Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Finally nailed down a sourdough cinnamon roll recipe for you! I’ve been making a version of these for three years now and hadn’t quite gotten exactly what I wanted, until now (fyi, now is in July but you won’t see this until september =))

But before we get into the recipe, let’s talk about why we’d use some of that valuable starter to make an enriched dough for cinnamon rolls when commercial, quick yeast is readily available. And if you don’t have a sourdough starter, why you might want to begin maintaining one for reasons other than that beautiful rustic country bread. 

What’s the difference between a regular cinnamon roll and a sourdough cinnamon roll? 

The former is leavened with commercial yeast (rapid rise or active dry) and the latter with natural yeast, a sourdough starter. With commercial yeast the proving/rising times are quick and easy to plan around. The dough can be turned into rolls in 3-4 hours. The flavor is a bit more bland and the resulting dough is soft, but the softness tends to last only the day of baking. 

Sourdough cinnamon rolls take longer to make; the first rise can take up to six hours and has a bit of a tighter structure (not as puffy), however, it has an excellent flavor, it’ll taste like you picked it up from an artisanal bakery. So, the wait is really worth it. 

Milk Bread + Sourdough 

These two things take your average homemade cinnamon roll recipe to a new level, a level where you might ask: why would I ever buy a roll when I can make ones that are 10x better? 

Using the tangzhong, a chinese technique used to make japanese milk bread, the dough will be softer and, magically, stay soft. Sourdough also helps with keeping the bread structure soft, a day or two layer. 

Recipe Origins 

If you’ve been here a minute or two, you might know of or have made (hopefully if it was once you made them on repeat after that!) my brown butter cinnamon rolls. That was the first cinnamon roll recipe I posted and it’s still the most popular. It’s also the recipe that gave me the building blocks for this one. 

The main adjustments that need to be made when incorporating starter into an enriched bread recipe is in the leavening and the water/flour amounts since the starter already has these. Also, I didn’t brown the butter. You are welcome to do so though, I simply found myself aiming for a more standard sourdough cinnamon roll but I do think browning the butter (for the filling and you can use some in the topping) would be absolutely lovely. 

You’ll note I did keep the heavy cream bath, this makes for a truly gooey cinnamon roll. 

Recipe Ingredients 

Milk: whole milk, cold is fine. 

Flour: bread flour or a high protein all purpose flour. 

Water: warm, to dissolve and activate the yeast. 

Sugar: brown sugar, light or dark is fine. 

Yeast: active dry yeast. This will add leavening to the enriched dough. 

Eggs: whole large eggs, at room temperature. 

Active starter: fed sourdough starter, fed at least 6 hours prior (it should be bubbly and thick). 

Salt: fine sea salt, if using table salt, halve the amount. 

Vanilla: pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste. 

Butter: unsalted butter, american or european style butterfat. If using salted butter, reduce the amount added to the recipe. 

Heavy Cream: or heavy whipping cream. I use ultra pasteurized. 

Powdered sugar: made with tapioca starch. 

Starch: tapioca starch, tapioca flour or cornstarch. This will help thicken the filling. 

How to Make Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls 

Feed your starter: at least six hours before you plan to make the dough but up to 10 (depending on the temperature of your kitchen and when the starter will be at its most active). 

When the starter is active, you can begin. 

Make the roux (tangzhong): in a pot, add the milk and a portion of the flour. Whisk it well, then set it over medium heat and continue to whisk until it thickens into a paste. Take it off the heat as soon as it does (you don’t want it to scorch on the bottom, you’ll know this happened if you see some of the paste has turned brown at the bottom of the pan) 

Bloom the yeast: while active dry yeast is commonly said to be active without dissolving it a liquid. However, I find doing so is beneficial for two reasons: you can check that the yeast is active and good to use and it dissolves it better. 

Why is there commercial yeast in this recipe? 

Mostly to speed things along. Using starter alone can work but it is a very long process and you will still get the same lovely sourdough flavor. The added yeast also helps us be a bit more exact about knowing when the dough is done with the first and second rise. 

Make the dough 

Add the rest of the dough ingredients: first the flour then the remaining ingredients. If the roux is hot, keep it to one side of the bowl while you add the eggs so the heat from the roux doesn’t start ‘cooking’ the eggs. 

Knead: until the dough starts pulling from the sides. It won’t clear the bowl, but it will gather in a shapeless mass around the dough hook. 

First rise: this is going to take longer than a cinnamon roll that is reliant on commercial yeast (active dry or instant) which is usually 1-2 hours. For our sourdough enriched dough, it’ll take at least four hours but it could be more depending on the temperature of your kitchen.

The dough is done rising when it has almost doubled in size. 

Dough Filling & Shaping 

Make the filling: First whisk together the sugar, salt and cinnamon then mix it with the softened butter. 

Roll out the dough: to about the size of a cookie sheet, around 16 x 10 inches, then spread the filling in an even layer all over it. 

Shape the rolls: roll up the dough so you have a long log then use either dental wax (gives nice clean cuts) or a bread knife to slice the log into about one inch rolls. Arrange them in a greased 13×9 inch cake pan. I usually have them arranged like this: 2,1,2,1,2.  

Second rise: set a tea towel over the pan (don’t let it touch the rolls) then leave them to rise for about an hour, until they are puffy and when you poke them they don’t bounce back. 

