CREAM ROLLS RECIPE RECIPES

Steps:

• Whisk ½ cup milk, ⅓ cup flour (42 g), and ½ cup water in a small saucepan until smooth. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until a very stiff paste forms (it should resemble mashed potatoes), about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; scrape tangzhong into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
• Gently warm remaining 2 Tbsp. milk in same saucepan over low heat until lukewarm. Remove from heat, add yeast, and whisk until dissolved. Let sit until mixture is foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Add sour cream, sugar, kosher salt, 2 eggs, 4 Tbsp. butter, and remaining 5 cups bread flour (625 g) to tangzhong. Scrape in yeast mixture and mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. Increase speed to medium and mix, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally and adding more flour by the tablespoonful if sticky, until dough is smooth and supple, 8–10 minutes.
• Scrape dough onto a work surface and form into a smooth ball; dust lightly with flour. Place inside a clean large bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a silicone lid. Let sit in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, 1–1½ hours.
• Meanwhile, coat a 13x9" pan, preferably metal, with 2 Tbsp. butter (it will be a generous layer, which is what you want). Uncover dough and punch down lightly to expel some of the gas.
• Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and stretch into a square.
• Roll out, dusting with more flour as needed to prevent sticking, to a 12" square and sprinkle chives evenly over dough.
• Starting at one end, loosely roll up dough. Flatten with the heel of your hands into a long rectangle. Roll out dough again, dusting with more flour as needed, into a 16x6" rectangle.
• Using a wheel cutter or bench scraper, cut dough into twenty-four 2"-squarish pieces (an 8x3 grid).
• Working with 1 piece of dough, gather all the corners and pinch together to form a teardrop shape. Place seam side down on work surface. Cup your hand over dough and drag across surface, moving your hand in a rapid circular motion, to form dough into a tight ball. Do not add flour, as you want friction between the dough and the surface. Place ball in prepared pan and repeat with remaining pieces of dough, spacing to make a 6x4 grid. Cover pan with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm, draft-free spot until rolls are nearly doubled in size, 45–60 minutes.
• Meanwhile, place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 375°.
• Using a fork, whisk remaining egg in a small bowl until no streaks remain. Uncover pan and gently brush tops of rolls with egg, then sprinkle with sea salt and pepper. Bake rolls until tops are deep golden brown, 25–30 minutes.
• Remove pan from oven and immediately brush tops with remaining 2 Tbsp. butter. Let cool in pan 5 minutes. Slide a knife or an offset spatula around sides of pan to loosen rolls, then slide a metal spatula underneath to loosen the bottom. Slide entire grid of rolls out and onto a wire rack. Serve warm or let cool.
• Do ahead: Rolls can be formed and arranged in pan 1 day ahead; cover and chill. Let rise at room temperature before baking (this can take up to 3 hours). Rolls can be baked 3 days ahead. Let cool; store airtight at room temperature.

Steps:

• Make the dough: Combine the yeast, buttermilk and 1 tablespoon sugar and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Add the butter, remaining 3 tablespoons sugar, lemon zest, salt and cardamom to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low to combine. Add the eggs and buttermilk mixture, and stir until combined.
• With the mixer on low speed, slowly add 4 cups/510 grams of the flour and stir until all of the flour is moistened. Switch to the dough hook, and mix for 5 more minutes. The dough will be soft and billowy, and it will stick to the bottom of the bowl. Add more flour if the dough seems very, very soft.
• Transfer the dough to a fresh, lightly oiled bowl. Turn the dough to coat it with oil, then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour. Alternately, refrigerate the dough before rising for up to 24 hours and proceed with the recipe as written. The rolls may need a slightly longer second rise.
• Make the filling: Combine the sugar, lemon zest, cardamom and a pinch of salt. Use your fingers to rub the lemon zest into the sugar.
• Assemble the rolls: Line a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with parchment paper and butter the pan and paper. Gently deflate the dough by folding it over itself a few times in the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and pat or roll it into a rectangle about 12-by-16-inches and 1/4-inch thick. Gently spread the soft butter over the dough, and sprinkle the sugar mixture evenly over the top. Roll the dough into a tight log and use a serrated knife or length of floss to cut the log into 12 even pieces.
• Place the rolls into the prepared pan, cover, and let rise again until doubled in size, about 1 hour. You can also refrigerate the rolls before the second rise for up to 24 hours, if you’d like to bake them later. Let the rolls rise at room temperature until doubled in size before baking.
• Finish the rolls: Heat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the rolls are golden and cooked through. While the rolls are baking, make the icing: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth. The icing should be quite thick, but spreadable. Add a little more lemon juice if necessary.
• Let the rolls cool for about 5 minutes, then spread the icing over the top. Enjoy warm.