Preheat the oven to 375 F/190 C and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay the uncooked bacon strips on the pan.

In a small bowl, combine the sugar, maple syrup, bourbon, and black pepper; spread it over the bacon slices. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the bacon is crispy. Remove the pan from the oven and use tongs to transfer the bacon to a wire cooling rack to cool completely. If your bacon is thinner, it may bake quicker. Keep an eye on it so it doesn’t burn!

Once cool, cut a few pieces into strips for the tops of the rolls (about ½ cup) then chop the rest of the bacon into crumbs (discarding any blackened ends).

In a small saucepan, whisk together the water and all-purpose flour. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, for 4-5 minutes until the mixture is a paste-like slurry. Scrape it into a bowl and set it aside until ready to use.

In a stand mixing bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt until combined. Add the egg, milk, and tangzhong to the bowl. Knead on low speed with the dough hook for 2 minutes until it forms a rough dough ball.

With the mixer running on low, add the softened butter ½ tablespoon at a time, letting it fully incorporate into the dough before adding more. Then continue kneading for another 8-10 minutes or until the dough looks smooth and elastic. The dough should be sticking to the bottom of the bowl. If it seems too wet and is sticking to the sides of the bowl, add flour one tablespoon at a time. If the dough seems dry, add half a tablespoon of milk at a time.

Remove the dough from the bowl and pull the sides down into the bottom center to create a smooth round ball. Place it seam-side down into a large lightly buttered bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Roll the dough out into a 15×18 rectangle, with the longest side closest to you.

Combine the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until smooth. Use an offset spatula to spread the cinnamon sugar filling across the dough, leaving a 1-inch border clean at the top.

Sprinkle the crumbled bacon over the top. Then use a pizza cutter to cut 12, 1 ½ inch strips. Roll each strip away from you, then carefully transfer them to a parchment-lined 9×13 baking pan.

Cover the pan with plastic wrap and set it aside to rise for another hour or until the rolls double in size. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 325 F/162 C.

Bake the rolls for 24-30 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. Let the pan cool on a wire cooling rack while you make the glaze.

In a medium bowl, combine the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Then mix in the powdered sugar. Once combined, whisk in the maple syrup and bourbon. Add more or less bourbon depending on how strong you want it! Spread over the warm cinnamon rolls, then sprinkle the reserved bacon slices on top. Enjoy!