Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Rolls

Name: Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Rolls
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 810 min
Ingredients: 500 g Bread Flour; 100 g Sourdough Starter; 200 g Milk ((warm)); 7 g Salt; 1 Egg; 1 Egg Yolk; 50 g Granulated Sugar; 115 g Butter ((softened at room temperature)); 100 g Butter ((melted)); 250 g Apples ((green apples, peeled and diced)); 100 g Brown Sugar; 3 g Cinnamon ((ground)); 45 g Brown Sugar; 40 g All Purpose Flour; 60 g Raw Sugar; 40 g Rolled Oats; 95 Butter ((cold, cubed or grated)); 3 g Cinnamon ((ground)); 200 g Heavy Cream; 150 g Powdered Sugar; 5 g Vanilla Extract; 40 g Milk

Sourdough apple cinnamon rolls are everything you love about a classic cinnamon roll with the cozy twist of fresh apples baked right into the filling. They’re soft and fluffy, with gooey layers of apple-cinnamon, a crisp streusel topping, and just the right amount of caramel bubbling up from the pan. These rolls make your whole kitchen smell amazing, and they’re just as perfect for a weekend breakfast as they are for a holiday table.

Why You'll Love This Recipe!

Cozy Apple-Cinnamon Flavor - Juicy green apples baked into the filling give these rolls a warm, orchard-fresh taste that makes them perfect for autumn mornings or holiday breakfasts. I wanted to harness this sourdough apple crisp recipe in a sweet roll recipe.

Gooey Caramel Base - Pouring cream into the pan before baking means the brown sugar, butter, and apples bubble together into a rich caramel sauce under the rolls. You’ll be scraping the pan for every last bit.

Soft, Fluffy Dough - The enriched sourdough base is tender, buttery, and pulls apart in pillowy layers. It’s the perfect contrast to the crunchy topping and gooey filling.

If you're looking for ways to use up apples, you might also love these sourdough apple fritters (they're seriously the best!), this sourdough apple cake, or these easy sourdough apple cinnamon muffins.

Sourdough apple cinnamon roll on a plate with an apple next to it.

Ingredients

Bread Flour - The higher protein content in bread flour gives the dough strength and structure, which is important for that soft, fluffy texture that holds up beautifully to the apple filling.
Sourdough Starter - The starter gives the dough rise and also adds flavor that pairs so well with cinnamon and apples.
Milk - Make sure your milk is warm. Whole milk will work best, but if you only have 2% on hand, it will work.
Salt
Eggs - The combination of a full egg plus an additional yolk makes the dough rich and tender. Use large eggs - mine are about 60g each.
Sugar - I've used a few different sugars, but I promise it's worth it. Granulated sugar is used in the cinnamon roll dough, brown sugar is used in the filling and streusel topping, raw sugar is added to the streusel topping and powdered sugar is used to make a simple vanilla glaze.
Butter - You’ll need softened butter for the dough, melted butter for the filling, and more butter again for the streusel topping. I usually use salted butter, but unsalted works just as well if you prefer.
Apples - Green apples are the best choice since their tartness balances the sweetness of the filling and streusel. You'll peel and dice them small for best texture.
Cinnamon - Any type of ground cinnamon will work with these rolls.
All Purpose Flour & Rolled Oats - These are used to create the perfect streusel topping.
Heavy Cream - Pouring cream over the rolls before baking is the secret to making them extra gooey. It mixes with the filling and caramelizes on the bottom of the pan. It’s the same trick I use in my classic sourdough cinnamon rolls, and once you try it, you’ll never skip it.
Vanilla Extract

How to Make Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Rolls

These rolls involve a few steps, but they're actually quite simple to make. The steps are straightforward, and once you get going, you’ll see it’s more about patience than difficulty, just like my sourdough cinnamon rolls recipe (which has been shared over 12,000 times!).

I like to use a stand mixer with a dough hook to knead the dough since it makes the process quicker and easier, but if you enjoy working dough by hand, that works just as well.

To 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 apple cinnamon rolls.

Rolling and Filling the Dough

Before you roll out the dough you need to make the filling. Add the diced apple, brown sugar, cinnamon and butter to a small bowl and mix together until it's well combined.

Mixed apple filling for sourdough apple cinnamon rolls in bowl.

Turn the dough out on to the counter. It shouldn't be sticky and be easy the handle. Do not use flour when rolling out the dough. Gently roll the dough out into a rectangle. 20" x 12" is a good size to aim for.

Sourdough apple cinnamon roll dough rolled out on counter next to rolling pin.

Spread the filling all over the dough, leaving a 3" gap on one of the long edges. You need to leave a gap so that dough will stick to itself when you roll it.

