Brown Sugar Boba Matcha Rolls

5 from 1 vote

Brown Sugar Boba Matcha Rolls

These matcha rolls topped with instant boba are SO soft, gooey, full of matcha flavor, and not-too-sweet! They're inspired by two of my favorite sweet drinks, brown sugar boba tea and matcha lattes, and are a fun twist on my brioche cinnamon rolls.

Prep Time30

Cook Time25

Proofing Time3

Total Time3 55

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American, Asian, Japanese

Servings: matcha rolls

Calories: 691kcal

Author: Bianca Fernandez

Equipment

Kitchen scale/measuring cups
Measuring spoons
small bowl for heavy cream mixture
medium bowl for yeast mixture
large bowl for proofing dough
Stand mixer hook attachment for dough, paddle attachment for filling and frosting
whisk
plastic wrap or kitchen towel
9"x9" baking pan see notes
Parchment Paper

Ingredients

Matcha Dough:

1 cup whole milk warmed
⅓ cup granulated sugar
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
2 eggs room temperature
4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon culinary matcha powder sifted
1 ¼ teaspoons fine sea salt or table salt
½ cup unsalted butter softened

Brown Sugar Matcha Filling:

⅓ cup unsalted butter softened
¾ cup brown sugar packed; light or dark
1 tablespoon culinary matcha powder

Heavy Cream Mixture:

⅓ cup heavy cream room temperature
1 tablespoon brown sugar packed; light or dark
1 teaspoon culinary matcha powder sifted

Matcha Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese softened
½-1 cup powdered sugar adjust to taste
1 tablespoon culinary matcha powder
1 tablespoon vanilla paste or extract

Boba Topping:

1 pack instant boba

US Customary - Metric

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Instructions

For the enriched dough:

In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup whole milk (warmed), ⅓ cup granulated sugar, and 2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast. Let sit for 5-10 minutes, or until yeast is activated and mixture is frothy.
In a stand mixer fitted with hook attachment, add 4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, 4 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon culinary matcha powder, 1 ¼ teaspoons fine sea salt, yeast mixture, and 2 eggs. Mix on medium low speed until dough forms.
While mixing on medium low speed, add ½ cup unsalted butter a tablespoon at a time, every 30 seconds. Continue mixing for 8-10 minutes, or until dough passes the windowpane test.
To do the windowpane test, take a small piece of dough and gently stretch it. If it is kneaded enough, it should be translucent enough to see light passing through.
Transfer dough to a large bowl, lightly cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in warm place until doubled in size, about 1.5-2 hours (or overnight in the fridge!).

For assembly:

In your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, add softened ⅓ cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon culinary matcha powder (sifted). Mix on medium high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a 18"x-12" rectangle. Evenly spread brown sugar matcha filling, then tightly roll into an 18" log. Use a sharp knife to cut the log into 9 equal pieces, about 2 inches each.
Place matcha rolls in a lined 9"x9" baking pan. Lightly cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1-1.5 hours. In the last 5-10 minutes, preheat oven to 375°F/190°C.

Bake matcha rolls:

In a small bowl, mix ⅓ cup heavy cream, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon culinary matcha powder until combined. Pour all over matcha buns.
Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until rolls are slightly golden and no longer doughy in the middle.
In the last few minutes of baking, make the matcha frosting: in your stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, whip softened 8 ounces cream cheese until smooth and lump-free, about 5 minutes. Mix in ½-1 cup powdered sugar (adjust to taste), 1 tablespoon culinary matcha powder, and 1 tablespoon vanilla until fully combined. Heat 1 pack instant boba according to package instructions.
Let matcha rolls cool for about 5 minutes, then spread on matcha cream cheese frosting. Top with instant boba right before serving and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Pan size:

For this recipe, I cut 9 equal pieces and arranged them 3x3 in a 9-inch by 9-inch pan. I've also used the same recipe to cut 12 equal pieces and arranged them 3x4 in a 9-inch by 13-inch pan!

Baking tip:

Weigh your ingredients! One of my favorite kitchen tools is a kitchen scale because it’s more accurate than measuring by volume. If you use cups, spoon the flour in gently, then level it with a knife or spatula.

Storage instructions:

Keep in mind that boba hardens over time, and the fridge speeds up that process. I recommend adding the boba right before serving.

Refrigeration instructions: Store cooled matcha buns in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave.
Freezing instructions: Store cooled matcha buns (with or without frosting) in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave.

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