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4.89 from 26 votes

Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

These are perfect sourdough cinnamon rolls. Light and fluffy, with a brown sugar cinnamon filling and a powdered sugar glaze on top. These are irresistible and will be devoured in no time!
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Resting Time10 hours
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Servings: 8 rolls
Calories: 403kcal

Ingredients

For the Sweet Dough

  • 160 g (2/3 cup) milk, whole or 2%
  • 28 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter
  • 1 large egg room temperature
  • 100 g (1/2 cup) bubbly, active starter
  • 24 g (2 tbsp) granulated white sugar
  • 300 g (2½ cups) all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur)
  • 3 g (1/2 tsp) salt

For the Filling

  • 4 tbs. (57 g) unsalted butter very soft
  • 2/3 cup (143 g) light brown sugar
  • 4 tsp cinnamon

For the Glaze

  • 1 cup confectioners sugar
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

Make the Dough

  • Warm the milk and 2 Tbs. butter in a shallow pan or microwave. Cool slightly before using. 
  • Add the egg, starter, and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix to combine using the paddle attachment. With the machine running, slowly pour in the warm milk mixture. 
  • Add the flour and salt, and continue mixing until a rough dough forms, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes. 
  • After the dough has rested, switch to the dough hook and knead on medium-low speed for 6-8 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl.
  • Cover again with a damp towel, and let rise overnight at room temperature until double in size. This can take anywhere from 8-10 hours or more.

Roll and Fill the Dough

  • The following morning, lightly flour your countertop to prevent sticking. Gently coax the dough out of the bowl.  Let it rest for 5- 10 minutes to relax the gluten. It will be easier to roll out this way.
  • With a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into a large rectangle (mine was about 12x12). 
  • In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Spread the softened butter over the dough, and top with brown sugar and cinnamon mixture.

Roll & Cut the Dough

  • Using lightly oiled or floured fingertips, roll it up pressing down as you go. Take your time with this step. You want the log to be somewhat tight so that the swirls stay in tact when baked. Once you get to the end, make sure the dough is facing seam side down. 
  •  To cut the dough and to ensure you don't squish the spiral, use unflavored dental floss or sewing thread. If you have neither, then use a very sharp knife. To use the floss, I place it underneath the dough in the middle. Bring the floss up on either side, and criss cross it, then pull the floss evenly on both sides so it cuts through the dough. I repeat this with each half (Making 4 logs of even size). Then repeat again to make 8 even sized cinnamon buns (about 1 1/2 inches in size).

Final Rise

  • Place the rolls into an 9-inch parchment lined round pan and let rest for about 1-2 hours, or until the dough puffs up. The time can vary depending on the temperature of your kitchen.

Bake the Rolls

  • Preheat your oven to 350 F. Place the dough onto the center rack and bake for 40-45 minutes. The tops should be light golden brown and the internal temperature should read 190 F. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, and then remove to a wire rack. 

Make the glaze

  • While the rolls are cooling make the glaze. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the glaze ingredients. You can adjust the consistency by adding a little more milk, or more sugar. Then spread the glaze on top of the rolls (I like to do this while they are still a bit warm).

Notes

  • Make sure your starter is active before you start. Drop a small piece in a bowl of water to see if it floats. It it does, then it’s ready! If not, then it may need 1-2 more feedings. 
  • Measure Your Flour Using A Kitchen Scale . You can use measuring cups but for best accuracy it's better use a kitchen scale and weigh out your flour. This ensures you don't overmeasure, which can result in dense rolls. You can read my post on How To Measure Flour here.
  • Damp Towel!! When you let the dough rise overnight, be sure to use a damp towel to cover it so it doesn’t dry out and not rise properly.
  • Use Floss (Or Thread). If you use a knife, you risk squishing the dough and not getting a clean cut and neat spiral. Just make sure your floss isn't mint flavored. Place the floss underneath and then bring it up on either side, criss cross it, and then pull the thread through the dough. 
  • Storage: Store cooled cinnamon rolls, covered, at room temperature for up to 5 days. Or freeze for up to 3 months.
  • Adapted From Artisan Sourdough Made Simple cookbook

Nutrition

Calories: 403kcal | Carbohydrates: 69g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 172mg | Potassium: 110mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 36g | Vitamin A: 370IU | Calcium: 66mg | Iron: 2.1mg