These Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls are the perfect project. They come together super easily, are impossibly soft and fluffy, and are finished with a smooth cream cheese frosting.
Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Hi! Just popping in to share the recipe for these Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls with you. These Cinnamon Rolls, like most sourdough recipes, do take a few days to come together. However the process is incredibly hands off, and the end product is WELL worth the wait. They are some of the softest cinnamon rolls I have ever had, and they are so satisfying to make!
Baked To Order by Ruth Tam
The recipe for these Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls comes from my friend Ruth's new book, 'Baked to Order'. Ruth and I have been internet friends for years now, and I was SO excited when she told me she was writing a book! Ruth's recipe writing is super meticulous and always so well explained, so I knew the recipes in this book would be nothing short of incredible.
Ruth is my go-to authority when it comes to sourdough baking. I tested out her everyday loaf from her book from her earlier this year, and have made it more than 20 times since. Her recipes are super easy to follow and written in a way that explains the process so, so well. There are plenty of sourdough recipes in the book I can't wait to try, but there are also some other amazing looking baking recipes in there too. The book is a must-own, in my opinion. Congrats, Ruth!
Baking with a Sourdough Starter
This recipe uses a stiff sourdough starter, which I hadn't worked with before. Lots of sourdough recipes use a starter at 100% hydration. The hydration of a dough or starter is calculated by the ratio of liquid to flour and is always calculated relative to the flour weight - so for example, for a starter to be at 100% hydration, it is fed with equal parts flour and water, for 85% hydration it means that the weight of the water is 85% the weight of the flour (so 85g water to 100g flour).
I maintain a starter at 100% hydration, and then just build the levain that the recipe asks for using some of that starter. Ruth does the same - the one she feeds every day is a 100% hydration, then uses it to build the levain for whatever recipe she is making.
This dough starts with a Stiff starter rather than a liquid one - you mix 100% hydration starter that is at it's peak with some bread flour and milk, to form a stiff dough, then leave it to rise until it has doubled and domed. I used a small glass jar for this and marked the level when I fed it so I could monitor the progress.
The stiff starter was super easy to make, and incorporated into the dough so nicely. It was super fun watching it puff up and be ready to use.
If you don't have a starter already, Ruth has a great guide on her site for starting your own, and a super adorable series in her Instagram highlights where her kids show you how to start a new one!
Steps for making Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
There are a few steps in this recipe. Sourdough recipes take a bit more planning than traditional bread recipes - you have to plan out your timing a wee bit to make sure your starter is at peak at the right time. However this one is pretty flexible - the dough can hang out in the fridge for 8-24 hours, so you can assemble whenever suits you best.
- Feed your starter. I keep mine at 100%. It needs to be at peak when you build the levain so plan ahead.
- Build the levain. This is a stiff starter, so you mix together some starter, bread flour, and milk into a stiff dough and leave it for 8-12 hours (I left mine overnight)
- Autolyse the dough. This step lets the mix hydrate and the gluten starts to form.
- Add salt and start to mix. Salt is left out of the dough for the autolyse because it inhibits the starter a little, so it is added a bit later to allow the starter a wee bit of a head start. The dough is mixed until it starts to come together.
- Add the butter. The butter goes in a wee bit at a time, and is mixed until combined.
- Mix the dough. This takes a bit! I let mine go for 15 to 20 minutes, and it goes through phases where it looks like it won't ever come together, but it will! Have trust.
- Room temperature bulk - the dough is bulked at room temp, then transferred to the fridge for 8-24 hours. Note that it will only expand a little during this time, so don't worry if it doesn't look like anything is happening. Most of the rising happens when the rolls are assembled.
- Assemble the cinnamon buns - roll out the dough, add the filling, and roll up into a log, then cut into buns.
- Rise the buns - The cinnamon buns rise for about 8 hours at room temperature. During this time they will puff up loads. I proofed them in a little countertop oven on the proof setting, but a warm spot anywhere in your house will work great.
- Bake the buns - The buns bake at 400°f / 200°c for about 15 to 20 minutes.
- Finish with cream cheese frosting - you can either add a wee bit just after they come out and then the rest once cooled, or add it once the rolls are cooled.
- Enjoy!
Sample Baking Timeline for Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Here's a sample timeline for baking these. Remember that the temperature of your house will also affect rising time. If it's cold, look for a slightly warm spot to do the rise in, or increase your rise time by a wee bit.
- Day 1: Feed liquid starter, late morning to ensure it peaks that evening.
- Day 1: Build levain in evening, leave to sit 8-12 hours, overnight
- Day 2: Make dough early in the morning, leave to bulk at room temperature for 2 hours, then transfer to the fridge for 8 hours.
- Day 2: Just before bed, assemble cinnamon rolls and leave to proof at room temperature overnight.
- Day 3: Early morning, bake off cinnamon rolls and enjoy!