Bake & Glaze 

Optional Heavy Cream Bath : This is a very cool trick I learned from Tastes of Lizzy T: pour a half a cup of heavy cream on the dough right before baking. The cream absorbs into the dough and filling and makes them gooey. I like to add a little vanilla to my cream before adding it. 

Bake: once the oven is preheated, set the rolls in and bake until they turn golden all over. A dependable method to ensure they are fully done baking checking the temperature: insert a thermometer into the center of the roll and check that it has reached 190 F. 

Make the topping: whisk together all the ingredients for the glaze until you have a thick but runny glaze. 

The Best Time to Glaze Cinnamon Rolls 

This depends on how you like your rolls: if you like the glaze to be in one thick layer on top, then wait until the rolls are cool and then spread the glaze on top. 

If you like the glaze to melt and completely cover the rolls (and seep into the inner layers) then spread it while they are still hot or warm. 

Making the dough Ahead of Time 

With enriched doughs, you can usually stall the proofing time by placing the dough in the fridge. It doesn’t stop it entirely from rising, but it slows it down enough to buy you more hours before baking. Here’s two options: 

Slowing the first rise: Once the dough has almost doubled in size, set it in the fridge overnight. It might continue to prove but most likely it won’t rise much. You can work with cold dough for the rolling/filling/shaping but if it’s tight to roll, leave it under a cloth at room temperature on a floured countertop for 15-20 minutes. This will allow the gluten to warm up and relax. 

Slowing the second rise: after shaping the rolls, set them in the fridge overnight. In the morning, let the dough come to room temperature then let it rise until the rolls are puffy and don’t immediately bounce back when pressed. It might take about 2 hours total, depending on the temperature of your kitchen. 

Please note: stretching the rising times can sometimes throw off the dough so it can lead to less ideal results. Pay attention to your dough and you’ll get the best results. 

Storing the Rolls 

If just overnight, store the rolls at room temperature, covered with a tea towel. In the morning, you can set them in the microwave (or have a low oven setting) to warm before serving. 

Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Recipe

Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Super tender milk bread style cinnamon rolls made with sourdough starter.

Prep Time: 1 hour hr

Cook Time: 45 minutes mins

Yields: 8 large rolls or 12 small

5 from 5 votes

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Ingredients

Tangzhong or roux

• 240 g or 1 cup whole milk
• ⅓ cup bread flour

Dough

• 30 g or 2 tablespoons water
• 1 teaspoon active dry yeast
• 475 g bread flour
• 100 g brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 100 g fed sourdough
• ¾ tsp fine sea salt
• 1-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• All of roux from above
• 57 g cup butter very soft (or halfway between melted and softened)

Flling

• 113g softened butter
• 200g brown sugar light or dark
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• Pinch fine sea salt
• 1 tablespoon tapioca flour tapioca starch or cornstarch
• 120g heavy cream for the cream bath
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Glaze

• 190g cups powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 2-4 tablespoons milk or cream
• Pinch fine sea salt

Method

• At least 12 hours before making the dough, feed your starter. Begin making the dough when the starter is active.

Make the roux

• In a small pot, whisk together the milk and ⅓ cup of flour. Set over medium low heat and cook, stirring frequently, until it thickens into a loose paste. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Make the dough

• In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the warm water and the yeast. Stir, then leave it for a few minutes. The yeast will dissolve and begin to foam after around 5 minutes.
• On top of the yeast, add the flour, eggs, salt, vanilla, active starter, sugar and the cooled roux. Affix the dough hook and begin kneading on low. Once the dough starts to come together, add the butter and then knead until the dough comes together around the dough hook about 7-10 minutes.
• Oil a large bowl and transfer the dough into the bowl. Toss the dough around to coat it in oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set at room temperature to rise.
• The first rise will take 4-6 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen. Natural yeast takes longer than commercial yeast to do its magic. When the dough has nearly doubled in size, it’s ready to be shaped.

Make the filling & shape the dough

• Beat or stir together all the filling ingredients (butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, salt and starch) until it has the consistency of a thick paste.
• Deflate the dough and transfer it onto a floured countertop. Roll it out to a large rectangle, about 16 inches wide and 10 inches tall. Spread the filling over it then roll the dough into a long log. Use a bread knife or unwaxed dental floss to slice the dough into about 2 inch rolls.
• Arrange the rolls in a greased 13 x 9 inch cake pan, leaving space for them to spread and rise.
• The second rise should take about 1-2 hours (room temperature dependent), the rolls are ready to bake when you can see some slight bubbles in the dough and when the dough is pressed, it doesn’t immediately spring back but leaves a small indentation.
• Preheat the oven to 350 F.
• Stir together the heavy cream and vanilla then pour between the dough rolls. Bake the rolls for about 30 minutes, until golden all over.

Make the topping

• Whisk together the powdered sugar, a pinch of salt, the vanilla and milk or cream. If the mix is too runny, add more powdered sugar, if it’s too thick, add a bit more milk. Spread the glaze over the rolls - if you top the rolls when they are warm the glaze will melt into them. If you wait until they are cool it will sit on top in a layer.
• Store the rolls at room temperature. If eating the next day, warm in the microwave for 30 seconds.

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