Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
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There’s nothing quite like the smell of freshly baked sourdough cinnamon rolls wafting through the kitchen. Soft, fluffy, and swirled with a rich, buttery cinnamon centre, these sourdough cinnamon rolls are the perfect balance of sweet and spice. Whether you’re baking them for a special breakfast, a holiday treat, or just because, they’re guaranteed to be a comforting family favorite. They are literally the BEST cinnamon rolls you'll ever eat!
If you really love sourdough cinnamon recipes, why not try these sourdough snickerdoodle cookies, sourdough cinnamon roll focaccia bread or sourdough cinnamon roll pancakes.
Why You'll Love This Recipe!
Rich, Buttery Dough - I recently updated this recipe, adding extra butter and eggs to the dough to make it richer, with even more soft, buttery layers of cinnamon goodness. It's the same dough I've used in these sourdough apple cinnamon rolls too!
Gooey Caramel Sauce - the heavy whipping cream poured over the cinnamon rolls before they go into the oven mixes with the cinnamon-sugar mixture and creates the most amazing gooey caramel sauce on the bottom of the cinnamon buns.
Easy to Knead - When I was improving this sourdough cinnamon roll recipe and rephotographing, I tested this recipe in several different machines with great success. This recipe can be kneaded as a single batch in a KitchenAid (you can the one I use in The Pantry Mama Test Kitchen), Thermomix TM5 & TM6 and Panasonic Bread Machine. It can also be made in a single, double or triple batch in an Ankarsrum Assistent using the dough roller.
If you're looking for something a little different, these Sourdough Gingerbread Rolls might be just the ticket or perhaps these fresh sourdough strawberry rolls!
Ingredients
- Bread Flour - You need to use bread flour rather than all purpose flour. Bread flour contains a higher protein and gluten content which will give you lofty cinnamon rolls.
- Sourdough Starter - Active sourdough starter is best for this recipe. It is an enriched dough so it will take a while for the dough to rise, but your patience will be rewarded! New to sourdough? You can follow my step-by-step guide for how to make a sourdough starter.
- Milk - Whole milk is best but this recipe will also work with 2%. It's best if you use warm milk for this recipe. I don't recommend using buttermilk for this recipe.
- Salt
- Eggs - I've used a whole egg plus an egg yolk. My eggs are large, at least 60g each.
- Sugar - I've used granulated sugar in the cinnamon roll dough, brown sugar in the filling and powdered sugar for the frosting.
- Butter - as always, I've used salted butter, but you can of course use unsalted butter if you prefer. You'll need soft butter for the dough ingredients and vanilla cream cheese frosting and melted butter for the cinnamon sugar filling.
- Heavy Cream - this takes your sourdough cinnamon rolls to the next level! Pouring it over the rolls makes them softer, richer and more moist. It mixes with the cinnamon sugar filling and creates a gooey, caramel sauce at the bottom of the pan. Trust on me this, you'll be hooked!
- Vanilla Paste - You can use vanilla paste or vanilla extract here. I actually like to use paste as I find it gives a stronger vanilla flavor, but use what you have.
- Ground cinnamon - Use your favorite ground cinnamon. You can also add the filling of these cinnamon rolls to this Sourdough Chocolate Star Bread.
- Cream Cheese - You'll need a block of cream cheese, not a tub of spreadable cream cheese here.
Overview: How To Make Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
This easy sourdough cinnamon rolls recipe is a cinch to make. Seriously, you might think that they're fiddly, but really they are quite simple. Of course, if you're not into waiting, make sure you check out these no wait sourdough cinnamon rolls.
There are quite a few steps to this recipe, but if you just take your time, the actual hands on part isn't too bad. I recommend using a stand mixer with a dough attachment to knead the dough. It makes it so much easier! But you can knead the dough by hand if you want to.
To make these sourdough cinnamon rolls, start by mixing warm milk and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer until the sugar dissolves. Add the flour, sourdough starter, vanilla, and egg, then knead into a rough dough and let it rest for about 30 minutes before kneading in the butter. Once the dough has bulk fermented, roll it out into a rectangle using a rolling pin, spread with cinnamon butter filling, then roll it up into a log and slice into 12 rolls.
Arrange the rolls in a baking dish or pan (I've used a 9" x 13" USA Pan), let them rise until beautifully puffy, and then bake until golden brown and bubbling. Ensure that the dough is puffy and full before baking - if it isn't, you'll get under proofed, gummy rolls. Proofing the rolls after shaping and before baking is crucial for success when making this sourdough cinnamon rolls recipe.
Finish by cooling slightly before smothering with rich cream cheese frosting. If you've got frosting leftovers, add it to these sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls or even these sourdough cinnamon muffins. It's also delicious spread on this sourdough discard banana bread.