You can change this schedule to fit whatever you are working with - when I shot these I made the dough and then gave it overnight in the fridge, then assembled the buns SUPER early the next morning and left them to rise throughout the day, then baked them off early afternoon.
Frequently Asked Questions for Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
I don't have a sourdough starter! What should I do?
You can make your own, or you can buy them online! My friend Amanda sells hers dried if you are in the States, or often you can go to a bakery and ask if they will give you some of theirs. If you have any friends who bake sourdough you can ask them for some too - you only need a tiny bit to start off, and you can then feed it for a bit until it is healthy and ready to go. You can't adapt this recipe to not use a starter, so make sure you have one ready to go before starting.
Help! My dough isn't coming together!
The dough for these is super soft, and SO lovely to work with. However, it does take a while to come together in the mixer. Don't freak out if it looks super sloppy. If you've made the recipe by weight, you'll be fine. It will come together, just give it some more time. Mine took about 15 minutes in the stand mixer to come together into a smooth ball.
Can I make this by hand?
I don't think so. Not this one - it needs a really long mixing time to bring the dough together, which a stand mixer does the best job at.
A few wee tips for making sourdough cinnamon rolls
- Remember to account for the time needed in this recipe. You need to feed the stiff levain, then bulk the dough at room temp and in the fridge, then assemble and wait again for another rise before baking these off. Check out my sample baking timeline for an idea of how I did it.
- Make sure your starter is at peak for when you build the levain. I fed mine about lunch time and then built the levain in the evening before bed.
- These are super soft and fluffy, and store well at room temp. If you are planning on storing them, keep the frosting separate. Zap the rolls quickly in the microwave, and then add the frosting!
- If you are baking these off in the morning, see if your oven has a delay timer start! I often set my oven to preheat while I am still sleeping, so in this case I would set it to start preheating at 5.30 so when I got up at 6.30 it was all ready to pop my cinnamon buns in to bake off.
For more Cinnamon Roll Recipes, check out:
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Answers to your baking questions
Over the years, many of you have asked me questions about:
- baking in grams
- adjusting oven temperatures
- what kind of salt to use
- and many more!
I've curated and answered them all for your easy reference in this frequently asked questions post!
Super Fluffy Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
- Prep Time: 12 hours
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 12 hours 15 minutes
- Yield: 9 large rolls 1x
- Category: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
These Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls are the perfect project. They come together super easily, are impossibly soft and fluffy, and are finished with a smooth cream cheese frosting.
Ingredients
Levain
- 18g ripe sourdough starter at 100% hydration
- 31g whole milk
- 57g bread flour
Final Dough
- 125g bread flour
- 125g all-purpose flour
- 34g spelt flour
- 48g granulated sugar
- 21g milk powder
- 1 large egg
- 104g whole milk
- 88g heavy cream
- All the levain
- 7g kosher salt
- 45g unsalted butter, at room temperature
Filling
- 57g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 100g light or dark brown sugar
- 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
- pinch of salt
Cream Cheese Frosting
- 90g cream cheese, at room temperature
- 56g unsalted butter, at room temperature
- ¾ tsp vanilla
- pinch of salt
- 68g powdered sugar
Instructions
MAKE THE LEVAIN
- In a medium bowl, mix the starter, milk, and flour together to form a stiff dough. Cover the bowl and ferment the levain at room temperature until more than doubled in volume, puffy, and domed, about 8 to 12 hours.
MIX THE FINAL DOUGH
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix together the flours, sugar, milk powder, egg, milk, cream, and levain until just combined. Cover and autolyse (rest) for 45 minutes.
- Add the salt and knead on medium-low speed until the gluten is moderately developed, about 5 minutes. The dough will start out sticky and rough but should gradually come together and feel quite smooth and stretchy.
- Turn the mixer to low and add the butter about 1 tablespoon at a time, incorporating each piece before adding the next.
- Turn the speed back up to medium-low and continue kneading until the gluten is very well developed and the dough passes the windowpane test, about 10 to 15 minutes. The dough should feel very soft and supple.
- Shape the dough into a smooth ball and transfer to a lightly oiled container. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 2 hours. The dough will be noticeably expanded but not doubled. Stretch and fold the dough, cover, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.
SHAPE, PROOF, AND BAKE THE ROLLS
- When ready to shape, in a small bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, cinnamon and salt to form a spreadable paste. Lightly grease a 9x9 inch (23x23cm) square pan, or a 9 or 10 inch cake pan (preferably aluminium, I used a 10" cast iron skillet).
- Take the dough out of the fridge and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 14 inch (36cm) square, doing your best to maintain an even thickness.
- Spread the filling mixture evenly over the dough, going all the way tot he edges.
- Roll the dough up like a jelly roll, pinching to seal. Turn the roll so the seam side is down.
