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Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Yes you can make your cinnamon rolls with sourdough and yes they are as MOUTH WATERING as ever!
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Course: Breakfast
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 17 minutes
Total Time: 47 minutes
Servings: 12 large or 16 regular sized rolls

Ingredients

  • DOUGH INGREDIENTS:
  • 1 3/4 cups warm water
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1 cup 220 g active bubbly sourdough starter
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
  • 1/2 Tablespoon salt
  • 5 - 5 1/2 cups unbleached bread
  • FILLING INGREDIENTS:
  • 5 Tablespoons butter softened
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
  • FROSTING INGREDIENTS:
  • 4 oz butter softened (1 stick)
  • 4 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

  • Activate your starter by feeding it so you have a total volume of at least 1 cups. (see example feed size on sample schedule above) When your starter is active, bubbly, and doubled in size after a feed, it’s time to start making the dough.
  • In a stand mixer/large bowl, combine honey, warm water, andactive starter. Mix together.
  • Add eggs, oil, and salt. Mix together. Then add the flour cup by cup while mixing in between. You have enough flour when 1- the dough doesn’t stick to the side of the bowl while kneading, and 2- the dough is tacky but not super sticky on your fingers when touched. (Be careful not to add too much flour or the final product will be dense!)
  • Knead for five minutes either by hand or with a mixer. If using a mixer- cover the dough while kneading to keep the heat inside.
  • Cover the dough with a clean dish towel or a lid or plastic wrap.  Let it rise until increased in size by 50%. (four to seven hours)
  • Dump risen dough onto a lightly floured surface. Roll out into a large rectangle.
  • Spread the butter on the dough and evenly sprinkle the cinnamon/brown sugar mixture.
  • Tightly roll dough up into one long snake. Cut off the very edges. Using cinnamon dental floss, thread, or a very sharp serrated knife, cut the dough into 16 even portions per dough snake. (for slightly larger rolls, cut into 12 equal portions.) 
  • Onto a jelly roll pan lined with parchment paper, (or greased), evenly lay out the cinnamon roll dough rounds, 4 rows of 4. (or 4 rows of 3 if making only 12 rolls). Cover and let rise until risen to 150%, about two to four hours.
  • Bake at 375° F for 15-16 minutes.
  • For frosting: Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, combine butter and cream cheese. Beat together for 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Then add milk, vanilla, almond extract, salt and powdered sugar. mix until smooth. IF itoo thick, add a tablespoon of milk. If too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.  *see note for orange roll adaptation. 
  • Spread frosting over rolls. ENJOY! 

Notes

Sample Schedule

Figuring out the timing of working with sourdough can be really tricky at first! This is just a sample schedule of how I do it, but feel free to adapt this timeline for whatever works for your lifestyle!
Friday 10:00 PM FEED STARTER 1:8:8 RATIO. Right before going to bed, in a large jar or glass bowl, combine 2 Tablespoons of runny discard starter with a heaping 1 cup of flour and slightly under 1 cup of water (adjust the water/ flour measurement so that when mixed together it resembles a thick pancake batter consistency). Mix together, cover, and leave it in a nice, semi-warm place to activate. Mark the height of the mixture with a rubber band or dry-erase marker on the outside of the glass.  Over the next 8-10 hours it should activate and double in size, so make sure that it has room to grow! 
 
Saturday 8:00 AM MAKE THE DOUGH. Only proceed *IF* your starter has doubled in size and is full of bubbles. If it is not doing those two things, then go back to the sourdough tips above for troubleshooting. If the starter looks good, then go ahead and follow the directions below to combine all ingredients together and knead the dough. Cover with a clean dish towel or with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled in size. Depending on your ambient temperature and the strength of your starter, this could take anywhere between 4 to 8 hours. 
Saturday 1:00 PM FORM THE DOUGH INTO ROLLS. Only proceed if the dough has doubled in size. If not, keep waiting for that to happen. Once doubled, follow the instructions below to roll out the dough, then spread out the melted butter, sugar and cinnamon mixture. Roll up, then cut into sixteen equal portions and lay flat on your prepared baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap, a clean dish towel or a lid and let rise until risen by about 150% in size. This may take anywhere from two to five hours depending on the ambient temperature and strength of your starter. *OPTIONAL* this could be a good time to refrigerate the formed dough for 12-36 hours if desired. See notes above about letting it come to room temperature and rise before baking. 
 
Saturday 4:00 PM BAKE THE CINNAMON ROLLS. Bake according to directions below. Make frosting while the cinnamon rolls are in the oven and evenly spread out frosting once they come out of the oven. ENJOY!