Kate's Recipe Tips
- Warming the milk before you start will give your dough a nice kick start and ensure that the dough rises nicely. Of course making these in a warmer kitchen will always be a little easier as the rising time will be a little shorter.
- Use unflavored dental floss to cut the rolls. Seriously! It works better than a sharp knife! Use a ruler/dough scraper to measure where you want to cut each of the rolls and then pop the dental floss under the log and use it to cut through each roll for perfect cuts every single time! It will stop you squashing the delicate rolls by trying to cut them with a knife.
Baking Timeline for Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
You can easily make these sourdough cinnamon rolls fit into your schedule. Maybe you want overnight sourdough cinnamon rolls for Thanksgiving breakfast or Christmas morning breakfast. Here's how!
| TIME | PROCESS |
|---|---|
| 8:00am | Mix and knead dough for sourdough cinnamon rolls. |
| 9:00am | Cover dough and allow to bulk ferment. |
| 5:30pm | Roll out dough, spread filling and roll. Cut into individual rolls and place into baking pan. |
| 6:00pm | Allow rolls to sit for around an hour before covering in plastic wrap and placing into fridge for the night. |
| 6:30am | Take rolls out of the fridge and allow them to come to room temperature. |
| 8:00am | Bake sourdough cinnamon rolls for 30 mins (make frosting while they’re baking). |
| 8:30am | Allow rolls to cool for around 30 minutes. |
| 9:00am | Smother in vanilla cream cheese frosting and enjoy! |
This is just a sample timeline. I can't tell you exactly how long bulk fermentation will take, but this is an enriched dough so it will take longer than a loaf of sourdough bread, which is a lean dough. Read more information about creating a sourdough baking timeline.
How To Store + Freeze
These sourdough cinnamon rolls are hands down best eaten the day they are baked. Best served warm, smothered in vanilla cream cheese frosting! However, if you need to store them, here are your best options:
Store In The Pan - store leftover cinnamon rolls in the pan, covered with aluminium foil, at room temperature for up to 48 hours (or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days). A quick warm-up in the microwave or oven will bring back the softness and make the frosting and caramel sauce all gooey again!
Freeze - Store leftover sourdough cinnamon rolls in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are needing this sourdough cinnamon rolls recipe in a hurry or you want to use up some sourdough discard, you can swap out the active starter for the same amount of sourdough discard and add 7g of commercial yeast. Alternatively, you might also like these no wait sourdough cinnamon rolls (they use baking soda and baking powder as the leaving agent).
For the best swirls, make sure you have enough dough to work with — aim for at least 12" (30 cm) deep. Roll it into a neat rectangle, spread the filling evenly, then roll tightly from the long side. Use a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss to cut clean, even slices to show off those swirls.
Yes you can (and in fact my original recipe was baked in a 12" cast iron skillet lined with parchment paper). I changed to a 9" x 13" baking pan because I prefer the non-stick surface and find them easier to handle. A cast iron skillet will give slightly crispier edges, while a ceramic or glass dish will keep them softer all around.
This is really personal preference. If you want individual buns then it's better to not allow them to touch when rising or baking (so space them out more). I find that they rise and bake better when they're touching. You get a lovely fluffy roll with a gooey, glazed bottom!
The number one reason that cinnamon rolls come out tough is using too much flour. Avoid adding more flour to the dough, even if you feel that it's sticky. And definitely don't use any flour during shaping. This enriched dough should be silky and elastic - it shouldn't be sticky.
The brown sugar cinnamon filling will sometimes ooze out of the cinnamon rolls when you leave them on the counter to proof or when you put them in the fridge. It doesn't really matter too much and definitely won't ruin your rolls. In fact, when you pour the heavy whipping cream over the top of the rolls, the cream will combine with the oozy filling and create the most amazing caramel sauce on the bottom of the pan!
Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Video
Equipment
- Stand Mixer (will work in KitchenAid, Ankarsrum, Thermomix)
- Rolling Pin
- Baking Pan (9" x 13")
Ingredients
Dough
- 500 g Bread Flour
- 100 g Sourdough Starter (active and bubbly)
- 200 g Milk (warm)
- 7 g Salt
- 1 Egg (large)
- 1 Egg Yolk
- 80 g Granulated Sugar
- 115 g Butter (softened at room temperature)
- 5 g Vanilla Paste (or extract)
Cinnamon Butter Filling
- 75 g Butter (melted)
- 100 g Brown Sugar
- 3 g Cinnamon (ground)
To Pour Over Before Baking
- 200 g Heavy Whipping Cream
Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
- 125 g Cream Cheese (block - not spreadable)
- 25 g Butter
- 100 g Powdered Sugar
- 5 g Vanilla Paste (or extract)
- 1 pinch Salt
Instructions
Make The Dough
- Add the warm milk, sugar, sourdough starter, egg + yolk, vanilla, salt, bread flour and butter to the bowl of your stand mixer and knead to a rough dough using the dough hook attachment. Leave the dough to rest for around 30 minutes.
