Cinnamon rolls with marshmallow glaze

Warm 80 ml of milk with a pinch of sugar to body temperature or a little above, stir in the yeast and leave to wake up.

Melt the butter, stir in the granulated sugar to cool it, then the egg yolk, salt and vanilla, and stir smooth.

Stir as much flour as will go easily into the yeasted milk, about a cup, and leave it to autolyse and pre-ferment.

Stir about two thirds of a cup of flour into the fatty mixture so the particles hydrate, giving a paste.

Cover both with a damp towel and leave half an hour.

Dust with flour, tip the greasy paste into the risen sponge and knead until homogenous, dusting as needed, to a dough that is still a little sticky but forms a smooth ball.

Cover and rise until doubled, an hour or two.

Turn out onto a floured board and roll to a rectangle about a foot wide, rolling the bottom long edge much thinner as a sealing flap.

Mix the brown sugar, molasses, cinnamon and a pinch of salt with just enough melted butter to make the consistency of damp sand.

Brush melted butter over the dough sheet but not the thin flap, spread the filling evenly, keeping it off the flap, and wet the flap with water.

Roll up from the thick long edge, not too tight, and finish with the seal underneath; rub the outside with the leftover melted butter.

Variation: the whole roll can go in the fridge overnight and be sliced and baked in the morning, in which case let the slices warm and proof at least half an hour before baking.

Trim the end, slice about an inch and a half thick for six rolls and lay them cut side up on a lined baking sheet.

Proof half an hour, then bake at 400F, 200C, convection if you have it, about 10 minutes, until the edges are just a little golden; over-baking leaks the filling and pushes the centres up into spires.

For the marshmallow glaze, whisk the egg white with 65 g of sugar and a glug of corn syrup in a saucepan over medium heat, whisking continuously so the egg does not scramble, about two minutes to a mayonnaise-like consistency.

Off the heat, melt in about a tablespoon of butter gently so it does not break, whisk in a splash of vanilla.

Cool the rolls about ten minutes until firm enough to pick up.

Variation: the conventional glaze is powdered sugar with a little milk and a smaller glug of vanilla, stirred to a smooth thick glaze; it dries crisper and matte.

Dunk the top of each roll in the glaze and set it on a rack so the glaze drizzles down the sides, or drizzle it from a spoon side to side.