Add the bread flour, caster sugar, instant yeast, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Keep the salt and yeast from sitting directly together in one spot. Give everything a quick stir before adding the wet ingredients.

Warm the milk until it’s just slightly warm, not hot, then pour it into the flour mixture. Add the egg and begin mixing until a shaggy dough forms. If it feels sticky at first, don’t worry; that’s normal.

Add the softened butter a little at a time, kneading it into the dough. Continue kneading until the dough becomes smoother, softer, and slightly elastic. This usually takes several minutes by hand.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead until it feels supple and springy. I like to stretch and fold the dough repeatedly rather than adding lots of extra flour, which can make the rolls heavy.

Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover it with a clean kitchen towel. Leave it somewhere warm for about 1 to 1½ hours, or until it has noticeably doubled in size.

While the dough rises, mix the softened butter, light brown sugar, and ground cinnamon in a small bowl. Stir until you have a soft, spreadable mixture. Keep it at room temperature so it doesn’t tear the dough.

Once risen, gently knock the air out of the dough and roll it into a rectangle. Aim for roughly 14 × 10 inches. Don’t worry about perfectly straight edges; a relaxed rectangle is completely fine.

Spread the cinnamon-butter mixture evenly across the dough, leaving a small border around the edges. Sprinkle the raisins over the top if you’re using them. Press them lightly into the filling so they stay in place.

Starting from one long side, roll the dough firmly toward the opposite edge. Keep the roll reasonably tight without squeezing it. A gentle, even roll gives you those lovely defined spirals once the buns are sliced.

Use a sharp knife to cut the rolled dough into 10–12 equal pieces. I find marking the roll first helps keep the pieces similar in size. Arrange them cut-side up in a greased 9 × 13-inch baking pan.

Cover the pan loosely and let the rolls rest again for about 30–45 minutes. They should look noticeably puffier and begin to nestle against one another. This second rise helps create a soft, tender center.

Brush the tops lightly with milk, then place the pan in a preheated 375°F (190°C) oven. Bake for about 20–25 minutes, until the rolls are risen and golden brown around the edges.

Let the cinnamon rolls rest in the pan for several minutes after baking. They’re wonderful warm, but giving them a little time to settle keeps the centers soft instead of making them fall apart when you pull them apart.