If you love Spanish bread, you will love these Spanish bread rolls. They're pretty much the iconic Filipino bread, but in the shape of cinnamon buns! They're pillowy soft, gooey, and have the perfect amount of sweetness!
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.
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 2 large eggs, 4 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, 4 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 ¼ teaspoons fine sea salt, and yeast mixture. 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 a medium bowl, mix together 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted but room temp; if it's hot, the malted milk powder will clump), ½ cup brown sugar, 1 cup fine breadcrumbs, 2 tablespoons malted milk powder, and 1 tablespoon cinnamon (optional). You are looking for an easily spreadable, thick, paste consistency.
If it's too dry, mix in 1-4 tablespoons whole milk until you get the desired texture. The amount of milk will vary depending on the brand of breadcrumbs you are using.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into a 18"x-12" rectangle. Evenly spread sweet filling. Cut twelve 1 ½-inch strips.
Gently roll each strip into a tight roll, placing each one in a 9"x13" 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 350°F/177°C.
Bake Spanish bread rolls:
Pour ⅓ cup heavy cream all over rolls. Liberally sprinkle ½ cup fine breadcrumbs on top.
Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until rolls are no longer doughy in the middle. In the last few minutes of baking, mix the frosting ingredients: in a medium bowl, stir ¾ cup powdered sugar and 1-3 tablespoons coconut milk. If it's too thick, add more milk. If it's too thin, add more powdered sugar.
Let rolls cool for about 5 minutes, then spread on drizzle on coconut milk frosting. Optionally top with ½ cup dried shredded coconut . Enjoy!
The rolls are best enjoyed when warm because the bread gets nice and soft again! I like to reheat them (with the frosting) for 20-30 seconds in the microwave.
Video
Notes
Pan size:
For this recipe, I cut 12 equal pieces and arranged them 3x4 in a 9 inch by 13 inch pan. I've also used the same recipe to cut 9 equal pieces and arranged them 3x3 in a 9-inch square pan!
Storage instructions:
Refrigeration instructions: Store cooled Spanish buns in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave.
Freezing instructions: Store cooled Spanish buns (with or without frosting) in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave.