These soft, pillowy rolls are loaded with swirls of vibrant raspberry filling and topped with creamy vanilla icing. They bring all the comfort you're craving, whether at a special party or just for some lazy weekend brunch.
4 ½cupsbread flour or all-purpose flour (+ extra if needed), spooned and leveled
1cupwarm whole milk (38°C or 100°F)
½cupsoftened (unsalted butter, cut into four, room temp)
⅔cupgranulated sugar, used separately
1 ½tbspyeast (2 standard packets)
2large eggs, room temp
½tspvanilla (vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract)
½tspsalt
2tspolive, vegetable, or canola oil
Filling
2 ½cups300g frozen raspberries (no thawing)
1tspcornstarch
⅓cupgranulated sugar
Cream Cheese Icing
1cupconfectioners’ sugar
4ozfull-fat brick cream cheese, room temp
½tspvanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
1tbspheavy cream or whole milk
Instructions
Prep The Dough
Pour some warm milk into the bowl of a stand mixer, toss in 2 tablespoons of sugar, and add your yeast. Give it a good whisk, then cover the bowl and let it rest for about 5-6 minutes.
Toss in the rest of the sugar along with the soft butter. Set the mixer to medium and let it blend until the butter starts breaking up.
Add in your eggs, a dash of vanilla, and a sprinkle of salt, mixing until everything looks combined.
Switch your mixer to low and add the flour gradually, about a cup at a time. After about 4 cups, add one last half-cup and keep the mixer running until you see the dough pull off the sides.
Knead Your Dough
Let the stand mixer run for 5 minutes after switching from the paddle to the dough hook. If the dough gets a little too sticky, add a small sprinkle of flour as needed, but not too much.
Test the dough with a "windowpane test": tear off one small piece, then stretch it far out until it's so thin that the light can pass through without tearing.
First Rise
Coat a big bowl lightly with spray or oil, then place your dough in that bowl and turn it so it's covered in a thin layer of oil all over. Cover this bowl with some foil and let it sit on your kitchen counter until it doubles in size (about 2 hours).
Roll The Dough Out
Punch it down to release any trapped air, then place it on a floured surface. Roll the dough into a 12x18 rectangle using a rolling pin.
Make the Raspberry Filling
Mix frozen berries with a bit of cornstarch and sugar. Sprinkle this mixture evenly across the dough.
Roll the dough tightly along the long side to form a nice log. Slice it into 12 rolls (each about 1.5 inches thick). Place them in a greased or parchment-lined 9x13 baking pan.
Second Rise
Cover all the rolls and let them rise again (85 to 90 minutes until puffy).
Baking
Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C), then bake for around 28 to 35 minutes until they're just lightly golden on top. Halfway through, tent some foil over the rolls to prevent over-browning.
Pull them out and let them cool in the pan on a wire rack (10 minutes).
Cream Cheese Icing
In a big or medium bowl, beat cream cheese with your mixer (set at medium) until smooth. Add confectioners' sugar, cream or milk, and vanilla. Beat at low speed at first and then on high until creamy.
Spread this icing all over the rolls. Enjoy!
Notes
If you want to elevate the raspberry flavor, add a teaspoon of lemon or orange zest to the filling.