Tahini and cinnamon go together like chocolate and espresso, so the addition of tahini to a classic cinnamon roll adds tons of delicious depth. I also love that these cinnamon buns are an overnight recipe, so you can prep a day in advance and have them ready to break the fast after Yom Kippur.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (236ml) whole milk
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter
- 4 1/2 cup (585g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- a pinch of cardamom
- 2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
- 2 large eggs, room temp
For the filling:
- 1/4 cup (67g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup (200g) brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
For the frosting:
- 1/4 cup (67g) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 oz (113g) cream cheese, softened
- 1/4 cup (64g) tahini
- 2 cups (240g) powdered sugar
- A pinch of kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
Sprinkles and/or: pistachios, rose petals, sesame seeds, turbinado sugar, flaky salt
Directions
- Combine the milk and butter in a saucepan and heat over medium, stirring gently, until the butter is just melted and then remove from heat. It won’t be very hot, just warm.
- Set it aside to cool slightly while you combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl or bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
- Once that’s combined, check on the milk/butter mixture to make sure it’s just lukewarm or slightly warmer than room temp — you don’t want it to be hot, otherwise the eggs will cook. Add the eggs and whisk to combine.
- Stir the egg mixture into the dry ingredients and then knead, either on a work surface or with the dough hook, adding more flour as needed, until the dough is smooth and slightly sticky, 7-10 minutes. Place in an oil bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for 1 1/2-2 hours, or until doubled in size.
- Turn the dough out onto a clean surface and roll it out into a large 16” x 14” rectangle. Brush it with the melted butter and sprinkle evenly with the brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Roll it up tightly the long way, pinching the edges to seal. Cut into 8 rolls and place in an 8” x 11” baking dish. (Alternatively you can roll it out into an 18” x 12” rectangle, cut 12 rolls, and place them in a 9” x 13” baking dish.) Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. When ready to bake, let the rolls sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours, until puffy.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Remove the plastic wrap and bake until the rolls are lightly browned; begin checking for doneness at 30 minutes.
- While the rolls are baking, make the frosting: beat the butter, cream cheese, and tahini together in a mixer fitted with a paddle. Add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy. Beat in the salt and vanilla.
- Spread the rolls with the frosting right when they come out of the oven.
- Sprinkle with sprinkles, pistachios, rose petals, sesame seeds, turbinado, flaky salt, and any other pretty toppings you’d like and serve.
