I love cinnamon rolls, preferably homemade of course. These sourdough cinnamon rolls require a little more effort, but it’s actually pretty straightforward and totally worth the effort. The base is a brioche dough made with butter, sugar and eggs. The result are layers of fluffy dough, with sticky cinnamon sugar in between and a delicious cream cheese frosting on top.
What I love about this recipe is that you can plan ahead well. It is possible to make these sourdough cinnamon rolls within a day but also in three days. You can let the dough chill in the fridge after the bulk fermentation or shaping. I love to make this recipe in two days where I put the dough in the fridge after the bulk fermentation. The next day I shape the dough into rolls and let them sit at room temperature for 1-2 hours until they are ready to go into the oven.
Tools & Equipment
- 22,8x33cm/9×13-inch baking dish
- Container or glas jar with lid
- Deep ceramic dish or container
- Digital thermometer
- Fine mesh strainer
- Parchment paper
- Pastry brush
- Plastic wrap
- Rolling pin
- Sharp knife
- Silicone spatula
- Small bowl
- Stand mixer fitted with the dough hook & paddle attachment
- Wire rack
Recipe Tips
Sourdough Starter: You will need an active starter. For this recipe I feed my sourdough starter the night before and let it sit at room temperature overnight so it has plenty of time to double in size.
Proofing the Dough: I prefer to make the dough the day before and place it in the fridge overnight (8-12 hours). If you don’t have the time or don’t like to wait that long, chill the dough in the fridge for 2 hours, then shape the cinnamon rolls, place them in the baking dish, cover loosely with plastic and let them proof at room temperature for about 1-2 hours until doubled in size.
Frosting: I topped the cinnamon rolls with a cream cheese frosting. But if that’s not for you, you can skip the cream cheese and butter and add some milk or heavy cream instead until you get the consistency you like.
Ingredients for Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Photo on the left: Ingredients for the Levain. On the right: Ingredients for the Dough
Photo on the left: Ingredients for the Cinnamon Filling. On the right: Ingredients for the Cream Cheese Frosting.
Directions – How to Make Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Feed your Starter and make the Levain
Feed your starter the evening in the ratio you always feed it and let it sit overnight at room temperature. In the morning, add 20g of active starter, whole wheat flour, rye flour and water (24-27°C/76-80°F) to a jar and mix. Cover and let it sit at room temperature for 8-12 hours.
Make the Dough
Cut the butter into about 0,6cm/¼-inch pieces. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat cold eggs, cold milk, sugar, and levain on medium speed until all is incorporated, for about 1 minute. Add flour and salt and mix on low speed until combined, for about 2 minutes. Let the dough sit for 10 minutes.
Turn the mixer to medium speed and mix until the dough begins to come together, for about 5-6 minutes. The dough should start to pull away from the sides of the bowl, it will not completely pull away from the bottom. Add the butter gradually on medium-low speed, waiting to add the next piece until the previous one is absorbed. Continue until all butter has been added and the dough is shiny and smooth. This may take about 8-10 minutes.
Place the dough in a deep ceramic dish, cover with plastic wrap and let it proof at 25°C/77ºF for 2 hours. During this time, stretch and fold the dough 3-4 times at 30 minute intervals. Put the pan covered with plastic wrap in the fridge to chill for at least 2 hours or overnight.
Make the Cinnamon Filling
Melt the butter in a small bowl in the microwave. In a medium bowl, combine light brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt and melted butter.
Shape the Rolls
Spray a 23x33cm/9×13-inch baking pan with non-stick spray and line with parchment paper. Lightly flour your work surface and dough, and roll out into a 29x50cm/ 11×21-inch rectangle. Spread the filling evenly over the dough.
Roll up the dough tightly from one long side. Cut the roll into pieces every 4cm/1½-inch.
Place the rolls in the baking pan, spacing them slightly apart. Cover with plastic and let proof in a warm place, about 25°C/77°F, for 2-3 hours.
Photo on the left: Before proofing. On the right: After proofing
Bake the Rolls
Preheat the oven to 200°C/400°F. Melt some butter and brush the top of the rolls with melted butter. Bake until the tops are golden brown, for about 20-25 minutes. Cover rolls loosely with aluminum foil halfway through baking to prevent the top from browning too much before the center is done. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes.
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
Sift powdered sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat powdered sugar, cream cheese, milk and vanilla extract on low speed first, for about 30 seconds. Increase to medium-high and beat until creamy, for about 2 minutes.
Spread the frosting on top of the rolls with a pastry brush while they are still warm.
Storing and Freezing Instructions
Storage: These sourdough cinnamon rolls taste best the day they are made and when still slightly warm. Keep leftover glazed or unglazed rolls well covered at room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat briefly in the microwave or oven before serving.
Freezing Instructions: You can freeze baked and completely cooled cinnamon rolls in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat before serving.
My Summary for Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Difficulty: Simple.
Taste & Texture: These sourdough cinnamon rolls are sweet and have a lovely cinnamon flavor. The filling is caramelized on the outside and that is incredibly delicious. The texture is a bit crunchy on the outside and super soft and fluffy on the inside. The cream cheese frosting on the top is perfect in my opinion.
Time: Feeding the sourdough starter and preparing the levain takes only a few minutes. Making the dough takes about 30 minutes. Bulk fermentation is 2 hours, after which the dough goes into the fridge for at least 2 hours, preferably overnight. Making the cinnamon filling and cream cheese frosting takes about 5 minutes each, rolling out the dough and shaping the cinnamon rolls takes about 20 minutes. Final proofing time is 2-3 hours and baking time is 20-25 minutes.
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