Name: Dirty Chai Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup Milk; 1 1/2 teaspoon Fresh Yeast; 3 tablespoon Unsalted Butter; 3 tablespoon Granulated Sugar; 1/4 teaspoon Salt; 2 Egg; 2 cup All-Purpose Flour; 1 3/4 cup Bread Flour; 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar; 1/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar; 2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon; 1 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cardamom; 1 1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger; 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves; 1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg; 1/4 teaspoon Salt; 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter (for brushing); 1 tablespoon Milk; 1 tablespoon Espresso; 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract; 1 3/4 cup Powdered Confectioners Sugar

Ingredients

1 cup Milk

1 1/2 teaspoon Fresh Yeast

3 tablespoon Unsalted Butter

3 tablespoon Granulated Sugar

1/4 teaspoon Salt

2 Eggs

2 cup All-Purpose Flour

1 3/4 cup Bread Flour

1/4 cup Granulated Sugar

1/4 cup Dark Brown Sugar

2 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cardamom

1 1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger

1/4 teaspoon Ground Cloves

1/4 teaspoon Ground Nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/4 cup Unsalted Butter (for filling)

1 tablespoon Milk (for icing)

1 tablespoon Espresso (for icing)

1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract (for icing)

1 3/4 cup Powdered Confectioners Sugar (for icing)

Instructions

Step 1: In a small bowl, combine 1 cup milk, 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh yeast, and 1 tablespoon granulated sugar. Mix well and set aside to activate.

Step 2: In the bowl of a stand mixer, add 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Step 3: Add 2 eggs and the yeast-milk mixture to the mixer bowl, then mix until combined.

Step 4: Attach a dough hook to the mixer. Add 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 3/4 cups bread flour to the wet ingredients. Mix for about 7 minutes until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky.

Step 5: Place the dough ball into a clean greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel. Let it proof for 90 minutes or until it doubles in size.

Step 6: For the filling, mix 1/4 cup granulated sugar, 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cardamom, 1 1/4 teaspoons ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl until well combined.

Step 7: Roll the dough into a 15×12-inch rectangle. Brush it with half of the unsalted butter (1/8 cup).

Step 8: Sprinkle the spiced sugar filling evenly over the dough, then drizzle with the remaining 1/8 cup unsalted butter.

Step 9: Roll the dough tightly along the long side into a log. Cut it into 1 1/4-inch slices and place these cut side down in a greased 9×13-inch baking pan.

Step 10: Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and proof for another hour until doubled in size.

Step 11: Bake the rolls at 350°F (180°C) for 30 minutes until golden and cooked through.

Step 12: Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes.

Step 13: While the rolls cool, whisk together 1 tablespoon milk, 1 tablespoon espresso, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 3/4 cups powdered confectioners sugar until smooth to make the icing.

Step 14: Drizzle the icing over the warm rolls and enjoy!

Tips & Variations

Use instant espresso powder if you don’t have brewed espresso – just dissolve it in the icing milk.

For a vegan version, substitute butter with coconut oil and use a flax egg instead of real eggs.

Add chopped nuts or raisins to the filling for extra texture and flavor.

Make the dough the night before and refrigerate overnight for easier preparation the next day.

FAQs

Can I use dry yeast instead of fresh yeast?

Yes, you can substitute dry yeast for fresh yeast. Use about one-third of the amount; for 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh yeast, use 1/2 teaspoon dry yeast. Be sure to activate it according to package instructions.