I’d been wanting to find my way into yeasted doughs for a while — something to learn over the holidays. A cinnamon roll with cream cheese glaze is one of my favorite things, but with Japan close, I kept thinking about a softer, more delicate version. These rolls came from that — a pillowy bun filled with matcha and honey, glazed while still warm so it melts into the folds.
Baker’s Notes
The dough starts with a tangzhong, a small paste of flour and milk cooked together before mixing, which gives the rolls their plush, tender crumb. Use a high-quality matcha here — I love Kettl and Ippodo.
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Matcha Sweet Rolls
Ingredients
Tangzhong
3 tablespoons (25 g) all-purpose flour
½ cup (120 g) whole milk
Dough
2¾ cups (330 g) all-purpose flour
¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2¼ teaspoons (7 g) instant yeast
½ cup (120 g) whole milk, lukewarm
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, room temperature
6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter, very soft
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)
Matcha–Honey Butter Filling
4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter, very soft
⅓ cup (40 g) powdered sugar
1–1½ tablespoons high-quality matcha, sifted
1 teaspoon tapioca starch or cornstarch
1½ tablespoons honey
Pinch of salt
Glaze
1½ cups (180 g) powdered sugar
3–4 tablespoons whole milk, warm
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted and warm
½–1 teaspoon honey
Pinch of salt
Instructions
Tangzhong
1. In a small saucepan, whisk the flour and milk until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a soft paste, 1–3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool until just warm.
Dough
1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, salt and yeast. Add the lukewarm milk, egg, egg yolk, vanilla, if using, and the cooled tangzhong. Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms.
2. With the mixer on medium-low, add the butter a tablespoon at a time. Knead for 8–10 minutes, until the dough is smooth and elastic. It will be very soft and a little tacky, but it should pull away from the sides of the bowl as it kneads.
3. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover and let rise for 1–1½ hours, until puffy and nearly doubled. For an overnight rise, let the dough rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, then cover tightly and refrigerate for 8–24 hours.
Matcha–Honey Butter Filling
1. Mix the butter, powdered sugar, matcha, tapioca starch, honey and salt until smooth and spreadable.
Assembly
1. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle about 12 × 16 inches. Spread the matcha filling over the surface, then roll up tightly from the long side into a log.
2. Chill the log for 15–25 minutes for the cleanest spirals. Slice into even rolls and arrange in a parchment-lined pan, leaving a little space between them.
3. Let the rolls rise for 30–45 minutes if your dough is warm, or 45–75 minutes if you shaped it from chilled dough. They are ready when a light press springs back slowly.
4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Bake until the edges are lightly golden and the centers are set but still very soft, about 22–30 minutes for 9 rolls or 20–28 minutes for 12. If the tops begin to color before the centers bake through, tent loosely with foil. The center roll should read 190–195°F.
5. Let the rolls rest for about 5 minutes.
Glaze
1. While the rolls rest, whisk the powdered sugar and salt together. Add the warm milk and melted butter and whisk until smooth and pourable. Whisk in the honey last.
2. Spoon the glaze down the center of the rolls and let it settle into the folds. Don’t spread it. Give it a few minutes before serving.
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