough and bread flour makes buns slightly lighter and more tender. When you add that heavy butter / sugar slather, it weighs down the dough and adds too much moisture for the dough to rise and cook through properly.
Switch to plain / all purpose flour = slightly sturdier dough = sturdier (but still soft!) buns = fully cooked through.
Phew!
This No Knead Cinnamon Rolls recipe is also surprisingly forgiving. I’ve been amazed – you’ll see in the video that the dough looks even looser than the photos above. I’ve added flour and water right at the end to adjust the dough when it looked too thin / thick, I forgot sugar once and added that in after the 1st rise. Same result every time – couldn’t tell the difference.
As for kneaded vs no knead dough – here’s the truth. Kneaded dough makes a better bread. If that weren’t a fact, millions of bakeries around the world would be ditching their mixers. The bread is slightly more tender and keeps slightly better.
But the operative word here is slightly. The sheer convenience of this no knead recipe outweighs the small difference, and opens up a new world of possibilities for people who don’t have a stand mixer nor are inclined to knead dough by hand.
And the clincher is that when these No Knead Cinnamon Rolls are warmed slightly – just 15 seconds in the microwave – it makes them so uber soft and fluffy, you’d swear they were from a posh bakery.
Well – your family and friends will think that. You can just sit back and lap up the compliments! – Nagi x
PS You know full well these are not my Baby Hands.↓↓↓ These are my mother’s hands. She came round to be the hand model for the video. And she made these No Knead Cinnamon Rolls for the first time and specifically said that she was surprised how easy it was, even with “all that log rolling and cutting business”. 😉
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No Knead Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Buns:
- 1 tbsp dry yeast (Note 1)
- 70 g / 1/3 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar), or sub with normal white sugar
- 1/2 cup / 125 ml warm water (Note 2)
- 600 g / 20 oz plain flour / all purpose flour (4 1/2 US Cups, 4 Cups everywhere else exc Japan) (Note 3)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup / 250 ml milk , lukewarm, whole or low fat, (Note 2)
- 50 g / 3.5 tbsp unsalted butter , melted and slightly cooled
- 2 large eggs , beaten with fork
EXTRA FLOUR:
- 1/4 cup / 35g plain flour (all purpose flour), plus more as required
For Rolls:
- 90 g / 6 tbsp unsalted butter , melted
- 1 cup / 220 g brown sugar , packed
- 2 tbsp cinnamon powder
Cream Cheese Glaze:
- 90 g / 3 oz cream cheese , softened
- 50 / 3 tbsp unsalted butter , softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract (or essence)
- 1 1/4 cups / 150g soft icing sugar / powdered sugar
- 2 – 3 tbsp milk , any (or water)
Instructions
Buns:
- Place the yeast and 2 teaspoons of the sugar in a medium bowl, then pour in water. Leave for 5 minutes until it froths.
- Place 600g/20oz flour, remaining sugar and salt in a bowl. Mix to combine.
- Make a well in the centre. Add milk, butter, eggs and pour in the yeast liquid, including all froth.
- Mix until combined with wooden spoon – it will be like a sticky muffin batter, not kneadable.
- Rise # 1: Cover with cling wrap and place in a warm place (25C/77F+) to rise for around 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 hrs or until almost tripled in volume. (Note 4) Dough surface should be bubbly (see video or photos in post).
Making Rolls & Rise #2 (video is helpful):
- Line a 31.5 x 23.5 cm / 9 x 13″ tray with baking paper with overhang.
- Mix cinnamon and sugar in a bowl.
- Uncover dough, mix with spoon to deflate.
- Sprinkle half Extra Flour on work surface, pour dough on, sprinkle over remaining Extra Flour. Use hands to incorporate the flour into the dough – it may not absorb it all (or need more), the dough will stop absorbing flour when it’s no longer sticky, should be soft, pliable.
- If work surface is now flour free, sprinkle with more flour.
- Shape dough into log, then roll out into 28 x 48 cm / 11 x 19″ rectangle.
- Pour over butter, then brush all over, then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Roll up firmly, then shape into an even log.
- Cut into 12 pieces (4cm / 1.6″), then place on tray (3 x 4).
- Cover with tea towel then place in warm place for 40 minutes or until almost doubled.
Baking / Frosting:
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F (standard) or 160C/320F (fan / convection). Place shelf in the middle of the oven.
- Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the tray at 16 minutes.
- Buns are ready when the middle rolls are golden and the outer ones are deep golden on the edges. Tap the middle ones – they should sound hollow.
- Optional: Brush with 1 tbsp / 15g melted butter to remove any residual flour spots.
- Use paper overhang to lift rolls onto cooling rack (key step – Note 5). Cool for 1 hour (will still be warm).
- Use a spoon to frost with glaze. Best served warm!
Glaze:
- Place butter, cream cheese and vanilla in a bowl. Beat until smooth (10 – 15 seconds).
- Add icing sugar, beat to incorporate. Add enough milk to make it a consistency that can be spooned over the buns and it drips slightly (see video).
Recipe Notes:
WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
No Knead Cinnamon Rolls recipe video! Starring my mother – I’m the director/producer/cameraman/editor/screenwriter/runner/recipe developer.
Have you tried the Soft No Knead Dinner Rolls yet? 🙂
LIFE OF DOZER
You knew he’d be down there, didn’t you?
Hi Nagi can I use Instant yeast for this recipe? How much should I use?
Thanks!
Hi! Yes instant yeast is used in this recipe 🙂 N X
Could you use this bun recipe with less sugar or the no knead dinner roll recipe for cheesy garlic scrolls?
Hi Laura, use the no knead dinner rolls recipe but use this method to roll out and smear garlic butter (instead of cinnamon sugar) 🙂 N x
Took me two tries to make it right! Made the successful batch on a Thursday, and, on the following Tuesday, I get a text message from my husband reminding me to make yet another batch 😀
I love this!!! Wahoo!! N x
Another awesome recipe and so easy too! I made bread pudding with the leftovers. Sooo good! Thanks Nagi for your recipes.
You’re so welcome Romina! N x
Hi Nagi, Is it ok to ise a self raising flour in this recipe?
Hi Noor – unfortunately no, yeast is the rising agent in this recipe. N x
Well easy recipe, I need practice rolling up and cutting portions, stunning cinnamon rolls best I tasted. Xx
Great recipe. No knead worked like a charm. Very surprised how supple yet firm the dough was when I rolled it out. I found the rolls ever so sliiiiightly cakey, but I admit I went about five minutes above the suggested baking time to reach 190F. And honestly, that’s being really nitpick, because the end result was nothing short of amazing. So light and pillowy. So easy to execute.
Wahoo, thanks Loopy! N x
Hi from south africa. This recipe is really forgiving. I wondered why my dough was a little dry and not coming together so 2 more tablespoons warm water. As i was done covering the dough for the rising i spot the 2 eggs i had fogotten to add. I grabbed the dough quickly added them , said a prayer and it came out perfectly. Thank you
I’m so glad you salvaged it Marlene, that’s great! N x
My teenagers made these today while I was at work. There’s a lot of baking going on right now while everyone’s in quarantine! 😆Cinnamon rolls seem to be one of the more popular things to bake & with good reason. These are amazing!! I couldn’t believe how professional they look & taste. Honestly look like they came from a fancy bakery! Yum!!!
YUM, I can just smell them now!!! N x
I made your no knead dinner rolls and the Hot Cross buns and family said they were amazing.Thank you
Now to try the Cinnamon Rolls.
Hi, your recipes are great. Thanks! I tried making the dinner rolls and cinnamon rolls, but I don’t know what’s wrong because the dough decided to go BOOM! All puffy. And it wouldn’t stop growing. Lol! So I ended up with giant dinner rolls and very huge cinnamon rolls. They’re still delicious and my children love ’em! By the way, I’m in South East Asia, so do you think it could be the hot and humid weather?
Hi Elizabeth, yeast loves warm humid weather – they could have just risen quickly. The bigger the better, right?? 😂
Oh my days!!! These were absolutely gorgeous. Too gorgeous. One of those recipes I wish I hadn’t made! Recipe was prefect (as always) thank you Nagi x Hi Dozer 🐶
They’re so addictive, I’m so glad you did try it Tracie!! N x
OH DEAR LORD WERE THESE GOOD!!!!!!! I followed the recipe to the tee and they’re PERFECT! Fluffy pieces of cinnamon heaven! they are currently being gobbled by my husband and myself. Bring on the lockdown calories I tell ya!
Wahoo!!!! Awesome to hear Nav. Don’t worry about the calories – eat air tomorrow 😉 N x
My mix was wayyy too sticky/wet After uncovering it and moving onto the rolling it on the counter with flour step. What have I done wrong! (I substituted flour with gf flour and xanthan gum – is this why)
Hi Lins – I’d say that’s the reason – GF flour acts differently and has a different water absorption rate to regular flour! N x
I made this today and it was so easy but I have a question. Can I store it in the freezer instead of the refrigerator if I make it ahead?
Thank you in advance. 🙂
This cinnamon rolls are so easy to make , yet soooooo yummy !!! You are the best Nagi xx
I’m so glad you love them Lea – Thanks so much for letting me know!!! N x
Your recipes are the best. Easy, simple and healthy. I love them and have made a few and look forward to making more, I really love your doggie, Thank you so much
Made these today, so easy so great, many many thanks Nagi
You’re so welcome Ai!
Hi Nagi
I was wondering whether you could FREEZE half of the dough, after the first rise, so as to use at a later stage
I mixed 1 cup soft butter with 1cup sugar and the whole orange ( zest the outside and squeeze all the juice out of it. This is what I put inside the dough.
YUM Sheila, love this idea!!
Love love the yeast buns. I love the idea that you can make them night before then cook them the next day. Can I do the same with the cinnamon buns?
Sure can Bev!