Delightfully soft and pillowy, these sourdough cinnamon rolls topped with a cream cheese frosting will melt in your mouth. Enjoy for breakfast, dessert and a simple treat any time of the year.
This is my favorite go-to sourdough cinnamon roll recipe. We make these sourdough cinnamon rolls at least least once a month (and if we did not have other sourdough favorites, we would make them every week!).
The sourdough within this recipe gives the cinnamon roll a natural rise, without the use of yeast. It creates the softest, pillow-like rolls. And the cinnamon – butter swirl lends to the classic cinnamon roll flavor which satisfies a sweet tooth every time.
Firstly, the sourdough cinnamon roll dough is a combination of active sourdough starter, honey and flour. These ingredients lend to the light and airy texture. This ensures they are crispy on the outside and delightfully soft on the inside. Though this recipe has sourdough starter within it, it is not sour.
Secondly, the filling is a combination of three ingredients: butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. This combination melts throughout the rolls and creates a delicious, warm aroma in every bite.
Finally, the star of the show is a cream cheese frosting. This frosting is inspired by the Nothing Bundt Cakes cream cheese frosting (if you know, you know).
The irresistible cream cheese frosting comes together with minimal ingredients: cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. We may lick the cream cheese frosting straight off the beaters.
Because cream cheese is slightly tangy, it compliments the sweet cinnamon roll. And the best part is, the amount of cream cheese frosting is customizable. You can add as much or as little cream cheese frosting on top of the cinnamon rolls as you would like.
Timing is important for these sourdough cinnamon rolls. From prep to plate, it takes around 24 – 36 hours, depending on how long they are fermented for.
Why you will love these
Kitchen Essentials
There are a variety of items we regularly use within our kitchen daily. Some of our favorite items we use to create this recipe include:
- Kitchenmaid stand mixer (cinnamon roll dough)
- Handheld mixer (cream cheese frosting)
- Baking pan
- Pastry Cutter
Ingredients for Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
There are a few basic ingredients in sourdough cinnamon rolls:
Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Dough
- Sourdough Discard (Active sourdough starter or sourdough discard work interchangeably. Active sourdough starter will not require the use of an additional leavening agent like baking soda and baking powder.)
- Flour (All purpose flour, whole wheat flour, spelt flour work best)
- Salt
- Honey (Sugar, Maple Syrup, Agave Syrup are alternatives)
- Coconut Oil (Or Unsalted Butter)
- Water
- Egg
- Baking Soda (Optional – If using active sourdough discard the use of an additional leavening agent is not required.)
- Baking Powder (Optional – If using active sourdough discard the use of an additional leavening agent is not required.)
- Milk or Heavy Cream (To top cinnamon rolls before placing in oven)
Cinnamon Filling
- Cinnamon
- Brown Sugar
- Butter
- Flour (Flour is needed to prevent the cinnamon roll filling from spreading when baked. Gluten free flour works well here if sensitive to gluten as this filling does not ferment.)
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream Cheese
- Butter (Unsalted butter preferred to ensure frosting is not overly salted)
- Salt
- Powdered Sugar
- Water or Milk (To thin)
Making the Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls on a Baker’s Schedule
This timeline is highly variable based on temperature of the home and how long one would like for the dough to ferment. Adjust accordingly to personal preferences and notes below.
Sourdough starter can be active starter or sourdough discard. The main difference is if you would like to rely on the use of wild fermentation yeast (sourdough) or a leavening agent (baking soda and baking powder) for rise.
The other factor is time. Active sourdough starter will provide enough rise within the recipe, though this recipe must have a secondary rise to provide the fluffiest cinnamon rolls.
Whether you use sourdough discard from the fridge or recently fed active starter, this is up to you as well. The sourdough discard may need more time to bulk ferment and the final product may need use of a leavening agent for rise. We will explore this more later in the recipe.
We keep our sourdough relatively small. A approximately 3 ounces of all purpose flour or bread flour and 3 ounces of water to our starter is have enough active starter for this recipe. I can teach you how to begin and maintain a sourdough starter.
- 8:00 PM (Day prior to bake)
- Prepare sourdough cinnamon roll dough base in a large bowl. Mix together sourdough discard, water, butter (or coconut oil), honey (or other sweetener), salt and flour together by hand.
- Allow to sit in a warm place covered with a damp towel (or plastic wrap). Allow to ferment 1x the size. During the winter, we make our sourdough base at night and allow it to have one overnight rise.
- 8:00 – 9:00 AM (Day of Bake)
- Mix remaining dough ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer using the dough hook attachment. If using active discard, it will be just eggs. If using sourdough discard, it will be baking soda, baking powder, and eggs.
- Allow the dough to come together. The dough will change from being incorporated to sticky dough and then to a soft and pliable dough. When stretched it will form a windowpane.
- This kneading process will take about 10-15 minutes by stand mixer or 25-30 minutes by hand.
- In a mixing bowl, prepare cinnamon roll filling (cinnamon, brown sugar and butter).
- Next, roll the sourdough cinnamon roll dough on a countertop into a rectangular shape. If sticky, you can add flour, wax paper, parchment paper or butter to the surface.
- Spread the cinnamon roll filling across the dough. Roll dough laterally into a log shape for highest amount of swirls in dough.
- Cut cinnamon rolls into 12 pieces with the use of a pastry cutter, knife or unflavored thread / floss.
- 9:00 – 11:00 AM (Day of Bake):
- Brush with 1 Tablespoon of milk or cream on top of every cinnamon roll.
