Tangzhong:

• Add the flour and water into a medium saute pan over medium heat. Stir to combine.
• Continue to stir with a spatula until it forms a thick paste (about 5 minutes)
• Refrigerate the mixture for at least 4 hours (up to overnight). An hour before use, take the paste out of the fridge to bring it to room temperature

Milk Bread Dough

Blooming the yeast:

• To bloom the yeast, add together warm milk, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and the yeast into a small bowl. The milk should be about 105 degrees fahrenheit. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes until it is slightly sweet smelling a bubbly.
  

Making the dough

• In the base of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the bread flour, milk powder, salt, and remaining sugar. Run the mixer on low and add in the bloomed yeast, egg, and tangzhong. Mix for about 2-3 minutes on low until the dough begins to form.
• After 2-3 minutes add in the softened butter and continue to mix on low for about 1 minute. After the butter is incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium high and mix for 8 minutes. At this point the dough should form a ball that is not too sticky, if it is not forming a ball, add in a few more tablespoons of bread flour.
• Once the dough is smooth and formed into a ball, place it into a greased mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with a towel and proof it for about 1 hour or until it has doubled in size (the time this takes will depend on the temperature of where you are letting the dough proof)
  

Prepare the pan and make the pecan topping:

• Line a 9x13 inch pan with parchment paper and grease the pan with butter. Place the pecans in an even layer on the parchment paper until they evenly cover teh pan. Set aside
• In a medium saucepan, heat together sea salt, vanilla bean, brown sugar, butter, and corn syrup. Stir the mixture constantly until it begins to just bubble. After it bubbles, pour the mixture over the pecans into the prepared pan before adding the cinnamon rolls. Set aside while shaping the rolls
  

Shaping:

• After the dough has doubled in size. Flour the counter or a large surface and roll it into a rectangle (about ¼ inch thick)
  
• Make the filling by mixing softened butter, cinnamon, and sugar. After the filling is mixed, spread it over the dough leaving a ½ border along the edges
  
• After adding the filling, roll the dog into a log rolling the longer side inwards until a tight log forms.
• Once the roll is formed used unflavored floss or a knife to but the dough into 12 pieces.
  
• Place each roll into a greased 9×13 inch pan.
  
• Cover the pan with a towel and let them proof for about 45 minutes or until they have almost doubled in size.
  
• Note: Unlike the pictures, we prefer to make 2 trays of 6 (vs placing all 12 into one pan so they cook more evenly), but they can be made with all 12 in 1 they will bake up higher and need to cook for slightly longer.

Baking:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚F
• After they have proofed, bake the cinnamon rolls for about 35 minutes or until they are golden on the edges but baked in the center (if all 12 are in the pan they will need to cook for slightly longer if just 6 are in the pan) Cool for 10 minutes before frosting