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
Hi, I’ve made them without using yeast just active sourdough it’s 10 pm now and I’ve shaped them and got them set for proofing the second time. Would leaving them overnight be long?
Hi, TPM!
I’m a complete novice, just learning the ins and outs of the sourdough world and I’ve only made one batch of bread thus far. I’m eager to embark on cinnamon rolls but have realized I don’t have an active sourdough starter, I have a potato flake starter- more liquid than dough. Do you have an alternate recipe that accommodates this type of starter? Would I just use more flour, less liquid? Or would that make the dough less silky and more sticky? Thanks!!!
My daughter and I just split a warm roll with icing, we couldn't wait. I went with the discard option because I ran out of time yesterday, and my starter was just sitting there looking hungry. Tender, and the vanilla icing was the perfect amount of sweet. Thank you!
Can you freeze the dough after shaping to have them to bake when needed?
How long does bulk ferment take if you use fed starter? Approximately, I understand temp, humidity etc will effect the time..
I’ve tried this recipe several times and it’s always delicious! I was wondering if you were going to freeze this recipe before baking, at what point would you suggest doing so?
Hi I’m not sure what I did wrong. I left them out of the fridge for three hours to rise and they didn’t really rise much. As it was baking a lot of the liquid came out and it didn’t look like it was baking all the way through so I left it in for almost 10 minutes longer and they seem a bit dough. Please help
can i substiture vegan milk - soy, almond or oatmilk?
Help, all my filling leaked out when baking! What did I do wrong? They’ve just ended up in a massive puddle of melted butter!
This by far is the BEST recipe I have found! Not only is it a bit less labor intensive, but the finished product is exactly what I was hoping for. The rise was higher than any previous recipes and the texture is certainly fluffier and not heavy! Thank you for this! (I took pictures of before and after baking. Unfortunately I cannot post them to my comment.)
This recipe is so good you don't even need the cream cheese icing. I still made the icing which is wonderful as well but truly the best cinnamon rolls I've ever had. So soft and fluffy.
Hi, can I use AP flour instead of bread flour?
Yes you can use all purpose flour - just reduce the amount of milk a little 🙂
Can I use plant based milk and plant based butter to make these? My son has a dairy allergy.
Hi, will it work with an alternative milk, like almond milk?
How many grams of discard should you use?
This was a big hit with my family!! After the second rise, can I freeze them?
Just made these and they are fantastic! I'm wondering if these can be rolled, sliced and then frozen to be defrosted/risen and then baked much later?
Hi kate, can i replace the egg somehow to make it suitable for vegans?
For the discard option, do you add the same amount of discard as starter? Thanks!
Yes, with the addition of commercial yeast 🙂
Thank you! I can’t wait to try them 🙂
how much yeast do i add with my discard?
You can add up to 7g of instant yeast to this recipe, along with your sourdough discard 🙂
Hi I forgot to add yeast to my discard... I didn't realize till it was in the Bf process. Do you think they're ruin?
It really depends on how strong your starter is. If your starter is mature, discard would be enough to rise the dough without yeast 🙂
Great recipe, making today again. To any one who likes to feed & use starter faster: I use a cooler with a cheap reptile heat pad & controller. A little water in a pan, set to 80 degrees & it rises 3x in 4hrs.
QUESTION!! Made my dough and let it ferment at room temp for about 36 hours- is that ok with eggs in it? it has a sour smell, but....thats sourdough?? I used fresh discard- was about 4 hours past its peak, didnt add yeast to took a long time to rise, and I had other stuff going on. Dont want to serve anything to my elderly parents thats not ok!
I want to love these so bad, but I have tried twice now and both times they come out super under-braked with the timing (I just added another 20 minutes and I will see). I don't have a cast iron so I tried a pie pan last time and now a casserole dish. Any tips? This is the only recipe I haven't had success yet so I am sure it is user error...
These are a triumph! Easy schedule and just perfect texture! I did one variation to the recipe and spread a thin layer of pumpkin purée on the rolled out dough before sprinkling the cinnamon sugar mixture on top. It created a gooey pumpkin butter between each layer. Heavenly!!
I love this recipe but making the dough can be time consuming (worth it) is there a way to freeze the rolls? Would you recommend freezing before or after baking? Love your recipes!
These are hands down the best cinnamon rolls I have ever eaten. They are also very easy to make. The hardest part is getting up so early to have them in the morning but so worth it.
This is an amazing recipe! I have made it twice and the review is always “this is the best cinnamon roll I have ever had” so 5/5
I do have a question: I feel like the middle rolls never get fully cooked (they are still doughy) but if I leave them in the oven I run the risk of overcooking the outside rolls. Any tips?
If I wanted to freeze these at what point would I freeze? And how long before I bake them should I take them out?
Can you freeze these before baking?
OMG I think I have died and gone to heaven. Cinnamon roll heaven. These are the BEST cinnamon rolls I have ever eaten in my 56 years of life. I used discard and a lil yeast and the rest of recipe exactly as directed. The dough was so silky smooth and easy to work with. No flour needed and rolled up beautifully. I just can’t say enough good about them. You must give these a try.
I made these around 11am. It’s 6pm and I feel like they really haven’t risen. Are they ruined?
If I don't have a cast iron skillet can I use a 9x13 glass pyrex dish?