These traditionally styled coffee scrolls are a delicious variation of my fluffy milk buns. Big, soft and fluffy with just enough spice, no fruit (although it can of course be added) and topped with naturally coloured pink icing.
To me they are reminiscent of school tuck shops and old fashioned bakeries - and are better still whilst still warm when the icing is sticky and oozy.

Ingredients

Milk Roux: (1 part flour to 5 parts liquid)

50g Tipo 00 flour (or a strong bread flour
250ml milk

Dough:

450g Tipo 00 or strong bread flour
8 g instant yeast
1 egg, at room temperature
80ml milk, lukewarm
60g raw caster sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamon (ideally freshly ground)
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
55g unsalted butter

Cinnamon sugar filling:

80g softened unsalted butter
100g brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of white pepper

Icing:

I cup pure icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon beetroot powder (add more or less according to desired colour)
Milk

Extra milk for brushing

Extra butter to grease the tray

To make the scrolls

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C - fan forced

For the dough:

In a small saucepan whisk together the roux ingredients ( flour and cold milk).
Place the saucepan over medium heat and bring the mixture to around 70 deg C , whisking all the time until it has thickened to a paste. If you don’t have a thermometer, keep stirring the mixture until it is thickened but not boiling then remove from the heat.
Empty the mixture into a bowl and cool to lukewarm before using.
*You can also use a microwave oven - whisk the flour and cold water in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave on high in 20-30 second bursts stirring in between until the mixture has thickened.)
In a large mixing bowl whisk together the flour, yeast, spices and salt.
Melt the butter, cool until lukewarm and add to the milk, along with the sugar.
Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and pour in the milk mixture, the egg and the cooled roux.
Knead using the dough attachment of a stand mixer or by hand until the dough is smooth and stretchy. This will take about 8 minutes using a mixer.

Move the dough to an oiled bowl and cover with cling film or a damp tea towel and leave in a warm place to prove. Allow the dough to double in size -this will take about an hour.

Meanwhile prepare the cinnamon filling:

Beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy then beat in the cinnamon and pepper. Set aside at room temperature. This mixture needs to be soft and spreadable.

To prepare the scrolls:

Roll the proved yeast dough out on a lightly floured bench to a rectangle measuring about 30 x 40 cm.
Spread over the cinnamon filling leaving a 1 cm edge on each of the long edges
Roll the yeast dough carefully along the long edge to form a relatively tight sausage and seal the final edge using a small amount of milk brushed along the other long edge.
Trim the ends then using a very sharp knife or serrated edged knife, then cut into 5 cm thick scrolls. Be careful not to press to hard but rather cut using a sawing motion.
You should have 9 scrolls.
Arrange the scrolls close together in a 3x3 square onto a greased sided tray.
Cover with a teatowel and prove until visibly risen in a warm place. (about 30 minutes)
Brush with a little milk.

Brushed with milk and ready for the oven

Bake at 180 deg C, fan forced for 20-30 minutes or until golden and risen.

For the icing:

Sift the icing sugar into a bowl.
Add the vanilla and a little milk, 1 tablespoon at a time until you have a smooth thick but still runny icing.
Add enough beetroot powder to colour the icing pink.
Ice the scrolls whilst still warm.

Tip:
For yeast dough I like to use a moist oven which can be achieved by tossing in a cup of water in the base of the oven just before the tray of buns and quickly closing the door. Try not to open the oven until the buns are nearly cooked.