The Best Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

4.95 from 86 votes

The Best Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Pillowy soft, the perfect amount of gooey cinnamon filling and a delicious cream cheese icing make these sourdough cinnamon rolls the best ever. These are the BEST sourdough cinnamon rolls - perfect for a weekend breakfast or special occasion.

Prep Time1

Cook Time22

Fermentation Time1 13

Total Time1 14 22

Course: Breakfast, brunch

Cuisine: American

Servings: cinnamon rolls

Author: Amy Coyne

Equipment

stand mixer optional
18 by 13 baking sheet
parchment paper
rolling pin

Ingredients

Sweet Stiff Levain (10-12 hours/overnight at 78ºF)

20 grams sourdough starter about 4 teaspoons
20 grams granulated sugar about 2 Tablespoons
100 grams all purpose flour heaping 2/3 cup
50 grams water scant 1/4 cup

Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

180 grams levain all of the levain
440 grams warm whole milk about 1 3/4 cup, see recipe notes
113 grams unsalted butter, melted about 1/2 cup
115 grams granulated sugar about 1/2 cup
2 large eggs about 100 grams total
12 grams salt about 2 teaspoons
950 grams bread flour about 6-7 cups

Cinnamon Roll Filling

113 grams unsalted butter very soft, 1/2 cup
200 grams packed brown sugar scant 1 cup
8 grams ground cinnamon about 1 Tablespoon
10 grams cornstarch about 1 Tablespoon

Cinnamon Roll Frosting

113 grams unsalted butter softened, 1/2 cup
55 grams cream cheese softened, 1/4 cup
250 grams powdered sugar about 2 cups
30 grams heavy cream about 2 Tablespoons
5 grams vanilla extract about 1 teaspoon
2 grams maple extract about 1/2 teaspoon
pinch of salt to taste

Instructions

Levain (10-12 hours, overnight at 78ºF)

Mix together ripe sourdough starter, all purpose flour, granulated sugar and water. Knead the levain until it forms a cohesive ball. Place in a clear jar and set in a warm 78ºF place. Cover and let rise for 10-12 hours until the levain has doubled in size and the top is rounded.

Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Mix the Dough: Warm the milk in the microwave (about 1 1/2 minutes full power) or on the stove. It should be around 90-100 degrees F, no warmer than that. To the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook, add the ripe levain, warmed milk and melted butter.
Add the sugar, eggs, salt and most of the bread flour. Turn on the dough hook and knead for a few minutes. Add the remainder of the bread flour as needed. The dough should be tacky, not overly sticky and should all cling to one side of the bowl (or away from the edges depending on your mixer). Knead for a total of 5-7 minutes until the dough is smooth.
Alternatively you can knead this dough by hand if you don't have a stand mixer.
Bulk Fermentation: Put the dough in a container and cover. Set the dough in a warm, 78-80ºF place for 4 hours. Take the temperature of the dough as needed to make sure the dough temperature stays right around 78-80ºF. This temperature is optimal for fermentation. At the end of about 4 hours, the dough should be puffed up and feel very elastic. If it doesn't feel this way, let it bulk ferment for another half hour and check again.
At this point you can refrigerate the dough overnight, shaping and proofing the rolls the following morning if desired.
Mix up the Filling: Near the end of bulk fermentation, mix up the cinnamon roll filling. To a small bowl, add the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch. Mix together. Set aside.
Shaping: Line a half sheet pan (18 by 13 inches) with parchment paper. Roll the dough out into an approximate 18 by 12 rectangle. Spread the cinnamon filling all over the dough with your fingers, making sure to cover up to the edges of the cinnamon roll. Starting with the dough closest to you, roll up the cinnamon roll and pinch together the seam. Flip the cinnamon roll over, seam side down. Cut the long log of cinnamon roll dough into 12 equal pieces for large cinnamon rolls. Place the cinnamon rolls on the parchment lined pan, snuggling all rolls together on the pan.
For 24 smaller rolls, roll the dough into a 24 by 10 inch rectangle. Cut rolls into 24 equal pieces and place in a 6 by 4 grid on the baking sheet.
Proofing: Cover the pan and let rise in an 80ºF place until puffed up, doubled in size and feel light and airy, about 6-8 hours. Do not bake these rolls if they have not risen. At this point the rolls can be baked right away OR for morning cinnamon rolls, cover them and stick in the refrigerator overnight to be baked straight from the fridge the next morning.
Baking: Pre-heat the oven to 350º F. Bake for about 22-25 minutes until the center of the cinnamon rolls is 190-195ºF and they are baked all the way through.
Note: For extra decadant sourdough cinnamon rolls drizzle about 1 tablespoon of heavy cream over each cinnamon roll before baking for an extra soft, gooey texture.
Cream Cheese Frosting: Use a hand mixer to whip together softened butter and cream cheese. Add the powdered sugar, heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract, maple extract and salt. Whip together for 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. The frosting should be light and fluffy.
Spread frosting over the tops of the cinnamon rolls while they are still warm. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Cinnamon Roll Size: This recipe makes 12 very large cinnamon rolls. I often cut the rolls into 24 pieces for a smaller, equally delicious version. You can also cut this recipe in half and make 12 smaller rolls in a 9 by 13 inch pan.

Bread Flour: Bread flour creates dough with more elasticity thanks to the higher protein content, and I prefer the texture of cinnamon rolls made with bread flour. If you don’t have bread flour, you can use all-purpose flour and substitute some vital wheat gluten to increase the protein content of the flour. Or substitute all-purpose flour, adding a little bit of extra flour as needed to the dough so it feels tacky, not overly sticky.

Whole Milk: 2% milk can be substituted

Proofing Options for Morning Cinnamon Rolls: Most of us enjoy eating cinnamon rolls in the morning which can be a little tricky with 100% sourdough recipes. Here are some of the proofing options that help make this possible:

Shape Rolls, Proof and Refrigerate to bake the next morning: This is my favorite way to have sourdough cinnamon rolls ready when I wake up. Go through the entire process of shaping the rolls and then proofing them until just doubled in size. Cover them and stick the risen rolls in the refrigerator overnight. Bake straight from the fridge the next morning.
Refrigerate the dough for 12-24 hours and shape rolls in the morning: Refrigerate dough, shape and fill the next morning. Rolls rise in a warm (80-85ºF) place for 3-4 hours and are typically ready for brunch.
Shape and Let Rise Overnight: If you time it right and have consistently lower temperatures (76ºF-78ºF), it can work well to mix the dough in the evening and shape the rolls about 10-12 hours before you want to bake them, giving them time to rise overnight and bake when you wake up.
Shape Rolls, Proof and Bake: Shape the rolls, proof them and bake the rolls when they are risen, light and airy. Cover with foil. Reheat the next morning in the microwave for 10-20 seconds, top with icing and enjoy.

Nutrition