Start by warming milk until it’s just warm to the touch – about like bath water. Too hot and it’ll kill the yeast, too cool and it won’t activate properly.

In a large bowl, whisk together 3 cups of the flour (we’ll save some for later), sugar, yeast, and salt. Make a well in the center – this helps everything mix evenly.

Pour in warm milk, melted butter (make sure it’s not hot!), and eggs. Mix with a wooden spoon until you get a shaggy dough. It’ll look a bit messy at this point – that’s perfect.

Now start adding the remaining flour, about 1/4 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. You might not need all the flour, and that’s okay. You want the dough to feel tacky but not sticky – if it sticks to your finger and doesn’t pull away cleanly, add a bit more flour.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for about 8-10 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when you can stretch a small piece thin enough to see light through it without it breaking – bakers call this the “windowpane test.”

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour. I like to turn my oven on for just a minute, then turn it off and use that slightly warm space.

While the dough rises, mix your diced strawberries with sugar and cornstarch in a bowl. Let them sit for about 15 minutes – you’ll see juice starting to come out of the berries. This is good! The cornstarch will help thicken those juices when we bake.

After the dough has doubled, punch it down (literally just push your fist into the center) and roll it out on a floured surface into a roughly 18×12 inch rectangle. Don’t worry about perfect edges – we’ll fix those later.

Starting from the long edge, roll the dough up tightly – like you’re rolling a sleeping bag. Keep it snug but don’t pull so hard that you tear the dough. Pinch the seam to seal it.

Using a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss (my secret weapon!), cut into 12 equal rolls. You can mark the dough first to make sure they’re even.

Place the rolls in a greased 9×13 inch pan, leaving some space between each one. They’ll grow together as they rise and bake. Cover and let rise again for about 30 minutes, until puffy.

Bake at 350°F for 25-30 minutes. You’re looking for golden brown tops, and when you gently pull two rolls apart, the dough should look fully baked, not doughy.

While the rolls are still warm (but not hot), beat together your softened cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough milk to make it drizzle-able. You want it thick enough to stay put but thin enough to spread nicely over the warm rolls.

Spread the glaze over your slightly warm rolls – if they’re too hot, the glaze will just melt and run off. If they’re too cool, it won’t settle into all the nooks and crannies like we want.