Once the filling is spread, roll the dough into a log, starting on the opposite long edge to the gap you've left.

Adding filling to rolled out dough for sourdough apple cinnamon rolls.

Roll the dough into a tight log, using the unfilled dough to seal the log. You can spray a little water on the part where the dough joins if you want to - but the dough should stick to itself without it.Lay the log out with the seam underneath.

Cut the log into approximately 12 pieces (you can measure and divide by 12 if you want them to look even - or just go freehand if you're not too fussed).

Place the rolls into a baking dish. They don't need to touch, they will touch once they start to proof.I've used a USA Pan rectangle cake pan measuring 9" x 13". Any baking or casserole dish measuring 9" x 13" is perfect. I don't recommend using anything smaller than this.

2 images showing the dough being rolled up into spiralled rolls and then placed into a sheet pan.

Second Rise

Cover the skillet containing the rolls with a damp dish towel or plastic wrap 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). While the dough is proofing, you can make the streusel topping.

Streusel Topping

To create the streusel topping, add the brown sugar, raw sugar, cinnamon, all purpose and butter to a food processor and blitz until it resembles wet sand. Once it's well combined, add the oats and mix together (I don't use the food processor for this part as it chops up the rolled oats too finely).

Mixed streusel topping for sourdough apple cinnamon rolls.

Baking

Once the sourdough apple cinnamon rolls are proofed and puffy, preheat your oven to 180C/356F.

While the oven is preheating, pour the heavy whipping cream into the bottom of the baking dish (try not to let it touch the top of the rolls). Then evenly distribute the streusel topping across the top of the sourdough apple cinnamon rolls.

Sourdough apple cinnamon roll dough slices in baking dish with heavy cream poured in.

Sourdough apple cinnamon roll dough slices in baking dish with heavy cream poured in and streusel topping on top of dough.

Bake the rolls for 30 minutes at 180C/356F. Once they're golden brown, remove from the oven and drizzle in vanilla glaze.

Vanilla Glaze

Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and milk to a bowl and whisk until glossy. Drizzle onto the cooled sourdough apple cinnamon rolls.

Fresh baked sourdough apple cinnamon rolls in pan with glaze on top.

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. It also stops you scratching your stone bench tops with a sharp knife (don't ask me how I know this!).

Baking Timeline for Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Rolls

You can easily make these sourdough apple cinnamon rolls fit into your schedule. Maybe you want overnight sourdough apple cinnamon rolls for Thanksgiving breakfast or Christmas morning breakfast. Here's how!

TIME	PROCESS
8:00am	Mix and knead dough for the sourdough 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 rolls for 30 mins (make the glaze while they’re baking).
8:30am	Allow rolls to cool for around 30 minutes.
9:00am	Drizzle on the glaze 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.

A sourdough apple cinnamon roll topped with streusel and drizzled with vanilla glaze. There are two apples in the background.

How to Store + Freeze

These sourdough apple cinnamon rolls are best enjoyed warm from the oven, when the apples are soft and the streusel topping is perfectly crisp. But if you have leftovers, here’s how to keep them tasting their best:

Store at Room Temperature - Keep the rolls in the pan and cover with foil or a clean tea towel. They’ll stay soft for up to 48 hours at room temperature. For longer storage, place them in the fridge for up to 5 days. A quick reheat in the oven or microwave will bring back their softness.

Freeze Baked Rolls - Allow the rolls to cool completely, then wrap them in foil or place in an airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and warm before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the dough the night before baking?

Yes, absolutely! Let the rolls sit out for about an hour before covering with plastic wrap. Then place in the fridge until morning. Let the rolls come to room temperature before baking.

How do I stop the filling from leaking out?

The brown sugar and cinnamon filling has a tendency to sneak out while the rolls are proofing on the counter or resting in the fridge. Don’t stress because it won’t ruin them one bit. Once you add the heavy cream before baking, it mingles with that little bit of filling that escaped and transforms into a rich, caramel-like sauce at the bottom of the pan that makes every bite even more irresistible.

Why do my sourdough rolls turn out dense?

Dense sourdough rolls are most likely from under fermentation. This dough is enriched, so it takes longer to ferment. Other possible reasons can be a starter that's not active enough, using too much flour, or if your kitchen is too cold.

Can I freeze the dough?

I don't recommend freezing the dough, but you can freeze the baked rolls.

Can I use all purpose flour in the roll dough?

I don't recommend using AP flour in the dough. The bread flour has a higher protein content, making the dough strong enough to hold the filling. Bread flour also helps make the rolls nice and fluffy.