- Now knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic (speed 1-2 for around 2 to 3 minutes).Cover the bowl and allow the dough to bulk ferment at room temperature. You want the dough to rise around 30% and feel soft to the touch.
- Once the dough has finished bulk fermentation, you will need to fill and shape the sourdough cinnamon rolls.
Fill & Shape The Rolls
- Mix together the melted butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until it resembles wet sand. Set this aside while you roll out the dough.
- Turn the dough out onto the counter. Do not use flour when rolling out the dough, it shouldn’t be sticky.
- Gently roll the dough out into a rectangle (approx. 20” x 12” or 50cm x 30cm). It should be around ¼" thick (½cm). Spread the filling all over the dough, leaving a 2” (5cm) gap on one of the long edges. Once the filling is spread, roll the dough into a log, starting on the opposite long edge to the gap you've left. Roll the dough into a tight log, tucking the seam underneath.
- Cut the log into approximately 12 even pieces (see notes on how I do this) and place them into a baking pan (I’ve used a 9” x 13” baking dish). Face all the seams inwards so that they don't unravel.
Second Rise
- Cover the pan and allow the dough to rise. The dough is enriched, so it will take a little longer than normal (especially since we are dealing with sourdough). Once the dough is soft and puffy and the rolls are touching, it’s time to bake!
Baking
- Preheat your oven to 180C/350F.
- Pour the heavy whipping cream over the sourdough cinnamon rolls right before you place them in the oven (this is optional). Bake rolls for 30 minutes at 180C/350F. Once they're finished baking, leave them to cool in the pan for around 30 minutes before adding the frosting.
Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt to your stand mixer. Beat the frosting using the whisk attachment until it's thick and glossy.
- Once the rolls have cooled a little (I leave it about 30 minutes) smother them in the vanilla cream cheese frosting. You can use a vanilla glaze or even just dust them in icing sugar if you prefer.
Notes
Nutrition
These were so yummy! I used fresh bubbly starter and no yeast. They were divine. My only issue was trying to incorporate the butter. My dough was really fighting with me on that. Any suggestions?
I want to make this today using my discard but reading the directions it says “sourdough starter fed and bubbly” do I need to add active yeast? I thought this was a discard recipe?
Thank you
I was wondering how to incorporate the discards because it never specifys it
You'll find the instructions for using discard and yeast under the heading "Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls Discard Variation". Basically, you just swap out the active sourdough starter for sourdough discard 🙂
By far the best cinnamon rolls I have ever made, no contest! Everyone should try this recipe immediately….and prepare for a cinnamon roll experience like you have never had before.
Thank you so much for sharing.
Just made these for the first time and they are heavenly! Just 2 problems. 1. I didn't roll the dough out as big so my rolls were way too fat. Not really a problem actually. LOL. But the second one IS. All the sugar-butter filling seemed to just end up on the bottom of the pan with only trace amounts left in the rolls. What happened?
My shaping is all over the place- doesn’t look anything like cinnamon rolls- more just like one big loaf- hopefully they pull apart🤷♀️
I found the thinner that I could roll the dough the more swirls and the more even the cinnamon rolls were!
The dough is beautiful but boy the sweetness level would give anyone diabetes. My 3 and 5 -year- old refused to eat it which was a shame because it took a little while to make. I will skip the icing next time and also reduce the sugar for the filling.
Exactly the same thing happened to me. Most of the sugar cinnamon filling melted out and turned into a soft toffee in the bottom of the pan. Made it seem overwhelmingly sweet. I would definitely use less sugar cinnamon filling next time.
can these be frozen and if so, at what stage should they be put in the freezer? Thanks
Instead of cutting the log into rolls, can I shape this into a loaf? Approx baking time/temp?
Thanks so much! Your recipes are always perfect!
For the nutrition values , is this measured per batch or per serving? TIA
Your recipe calls for "pinch" of Instant yeast if using discard instead of starter...I thought I had seen elsewhere on your FB site that it called for 1 packet (7g)...which is correct? I made these using a packet of yeast and they turned out just fine but am wondering if just a "pinch" would have worked as well? Thanks!
I’ve made these a few times now and they are so yummy! Everyone I serve them too loves them.
