Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Make the dough
- Combine whole milk, warm water, active dry yeast, and 1 tablespoon sugar, then let stand 5 minutes until foamy, with a visible bubbly surface.
- Add the remaining sugar, large egg, melted butter, salt, and all-purpose flour, then knead 8 minutes until soft and smooth, with the dough becoming elastic.
First rise
- Cover the dough and rise 1 hour until doubled in size, until it looks puffy and doubled.
Shape and second rise
- Roll the dough into a 1/2-inch thick rectangle, then fold in half and cut into 2-inch squares.
- Place the squares on a parchment-lined sheet, cover, and rise 1 hour until puffy, rising visibly above the tray.
Bake and finish
- Preheat oven to 350F and bake the rolls 12-15 minutes until golden, then brush with melted butter right after baking.
- Whip softened butter, powdered sugar, honey, and ground cinnamon until fluffy, until light and spreadable, then serve with the warm rolls.
Notes
For the best texture, verify the warmed whole milk is at about 110F—too hot can slow yeast activity. Store leftover rolls covered in the refrigerator up to 3 days and rewarm in the microwave; the cinnamon honey butter can be refrigerated up to 5 days and softened at room temperature before serving. Freezing: freeze baked rolls up to 2 months, thaw overnight in the fridge, then rewarm; freeze the dough is not recommended for this method. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat butter in both the dough and whipped butter (texture remains soft, but flavor will be slightly milder).