I typically don't bake during the week because I simply don't have time. However, thanks to this quarantine, my sourdough starter is getting a whole lot of action! These sourdough cinnamon rolls are great because the dough rises in the fridge overnight, so that they're ready just in time for breakfast or brunch!
Don't have a sourdough starter? Never fear! Just check out my Sourdough Guide for all my tips and tricks!
You might also like these sourdough beignets!
Making the Cinnamon Rolls
This dough is inspired by the incredibly talented Maurizio Leo of The Perfect Loaf. I used his dough recipe from the Cinnamon Rolls (with a few minor tweaks) and did my own thing with the filling and icing. I'm going to outline everything here, along with my personal tips, but you can check out his post for more details and process pictures!
For all of my sourdough recipes, I measure my ingredients in grams. If you don't have a kitchen scale, I highly recommend getting one! You can find lots of affordable ones on Amazon* that work great!
- In your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the sourdough starter, eggs, milk, and sugar until fully combined.
- Slowly add in the flour and salt and continue to mix until fully incorporated. Once combined, turn off the mixer and let the dough rest for about 10 minutes.
- After the rest, turn you mixer to a medium speed and mix the dough for about 6 minutes until the dough comes together and there are no more clumps.
- Add the butter to the dough, one square at a time. Let each square of butter fully incorporate into the dough before adding the next. It should take around 10 minutes to add all of the butter.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough ferment for 2 hours at room temperature (70-75 degrees). Every 30 minutes, do a set of stretches and folds for a total of 3 sets.
- Chill the dough in the fridge overnight. You can chill the dough for a minimum of 2-4 hours instead, but I've only ever chilled it overnight and it always turns out perfectly. So that's my recommendation!
- Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.
- On a lightly floured counter, roll out the chilled dough into a large rectangle (about 10x20 inches).
- Spread the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly across the dough, leaving a 1-2 inch margin on the top. Sprinkle the chopped pecans evenly over the filling.
- Carefully roll the dough into a log shape. Using a sharp knife or bench cutter, cut the dough every 2 inches. Transfer the cut rolls into your greased/lined baking dish, leaving some space between them.
- Cover and let the rolls proof for 2 hours in a warm room (around 75 degrees). The dough should relax and begin to puff up a bit and fill in some of the space between the rolls.
During the last 30 minutes of proofing, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Bake for 20-30 minutes or until a lovely golden brown.
Let the rolls cool for about 10-15 minutes before icing. This allows the icing to stay at a desirable consistency instead of completely melting.
Tip: Only ice a few at a time. Save the rest of the icing in the fridge and when you're ready to eat a roll, heat it up in the microwave or oven until warm and then drizzle with icing. It tastes like they're right out of the oven!
You might also like these Blood Orange Sourdough Sweet Rolls!
More Sourdough Recipes
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Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 1 cup sourdough starter
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 ¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
- ½ cup pecans, finely chopped (optional )
Cream Cheese Icing
- 4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
- 2-4 tablespoons milk , more or less for desired consistency
Instructions
Making the Dough
- In your stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the sourdough starter, eggs, milk, and sugar until fully combined. Slowly add in the flour and salt and continue to mix until fully incorporated. Once combined, turn off the mixer and let the dough rest for about 10 minutes.
- After the rest, turn you mixer to a medium speed and mix the dough for about 6 minutes until the dough comes together into a smooth ball and there are no more clumps.
- With your mixer still on medium speed, add the butter to the dough, one square at a time. Let each square of butter fully incorporate into the dough before adding the next. It should take around 10 minutes to add all of the butter.
- Cover the bowl and let the dough ferment for 2 hours at room temperature (70-75°F). Every 30 minutes, do a set of stretches and folds for a total of 3 sets.
- Chill the covered dough in the fridge overnight.
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- Mix together the softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon until fully combined and smooth.
Assembly and Proofing
- Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish.
- On a lightly floured counter, roll out the chilled dough into a large rectangle (about 10x20 inches).
- Spread the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly across the dough, leaving a 1-2 inch margin on the top. Sprinkle the chopped pecans evenly over the filling.
- Carefully roll the dough into a log shape. Using a sharp knife or bench cutter, cut the dough into 12 even pieces (about every 2 inches).
- Transfer the cut rolls into your greased/lined baking dish, leaving some space between them.
- Cover and let the dough proof for 2 hours at around 75°F. The dough should relax and being to puff up a bit and start to fill in some of the space between the rolls.
Bake and Serve
- During the last 30 minutes of proofing, preheat your oven to 400°F.
- Bake the rolls for 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.
- Let the rolls cool for 10-15 minutes before icing.
Cream Cheese Icing
- While the rolls are baking, beat the room temperature cream cheese and butter until smooth and there are no lumps. Slowly add in the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until fully combined.
- Add in 1-2 tablespoons of milk or cream a little bit at a time until you reach your desired spreading consistency. I like thick icing so I only add about 1 tablespoon of milk, but if you want a thinner more pourable icing you may have to add 3-4 tablespoons of milk.
Notes
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
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Randi says
Loved this recipe! The rolls come out just oh so soft and perfectly gooey in the middle. Cinnamon rolls have been my pregnancy craving and none have been satisfying before these. I like very little frosting so I only made half of that and added a touch more of vanilla since I'm a vanilla monster.