Your recipe bio says that there is a sourdough discard option but I never saw one. I have made these SD cinnamon rolls several times with active starter and they are so yummy. But would love the discard option too. Everyone loves them.
You'll find the notes on using the discard in the main body of the post 🙂
I would love to make these but I don’t have a stand mixer. What can I do instead? Regular Stretch & folds?
Thanks!
You can easily knead these sourdough cinnamon rolls by hand, like you would with regular bread dough 🙂 They work just fine, you'll just need to really knead the dough well to ensure it's silky smooth. TPM x
Would it be possible to refrigerate the dough after the bulk ferment but before rolling it out?
How big should they get after shaping them for a second rise?
Not seeing the discard option either...
I’ve searched this recipe and all your archive recipes, and still CANNOT FIND THE DISCARD OPTION anywhere.
Exactly like a big mall brand but BETTER! My kids eat these within 24 hours after I make them. If I could give this recipe 100 stars I would!
So obviously I did not read the instructions fully, how will my rolls turn out if I forgot to add the commercial yeast? I had some discard in the fridge that I used for the rolls.
Is there a way to make these without a stand mixer? And, does it require cows’ milk or will oat milk work the same? Thanks 🙂
I'm wondering about freezing these for later. At what stage would you recommend? I was thinking right before the second rise? Thank-you!
I’d like to try this! But can I make the dough in my bread machine on the dough cycle?!
Absolutely you can use your bread machine for the dough 🙂
How long do these stay good after putting in the fridge? I plan to make some for the holidays and want to be able to make them in advance and not have to worry.
Thanks!
Loved this recipe. True to the name, the rolls were fluffy. No frosting was needed. I did, however, have trouble spreading the sugar/butter/cinnamon mixture on the dough. The mixture seemed much too stiff. Any suggestions?
Can the cooked scrolls be frozen?
This is my second try making these and they’ve been a huge hit! I feel like I’m learning and getting better each time! Delicious nonetheless!!
If I use discard, how much yeast would I add?
Hi, I’m stuck. Don’t know what I’m doing wrong but all my breads and rolls are fine until the second rise and then they don’t seem to puff up like yours do. My starter is a few months old and active. Also floats before i start and i do a feed the morning of or the night before depending on your timeline to start the recipe. Is it timing? Temperature? My house is definitely on the colder side but i allow more time for bulk ferment and it always doubles nicely. The top does get dry and kind of hard and doesn’t stay soft. Is that why i don’t get a 2nd rise? So disappointing to put in all the time and then take cinnamon rolls out of the oven that LOOK great but are not cooked on the bottom half. My bread also doesn’t puff up on second rise like yours do and don’t bake up as fluffy. Why, why why??? Please let me know if you have an answer. What am i doing wrong?
I don't have bread flour on hand, would all purpose flour make a big difference?
Thank you for the recipe. Once these are rolled up and ready for the fridge can they be placed into the freezer for a week or so before being baked?
My husband loves these
I just made these and they are amazing!! Thank you so much for this recipe. they turned out just like you imagine a cinnamon roll should look!
Hello,
Trying these for the first time. After the second rise in the fridge how long can they stay in the fridge? How many days until baking?
I’m curious because I want to bake for the holidays but want to prepare them ahead of time and not have to stress about them.
Thank you!
I’m making these today but my dough is taking forever to rise! I have it on a seedling mat with the bowl wrapped in a towel. It has barely risen at all and it’s been five or more hours. If it gets too late, can I pop it in the frig overnight and bring it out to rise in the morning? I did use warm milk and followed all the instructions carefully. My kitchen is about 70°.
2 questions. How much time does the 2nd rise need? Can I do it overnight in the refrigerator?
Hi! I am in the process of making these and was wondering how long the bulk ferment is, approximately. My kitchen is about 68 degrees. Thanks!
Can I freeze these before baking? Would I then thaw in refrigerator allow to raise to room temp then bake??
If using commercial yeast for the discard option, are they okay to stay in the fridge for 2 nights? I want to give unbaked ones to a friend to bake Christmas morning but I need to make them about 36 hours before baking
If I want to use discard and yeast, how long will the bulk ferment and second rise take? Should I leave it on my counter overnight to bulk ferment or is that too long?? Maybe fridge would be better?
If you add yeast, they won't take long to rise, maybe an hour or two. Definitely don't leave them on the counter as they will over ferment. The fridge is suitable once they're shaped. TPM x
I am making these for the first time today. I have my dough mixed and rising for the “little bit/30%.” I don’t know what that means or how long it might take with active starter. I am thinking an hour or so? I don’t know how to figure the 30% deal as the next step says once bulk fermentation is finished to roll and fill. Can anyone help?