- Place cinnamon rolls in pan and allow to complete a secondary rise. This process can take 30 minutes to 2 hours. The cinnamon rolls will become puffy and double in size.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Option to cook in a cast iron skillet, cake pans or place in two 8×8 glass pans or one 9×13 glass pan. Bake cinnamon rolls until they are golden brown in color – about 25-30 minutes depending on the baking container.
- While the sourdough cinnamon rolls are baking, make the cream cheese frosting.
- 10:30 AM (Day of Bake):
- Remove cinnamon rolls from oven and allow to cool on the countertop. Cool completely to ensure frosting does not run or frost within 5-10 minutes after they are out of oven for it to melt into cinnamon rolls.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 4 cups All Purpose Flour We like the King Arthur brand as they feature unbleached and organic flour
- 1/2 cup Honey
- 1/2 cup Coconut Oil Measure when melted
- 1/2 TSP Sea Salt
- 1/4 Cup Water To allow dough to come together. May need more water- add in 1 T increments.
- 3/4 Cup Active Sourdough Starter “Discard” Active sourdough starter calls for 100% hydration. “Note for bottom of recipe” This recipe has not been tested with sourdough discard which has been stored in the fridge.
- 2 Eggs
- 1 TSP Baking Soda
- 1 TSP Baking Powder
- 1/3 cup Half and Half Can alternatively use Milk, a milk alternative or or Canned Coconut Cream (If using canned coconut cream, use the cream of the coconut cream – not the water/ milk. We like the Thai Kitchen brand.)
Cinnamon Roll Filling
- 1 stick Unsalted Butter (4 ounces) Can use salted butter
- 1 cup Brown Sugar Level, not packed
- 2 TBS Ground Cinnamon
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 block Cream Cheese (8 ounces) Can be Full fat or reduced fat
- 1 stick Unsalted Butter (4 ounces) Can use salted butter – see salt note
- 2-1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar Can reduce by 1/2 – 1 cup if less-sweet frosting is desired. Note this will cause frosting to be runnier in texture.
- 1 TBS Vanilla Extract Can use 2 TSP Vanilla Bean Extract
- 1 Pinch Salt *Leave out if using salted butter
Instructions
- To begin making the sourdough cinnamon rolls, start with the dough. In a bowl which as enough room for the dough to rise by 1x the starting size, combine the first ingredients. The ingredients (melted coconut oil, honey, all purpose flour, sourdough starter and water) will be mixed together by hand until a shaggy ball forms. Be prepared, the dough will be sticky at this time. Cover tightly with plastic wrap or a beeswax wrap. Allow the dough to sit on the countertop for up to 12 hours.
- Place in refrigerator for longer fermentation time, if preferred. Allow to come to room temperature on morning of bake.
- After the dough has fermented add in the remaining ingredients: eggs, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix either within a stand mixer or by hand. If using a stand mixer, utilize the dough hook attachment and allow the dough to come together for 10-15 minutes. When stretched, the dough should have a window pane like consistency. By hand this process could could take 30+ minutes to kneed.
- In a separate bowl, mix together the cinnamon sugar filling. Mix the filling ingredients (butter, brown sugar and cinnamon) together until combined. To have softened butter, allow it to sit on the countertop or microwave until a finger can be pushed into the butter with little resistance. It is important to ensure the butter is not melted before mixing together.
- Next on a smooth surface, roll the dough into a rectangle shape of 1/4 inch thickness. Though the dough does not commonly stick to the surface, additional measures can be taken to ensure this occurs by placing butter, flour, or a neutral tasting oil on the counter. Alternatively, the dough can be rolled onto a silicone baking sheet or wax paper.
- Once the dough is rolled thin, spread the cinnamon sugar mixture across the dough. Next, roll the dough into tight before slicing the dough.To slice the dough, you can use a pastry cutter, sharp knife, plain dental floss or twine. If utilizing plain dental floss or twine, grab a piece between your pointer fingers as you would to begin flossing your teeth. Place under the cinnamon roll and gently wiggle underneath. Cross your hands above the roll in a criss-cross pattern and gently pull to opposite sides, pinching the roll. The amount of rolls depends on how large of cinnamon rolls are preferred. We typically make 12-14 rolls out of one recipe.
- Once cut, place the rolls into two prepared cake pans or a 9 x 13 pan. Ensure the pans are either lined with parchment paper or the pan is coated with butter or a neutral cooking oil to prevent sticking from the bottom of the pan. Allow the rolls to rise on the countertop for 30 minutes to an hour before placing in the oven. Though this step is optional, this secondary rise will allow the cinnamon rolls to become wonderfully fluffy.
- Finally, before placing in the oven, pour 1/3 cup of heavy whipping cream, milk or coconut cream on top of the cinnamon rolls. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until the tops are firm to the touch. If the cinnamon rolls turn golden brown in color, they are typically overdone and the outer rolls will be dry.
- While the cinnamon rolls are in the oven, begin preparing the cream cheese frosting. Whip the cream cheese and butter until light and airy. The color of the butter and cream cheese will turn from yellow to white. It may take up to 5 minutes for this to occur. Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time to prevent the sugar from going outside the mixing bowl. Add the vanilla and salt (if unsalted butter was used).This frosting can be put in the fridge or left on the countertop. Our preference is to frost one pan of cinnamon rolls on the day they are made.
- Once the cinnamon rolls are removed removed from the oven, allow them to cool for at least 15 to 30 minutes. By allowing to cool slightly, this will ensure the cream cheese frosting does not melt into the cinnamon rolls.Enjoy!
Have you tried making sourdough cinnamon rolls before? If you make this recipe, comment below and let us know your thoughts!
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