Ultra-Fluffy Giant Cinnamon Rolls

In a small saucepan, whisk 45 g with 180 g. Heat over medium-low, whisking constantly, until very thick, closer to stiff mashed potatoes than pourable pudding. Scrape it onto a plate with a rubber spatula, spread it thinly, and cool until just warm.

Add 540 g, 100 g, 7 g, 9 g, 180 g, 100 g, 10 g, and all of the tangzhong to the mixer bowl. Mix with a dough hook until shaggy, about 2–3 minutes.

Gradually add 85 g and knead until smooth and stretchy. Expect a noticeably sticky dough; do not stiffen it with unnecessary flour. A windowpane test is useful.

Place the dough in a lightly greased, covered bowl. In the tested batch, the room was about 68°F, the dough started near 77°F, and the first rise took about 3 hours. Follow the dough's expansion until it roughly doubles rather than relying on a strict timer. Do not leave it at 100°F for three hours.

Mix 170 g, 250 g, 15–25 g, 1.5 g, and 5 g into a spreadable paste.

Gently deflate the doubled dough. Sift a light, even dusting of flour onto the counter, turn out the sticky dough, and roll it into an approximately 18 × 24 inch (46 × 61 cm) rectangle. Let it relax briefly if it shrinks back.

Spread the filling over the dough, leaving a narrow border on one long edge. Roll up from the 24-inch edge to form a log about 24 inches long. Measure the log and cut into 12 rolls; at the 12-roll base yield, each piece is about 2 inches thick. Adjust piece width and pan spacing for a different batch size.

Butter a large rectangular pan and leave room for expansion. The photographed batch used one large pan with all 12 rolls arranged about 3 × 4. Alternatively, use two 9 × 13 inch pans with six rolls in each; baking time may differ.

Cover and let the rolls rise until puffy, the gaps have mostly closed, and the rolls are touching. In the process photos, they began widely separated and finished snugly packed. A gentle fingertip indentation in exposed dough should spring back slowly; they do not need to double again.

Gently heat 120 g with 14 g in a small saucepan just until the butter melts, around 100–110°F. Do not boil. Slowly pour it over and between the rolls; it is fine if some reaches the tops and pools around the bottoms.

In the tested hot-running oven, bake at 315°F. Put a cookie sheet on the rack above the rolls as an initial heat shield, leaving clearance for airflow, and rotate the pan halfway through. Start checking around 20–25 minutes. If the tops are getting too toasty, carefully place another cookie sheet over the baking pan like a loose tent without pressing into the rolls. The tested batch was removed shortly afterward at just over 190°F inside; the exact total minutes were not recorded. Probe the bread portion of a central roll, avoiding the cinnamon filling, and aim for about 190°F / 88°C. Use internal temperature rather than the clock as the deciding factor and watch the tops closely. The 315°F setting is specific to this oven; a calibrated oven may need a different setting or time.

Allow the rolls to cool for about 10–15 minutes before frosting, so the icing softens without disappearing completely.

Beat 113 g with 42 g until fluffy. Beat in 90 g, 5 g, and 1 pinch. Thin with 15–25 g until spreadable, then frost half the rolls.

Toast 85 g in a dry skillet for 3–5 minutes, then remove. Brown 56 g in a saucepan until fragrant and golden. Reduce the heat and carefully add 55 g and 35 g; stir gently for 1–2 minutes until smooth. Remove from the heat, cool 3–5 minutes, then whisk in 60 g, 5 g, and 1 pinch. Thin with a small extra splash of milk if needed. Stir in most of the walnuts, glaze the remaining rolls, and scatter the reserved walnuts on top.