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Olive oil cinnamon rolls on brown baking paper.
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Olive Oil Cinnamon Rolls (vegan)

Olive oil cinnamon rolls - these delicious vegan cinnamon rolls are made with olive oil instead of butter and use the tangzhong method to keep them soft, light and fluffy.
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine American
Keyword cinnamon rolls
Cook Time 25 minutes
Rising Time 2 hours
Servings 9 rolls
Author Domestic Gothess

Ingredients

Tangzhong:

  • 25 g (3 Tablespoons) white bread flour
  • 140 g (½ cup + 4 teaspoons) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy)

Dough:

  • 170 g (⅔ cup + 2 teaspoons) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy) cold
  • 40 g (3 Tablespoons) caster or granulated sugar
  • 55 g (¼ cup) olive oil (either extra virgin or regular)
  • 360 g (3 cups) white bread flour
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 7 g (2 ¼ teaspons) instant/fast action yeast

Filling:

  • 140 g (12 Tablespoons) light brown soft sugar
  • 5 teaspoons ceylon cinnamon (4 if using cassia)
  • 40 g (3 Tablespoons) olive oil
  • 10 (1 Tablespoon) bread flour
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 Tablespoon non-dairy milk

Glaze:

  • 120 g (1 cup) icing (powdered) sugar
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1-2 Tablespoons non-dairy milk

Instructions

  • To make the tangzhong, place the flour in a saucepan and gradually whisk in the milk to avoid lumps. Place the pan over a medium/low heat and whisk constantly until the mixture has thickened to a soft paste/pudding-like consistency.
    25 g (3 Tablespoons) white bread flour, 140 g (½ cup + 4 teaspoons) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy)
  • Scrape the tangzhong into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and pour the cold milk on top. This will cool the tangzhong down so that it doesn't kill the yeast.
    170 g (⅔ cup + 2 teaspoons) unsweetened non-dairy milk (I use soy)
  • Add the sugar, olive oil, vanilla, salt, flour and finally the yeast.
    40 g (3 Tablespoons) caster or granulated sugar, 55 g (¼ cup) olive oil (either extra virgin or regular), 360 g (3 cups) white bread flour, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon salt, 7 g (2 ¼ teaspons) instant/fast action yeast
  • Mix on a low speed until it forms a rough dough then turn up the speed to medium and mix until the dough is smooth and stretchy and pulls away from the sides of the bowl cleanly, about 10 minutes. You should be able to stretch a section of the dough thin enough to see light through it without it breaking (the windowpane test). It is a very soft, sticky dough; resist the urge to add extra flour unless the dough doesn't start to pull away cleanly.
  • Lightly oil a large bowl and your hands then shape the dough into a ball. Place the dough in the bowl, cover and set aside to rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, 1-2 hours.
  • To make the filling, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, olive oil, flour, salt and milk together in a bowl to form a spreadable paste. Line an approx 23 cm/9 in square tin with baking paper.
    140 g (12 Tablespoons) light brown soft sugar, 5 teaspoons ceylon cinnamon (4 if using cassia), 40 g (3 Tablespoons) olive oil, 10 (1 Tablespoon) bread flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 Tablespoon non-dairy milk
  • Knead the risen dough very briefly to knock out any air bubbles then roll it out on a lightly floured surface to an approx 30 x 40 cm/12 x 16 in rectangle.
  • Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the dough. It can be a bit difficult to spread, just do your best and it doesn't matter if it isn't totally even; I find it easier to use my hands to spread it.
  • Roll the dough up tightly from one of the long sides into a sausage. Place it seam side down.
  • Slice the roll into 9 even pieces. The best way to get a clean cut is to place a piece of unflavoured dental floss under the sausage where you want to make the cut, cross the ends of the floss over each other and pull. Otherwise you can use a very sharp knife to slice it.
  • Arrange the rolls in the prepared tin. Cover loosely and set aside to rise for about 30-45 minutes until they are nice and puffy. If you press one gently the dough should spring back slowly most of the way but leave a small indentation. If it springs back quickly and fills in all the way then they need a little bit longer. While they are rising preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/350°F/gas mark 4.
  • Once the buns have risen, bake for 25-30 minutes, until nicely browned and the internal temperature reaches 90°C/194°F on a probe thermometer. If any of the centers of the cinnamon rolls pop up, gently press them down after baking.
  • Remove from the oven and loosely cover with a tea towel. Allow to cool for about 25 minutes before drizzling with the glaze.
  • To make the glaze, sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the vanilla. Gradually stir in enough milk to form your desired consistency. Drizzle it over the cinnamon rolls and serve.
    120 g (1 cup) icing (powdered) sugar, ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, 1-2 Tablespoons non-dairy milk

Notes

  • See post above for tips, details and step-by-step photos.
  • As with all of my baking recipes I really do recommend using the metric measurements with a digital scale rather than the cup conversions. Cups are a wildly inaccurate measuring system and you will get far better, more consistent results using a scale, not to mention that it is also easier and less messy than cups!