- Cut into 9 even rolls using a sharp knife (I prefer a bread knife) or unflavoured dental floss. Transfer the rolls, cut side up, to the prepared pan, leaving space between each (they will grow into each other during proofing) Note: If you want them to rise and bake neatly, face the 'tail' of each bun to the middle, so they don't unravel while baking, and stay nice and neat, see pics for reference.
- Cover the rolls with a piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap. Proof at room temperature, about 74°f to 76°f (23°c to 24°c), until the dough is very puffy and roughly doubled, about 8 hours or overnight (see sample baking schedule)
- About 45 minutes before you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400°f (200°c) with a rack in the middle. Bake until the rolls are lightly golden and register 195°f to 200°f (91°c to 93°c) in the center, about 20 minutes.
CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
- While the rolls are baking, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add half the icing sugar and beat to combine. Add the remaining icing sugar and beat for 1 to 2 minutes, or until fluffy.
- Allow the rolls to cool on a wire rack before spreading with frosting (unless you are serving ahead of time, in which case frost when ready to serve).
Notes
This recipe was reprinted with permission from "Baked to Order" by Ruth Tam
"Stretch and fold" refers to a shaping technique that is usually used for building strength in the dough during bulk fermentation. To do this, wet your hands and life up the dough furthest away from you and pull up and fold it toward you. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat again, performing a total of 4 stretch and folds.
Comments
stacy says
Thanks so much for including a schedule for these- it's super helpful.
Can't wait to try them!!
Leann says
If I don't have spelt flour will whole wheat be an ok substitute?
Erin says
I haven't tried it but I think it should be fine 🙂
Ruth says
Thank you again for making and sharing these! Wish I were biting into one right now. 🙂
Erin says
Thank YOU for the amazing, amazing recipe! x
Amy says
Do they taste tangy?
Erin says
They aren't super super sour but you can tell they are sourdough!
Kathie says
I follow you now after seeing @rushyama mention that you were making these from her cookbook. I’ve made these twice, third time coming up for Christmas. Your directions were really helpful. Super yummy!
Erin says
Oh yay I am so glad that you love them! x
Tor says
Thank you! I look forward to making these for Christmas morning. Did you use non-fat milk powder or whole?
Erin says
Hi! The stuff I have is whole but I am sure non-fat would work!
Ruth says
These turned out amazing. My husband hasn't stopped raving about them.
Thanks for such clear instructions and tips. I think they will become a favourite in our house.
Erin says
Ahhhh so happy you loved! Thank you so much for the review!
Laura says
Thank you for the recipe! I just made these and they’re delicious! I did alter the recipe to be dairy free (due to an allergy in the house) with swaps for all the milk (soy milk powder FTW) and butter and they still turned out really well. The dough was so soft and dreamy, I’m amazed.
Eli says
Can you tell me why a lot of the filling leaked out during last proof? I rolled the dough thinner to form an 18" square prior to rolling up. Then I cut 2" rolls out. I placed all nine in a 9"x9" pan. They expanded in size but never touched fully together, some didn't touch at all. They did touch together when baked in oven though. Should I use a smaller pan or did something go wrong? I proofed at 73 degrees overnight.
Erin says
Hi! It could have been the thinner dough so there wasn't as much to hold in the filling - if you rolled them up loosely then it could have let it leak out too! Because of the long rest some of it does come out but when I made them they didn't lose loads of filling. I hope that is helpful! Sorry they didn't work out as well for you!
Tami says
My levain was slow to expand and at 8 hours was not how you described. So I left it overnight. It’s now been about 20 hours. Should I go forward or scrap it?
Erin says
Hi! I wouldn’t move forward if the levain isn’t active. I would try building another and seeing how you go 🙂
Bridget says
I concur on the not moving forward if the levain isn't active...first time I made these, they were a knockout success but second time I had my doubts over the levain, and it bombed
Karmen says
I've made this recipe like four times now, I absolutely love it. It is so worth taking the time and putting in the effort!! Planning to adapt it into a lemon rolls recipe this weekend!
Erin says
Yayyy! I keep meaning to make something else with the dough too because it is just DREAMY. I highly recommend ruth's book if you don't have it already!
Alissa says
SO GOOD!! I didn’t have spelt flour so swapped that out for whole wheat and it worked perfectly. I keep my ripe sourdough discard in the fridge after feedings so I used that (about a week old so I was worried about it’s activity) but it still came out SUPER fluffy and soft. Will be making these constantly now to use up discard.
Erin says
Yayyyyy!!!!
Allie says
What are your thoughts on freezing these at any point? After rolling them out maybe? Just curious if there is a way to have a batch on hand when you need in a pinch?
