These sourdough cinnamon rolls are so soft, gooey and delicious! The buttercream icing takes them over the top. This is also one of the easiest sourdough recipes I have ever made. The dough can be made to rise overnight and bake the next morning, perfect for holidays or brunch! If you don’t have an active sourdough starter (yet)…no worries! Check out our easy mini cinnamon roll recipe using crescent rolls!
Making the Dough
Making the dough for the cinnamon rolls is very simple, but it does take some time for the dough to rise. Using an active sourdough starter for baking requires a much longer rise (or bulk fermentation) time than traditional active yeast recipes. The rise time for these rolls is 10-12 hours. That makes this the perfect recipe to for an overnight rise and bake the next morning. The rolls can also be kept in the refrigerator to bake when ready as well (see notes in recipe instructions). *See the sample baking schedule below.
To make the dough, you will need to use a stand mixer with a dough hook to make it easy, but you can use a dough whisk or wooden spoon. Typically, you will want your dough to sit and relax and do a series of stretch and folds before letting it rise, however, for this recipe…I mix everything together in my stand mixer with the dough hook. I knead it for 6-7 min on medium speed and allow the dough to rest for about 30 min. I do one set of stretch and folds, cover with plastic wrap and let bulk rise overnight. If you are mixing by hand you will want to allow dough to rest for 30 min covered with a damp towel (dough will look like it does below) and do 3 sets of stretch and folds 30 min apart before covering for your bulk rise.
Sample Baking Schedule
8:00pm-8:30pm: Mix dough in a stand mixer & let sit in bowl to rest (cover with damp cloth)
8:30pm-9:00pm: Do one set of stretch and folds
9:00pm: Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rise overnight 10-12 hours.
7:30am: Turn dough out onto floured surface and assemble rolls into a 9×13 dish.
8:00am: Cover and let rolls rise for one-two hours. Should be doubled in size.
9:00am-10:00am: Bake rolls and make buttercream icing.
The baking schedule can be reversed to bake in the evening if you would like or times can be adjusted to fit your schedule!
Making the Filling
The filling is a simple mixture of softened or melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. You can spread softened butter on top of the dough and top with cinnamon and brown sugar or you can mix melted butter with the cinnamon and sugar to make a spread.
Making the Rolls
After your dough has risen to double its original size, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and roll out with a rolling pin to a 12×18 in rectangle. Once you have a nice rectangle shape, you can spread the butter, cinnamon and brown sugar onto the dough. Start rolling from the longest side and roll until you reach the end, pinching the edge sealed as much as possible. Using a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss (makes perfectly round rolls), cut rolls into 1 1/2 inch pieces. You should have 12 rolls. Add the rolls into a prepared 9×13 baking dish. Now here is what makes these cinnamon rolls so soft, gooey and absolutely to die for! Heavy whipping cream! Pour 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream over the rolls and bake accordingly.
Making the Icing
While your rolls are baking, you will want to make the buttercream icing using softened butter, powdered sugar, half and half or milk and vanilla. Ice while cinnamon rolls are still warm. I like to mix softened butter with powdered sugar together first and then add in your liquid. Add in the half and half or milk just a little at a time until your desired consistancy. Spread the icing over warm rolls and serve immediately. ENJOY!!!
Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
These easy, soft & gooey sourdough cinnamon rolls with buttercream icing are decadent and delicious!
Ingredients
- Dough:
- 2/3 cup milk warm
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg at room temp
- 1/2 cup or 100 g active sourdough starter
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 2 1/2 cups bread flour
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- Filling:
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- Buttercream Icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp softened butter
- 2 tbsp milk or half and half
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- *Additional ingredients:
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream to pour over rolls prior to baking
Instructions
- In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, combine warm milk, active starter, sugar, salt and beaten room temperature egg.
- Melt butter but allow to cool before adding it to the milk mixture. Mix with a paddle attachment, dough whisk or wooden spoon.
- 1 cup at a time, add bread flour. Mixing until combined with the paddle attachement.
- Switch over to dough hook and knead on medium speed for 6-7 min. Dough should start to pull way from the sides. If the dough is not pulling away from the sides and creating a soft ball, add an additional 1/2 cup bread flour.
- Cover dough and allow to rest for 30 min and then do one set of stretch and folds. Do this by pulling up one side of the dough, folding it back down and rotating the bowl to reapeat this step 3 additional times.
- Cover dough with plastic wrap and allow to rise (or bulk fermentation) for 10-12 hours overnight.
- In the morning, turn dough out onto a floured surface and roll out into a 12x18 in rectangle.
- Spread cinnamon/sugar filling over dough and roll up into a log starting at the long side.
- Once rolled, cut into twelve 1 1/2 inch rolls and place onto a greased 9x13 baking dish.
- Cover baking dish with plastic wrap and allow rolls to rise for 1 hour.
- Once rolls have risen the second time, pour 1/2 cup heaving whipping cream over rolls and bake on 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through in the middle.
- While baking, make the buttercream icing.
- Remove rolls from oven and add buttercream icing while still warm. Serve rolls warm.
- ENJOY!
Notes
*Rolls can be made and refrigerated until ready to bake. No longer that 48 hours. Do not add heavy whipping cream until ready to bake. You will need to take them out and allow them to rise for one hour before baking.
*You can also freeze rolls. Do not add heavy whipping cream until thawed and ready to bake. Remove rolls from freezer and allow to sit out in room temp for 10-12 hours again (overnight) and bake in the morning!
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