Start by warming milk until it’s just warm to the touch (about 110°F). If it’s too hot to comfortably keep your finger in it, let it cool a bit. Too-hot milk will kill the yeast and your dough won’t rise.

In a large mixing bowl, combine 3 cups of the flour (save 1 cup for later), sugar, yeast, and salt. Give it a good whisk to blend everything evenly.

Pour in warm milk, melted butter (make sure it’s not hot!), and eggs. Mix until roughly combined, then add the cocoa powder and red food coloring. The cocoa might look a bit lumpy at first – that’s totally normal.

Start mixing with a dough hook if you have a stand mixer, or use a wooden spoon if mixing by hand. Gradually add the remaining flour until the dough starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl. You’ll know you’ve added enough flour when the dough feels tacky but doesn’t stick to your clean finger when you poke it.

Knead for about 8-10 minutes until the dough becomes smooth and elastic. When you pull a small piece, it should stretch thin enough to see light through it before breaking – that’s how you know the gluten has developed properly.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel, and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour. It should roughly double in size and feel puffy when you gently poke it.

While the dough rises, mix your filling. Beat the softened butter until creamy, then mix in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and cocoa powder until it looks like wet sand. Having your butter properly softened (should feel like mayonnaise consistency) makes spreading much easier.

Once risen, punch down the dough and roll it out on a lightly floured surface into a rectangle about 18×12 inches. Try to keep the edges as straight as possible – I use my bench scraper to help square them off.

Spread your filling mixture evenly across the dough, leaving about a 1/2 inch border along one long edge. This clean edge helps seal your roll.

Starting from the long edge with filling, roll the dough up tightly, using your fingers to keep the roll even as you go. Pinch the clean edge to seal it.

Cut into 12 even pieces using unflavored dental floss or a sharp knife (slide the floss under the roll, cross ends over top, and pull – makes perfect cuts without squishing).

Place rolls in a greased 9×13 inch pan, leaving some space between each for rising. Cover and let rise again for about 30-40 minutes, until they’re puffy and touching each other.

Preheat your oven to 350°F while the rolls are on their second rise. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are just set and barely golden (don’t overbake or they’ll dry out).

While they’re baking, make your frosting. Beat the softened cream cheese and butter until completely smooth and fluffy – any lumps now will show up in your finished frosting. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until it’s silky smooth.

Let the rolls cool for about 5 minutes before frosting. The frosting should melt slightly into the warm rolls but not completely liquify – that’s the sweet spot!