Erin says
Hi! I don't know sorry as it's not my recipe but from other times I have made cinnamon rolls they don't freeze super well. I would freeze them baked then defrost and frost most likely
Angela Goldman says
Hi Erin, I plan on making these this weekend. I live in brisbane and it’s pretty warm and humid here at the moment. Would it still be ok to do the final proof at room temp overnight? Could they over-proof? Thanks, Angie
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! Hmmm yeah they might over proof - I only made them in US winter! You could do them in the fridge overnight and then pull out and leave to keep rising? Or make the dough the night before and assemble early in the morning 🙂
Nur says
Hi Erin, would u be able to suggest subs for the spelt flour and milk powder pls?
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! You can use whole wheat flour in place of the spelt, I am not sure about the milk powder though sorry as I haven't tried without
Laura says
The levain has been out on my counter for 8 hours so far and hasn’t proofed at all? But my 100%hydration starter that I fed at the same time is more than doubled…should I start over?!?
Erin Clarkson says
Hi! Hmmm if it hasn't moved at all then yes I would start over!
Bummer says
Any idea why it didn’t rise? I had the same issue
Erin Clarkson says
It's likely your starter I think, either it isn't bubbly enough or your room temp wasn't warm enough etc?
Kimshiro says
These are amazing. I have tried so many sourdough cinnamon roll recipes, and while they were ok, I could take them or leave them. These are perfect. In fact they are so good I have adapted the recipe to make orange rolls. My family is absolute heaven. I make them a couple of times a month, one pan of orange rolls and one pan of cinnamon. I have been asked to double the recipe. The dough is so easy to work with, and very forgiving. I accidentally doubled the starter in the levain without doubling the other ingredients (late night math should NOT be attempted!) and didn't realize it until I went to make the dough and didn't have enough levain to double the recipe. Oops. Made a single batch and was worried the dough would explode with all that starter, but nope. Turned out perfectly. Love, love, love this recipe. Thank you so much for sharing. I am going to buy Ruth's book, too.
Erin Clarkson says
Yayyyy her book really is the best!
Paula says
New to sourdough and first time attempting something other than a loaf of bread. The timeline and clear instructions were so easy for a beginner to follow. I don’t have the fancy equipment, so attempted to knead/mix by hand and even left it in the fridge a day longer before the shaping (life got busy). End result, absolutely DELICIOUS. A real hit with the family and will be definitely be making again.
Paula Andersen says
As a sourdough beginner this was my first time doing anything other than a loaf of bread. Easy to follow instructions and even though I don’t have a mixer (just did it by hand), it all worked. Hardest part was the smell from baking and having to wait for them to cool down. Absolutely delicious. Will definitely be making again.
Shar says
I have made these rolls twice and they are the best sourdough cinnamon rolls I’ve ever made or had! The directions were super clear as well as the schedule made it super easy for me to look like a rockstar! I added a little extra milk and flour to sub the milk powder and used whole wheat instead of spelt. They came out so good! It’s worth every second of the time because the final product is just too good!
Vanessa says
Delicious. Appreciate the schedule and clear instructions. Was a huge success
Justine says
These are amazing! I think what I love most is that I can bake them off right away in the morning. So many overnight cinnamon rolls require an hour or 2 of rising or coming to room temp in the morning. Overnight second rise for the win! This was also my first time with a stiff starter and I'm impressed with the results. I did leave out the powdered milk because I didn't have any and they were still awesome.
Judy Hendon says
Grace says
Can I do this without a stand mixer?
Erin Clarkson says
Not this one sorry!
Mary says
UNREAL! This recipe is so yummy and I had so many compliments. I’m a beginner baker and anything sourdough is overwhelming but you made it simple and easy to follow. Thank you!!!
courtney ballard says
If I dont have milk powder, would milk work as a replacement?
Erin Clarkson says
No but you should be ok to leave it out!
Kim Crossin says
I made these for Christmas and they turned out so good. I was super happy with the fluffiness, flavor and texture! It was my first time using a stiff starter but it worked perfectly. After the refrigeration my dough was extremely hard (I'm not sure if the dough partially froze, however I make sourdough regularly and it's never been that hard when removing from the fridge) anyway I was concerned that I ruined it but I let it sit on the counter for a little over an hour and then proceeded with rolling out and shaping for the overnight rise and they turned out great.
Phoebe Cleverly says
These came out fluffy & soft, with a great sourdough flavour. Not too sweet. Used 100g of butter, approx 50g extra flour, and an added egg yolk to make them super indulgent, and kept dough very cold, and surface well floured when shaping to account for this. Relatively new to sourdough but these came out well.
Ruth says
Hi, Can you use light blue milk?
Erin Clarkson says
Yep 🙂
Amanda Crane says
It's the 3rd time I made this recipe. Every time it turned out soft and yummy. My family loves it.
The first two times I made the cream cheese frosting. Today I just used regular buttercream, at my husband's request 🙂