The Delicious Ingredient You Should Actually Avoid For Better Cinnamon Rolls

How to incorporate butter like a pro

Professional chefs excel at crafting buttery cinnamon rolls. For example, Benjamin Delwiche, the author of Dessert Course, prepares his cinnamon roll dough similarly to how one would handle croissant dough. He folds a stick of cold butter into the rolled-out dough, much like tucking it into an envelope, and then rolls it flat again. This technique ensures the butter is evenly distributed throughout the dough. Additionally, by layering the butter between the dough before the final rolling and cutting, each spiral layer achieves a flaky pastry texture, thanks to the butter.

If the idea of laminating your dough seems daunting, there's a simpler method to keep the butter contained in your rolls during baking. Instead of melting the butter completely, soften it to room temperature. Aim for a spreadable consistency that isn’t so loose that it seeps out of the dough log. Once your butter is perfectly spreadable, blend in your cinnamon, sugar, and spices to create a cinnamon paste. This ensures that all that delightful flavor remains securely inside your rolls while they bake.

If you want to enhance your favorite sourdough cinnamon roll recipe with additional fillings like chopped pecans, dried cranberries, or orange zest, sprinkle them over the dough after applying your cinnamon-butter paste. This prevents the butter mixture from becoming too chunky to spread smoothly. Try one of these butter techniques, and we guarantee your cinnamon rolls will taste impressively professional.