Ingredients

The following ingredients have 8 Servings
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons (35g) water
  • 2 1/2 tablespoons (35g) whole milk
  • 4 1/2 teaspoons (14g) all-purpose flour
  • 3 tablespoons (42g) unsalted butter, melted
  • 3/8 cup (85g) whole milk
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 cups (248g) all-purpose flour
  • 4 1/2 teaspoons (11g) dry milk powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons (5g) instant dry yeast
  • 2 tablespoons (25g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons (18g) black sesame seeds
  • 1/2 cup (100g) brown sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • pinch salt
  • 1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter, very soft
  • 1 cup (125g) powdered sugar, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon (2g) matcha powder, sifted
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon milk

Instruction

  • For dough:Start by preparing  your flour paste or tangzhong: combine water, milk and 14 grams of flour in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Whisk gently until no clumps remain. Continue to whisk until the mixture thickens to the consistency of thick paste, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat.Add melted butter to saucepan with flour paste and gently whisk until incorporated, then whisk in milk until smooth. Add in the egg and whisk until fully incorporated. At this point the mixture should feel lukewarm to the touch.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, whisk together the flour, powdered milk, and yeast to combine. Pour in the lukewarm flour paste, and mix on low speed until mixture forms a shaggy dough, about 1 to 2 minutes. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let rest for 20 minutes (this rest gives the flour a chance to absorb the liquid, making it easier to knead later).Remove plastic wrap and add the sugar and salt. Mix on medium-low speed until dough is smooth and elastic, but still somewhat sticky, about 10 minutes. Add more flour only if absolutely necessary (a softer initial dough will result in a softer final product).Shape the dough into a ball (lightly oil your hands if necessary) and place in a lightly greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Alternatively, if you want to bake your rolls the next day, tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and pop it in the refrigerator to rise slowly overnight (my preference, as cold dough is so much easier to work roll out and shape).For Filling:Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spread out sesame seeds in a single layer on a small baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring once half way through. Seeds are done when fragrant and steaming; a single seed should crumble easily when crushed between your fingers. Let cool slightly.Transfer to a food processor or blender along with brown sugar. Pulse until seeds are finely ground. Add cornstarch, cinnamon and salt and pulse until evenly incorporated. (Filling can be made ahead of time; store at room temperature in an airtight container until ready to use).To Assemble:Spray a 9-inch square or round cake pan with cooking spray. You can also use a muffin tin to bake rolls individually, or bake them on a sheet pan for crispier rolls.Turn dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Pat into a rectangle, then roll out evenly into a rectangle approximately 10-by-15-inches in size. You want this piece to have an even overall thickness, with as square edges as possible.Soften butter until it is nearly melted; it should be the consistency of warm peanut butter. Using a pastry brush, spread a thick layer of butter evenly over the entire piece of dough.Sprinkle an even layer of sesame filling over butter, leaving a 1-inch space empty along the top long edge. Pat down filling to adhere it. You can also gently run a rolling pin over the surface to compress the filling into the dough, making it easier to roll up.Working with the long edge nearest you, start to roll up the dough fairly tightly, taking care not to stretch out the ends too much. Pinch along the edge of the dough to seal the seam, then roll the seam so it is face down.Using a ruler, measure out where you will cut your rolls, using a small knife to mark the cuts. For a 9-inch round pan, I cut 8 rolls, but if you are using a square pan you might want to cut 9 for a more even arrangement.To cut the rolls, you can use a sharp serrated knife (try to cut cleanly through in one movement front to back, rather than sawing it back and forth). You can also wrap a piece of dental floss around the dough, which will create perfect, clean cuts.To seal in the bottoms, gently pinch the dough together in a few places on the bottom of each roll. It doesn’t have to be 100% sealed, just enough to keep most of the filling in place as the rolls bake.Place rolls, pinched side down, into prepared baking pan, evenly spacing rolls in the pan, leaving a bit of space between them. Lightly cover and set pan in a warm spot until rolls are noticeably puffed and nearly doubled in size, about 45 to 60 minutes.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.Once rolls are nearly doubled in size, bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tops are lightly golden brown and filling is bubbly (to be precise, the center of the dough should read about 190 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer). If your rolls are browning too quickly, you can tent them with foil and return to the oven to continue baking.For Glaze:While rolls are baking, make the matcha glaze. Whisk sugar and matcha together in a bowl. Gently melt butter and milk together in the microwave, then add to sugar. Whisk until smooth. Add more milk as necessary, 1/2 teaspoon at a time, until glaze is of a nice consistency for drizzling.Let rolls cool for about 10 minutes, then generously spread or drizzle glaze on top. Serve warm. Rolls will also keep well for a few days, tightly covered or in an airtight container. Reheat in the oven or microwave and drizzle with some fresh glaze prior to serving.