Step-by-Step Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

✨ This makes approximately 8 cinnamon rolls. If you double the recipe, use a 9x13 baking dish!

For the dough:

• 62.5 g active sourdough starter

• 65 g milk, room temperature

• 85 g unsalted butter, melted & cooled

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

• 1 large egg

• 250 g all-purpose or bread flour

• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar

• ½ tsp fine sea salt

For the filling:

• 42.5 g unsalted butter, softened

• 71 g packed light brown sugar

• ¾ Tbsp ground cinnamon

For the bake:

• 2 Tbsp heavy cream (the secret to gooey, bakery-style rolls!)

For the frosting:

• 28 g unsalted butter, softened

• 2 oz cream cheese, softened

• ¾ tsp vanilla extract

• 60 g powdered sugar

• Pinch of salt

Step-by-Step Instructions

If I want fresh cinnamon rolls for tomorrow afternoon, this is my timeline 👇🏼

🌙 Day 1 — Make the dough

1. Morning: Take the sourdough starter out of the fridge, feed it, and let it become fully active and bubbly. This usually takes me until evening.

2. Mix: Once active, mix the starter with room-temperature milk, melted & cooled butter, vanilla, egg, sugar and salt.

3. Knead: Add the flour and knead in a stand mixer for about 5–6 minutes, until the dough looks smooth.  The mixer I use

4. Rest: Cover and leave the dough on the counter for 2–3 hours, then refrigerate overnight. (For me, this usually means the dough goes into the fridge around 8 PM.)

☀️ Day 2 — Shape & bake

1. Prep: Take the dough out of the fridge. Meanwhile, leave the butter on the counter to soften and mix brown sugar + cinnamon for the filling. I like to be generous with the cinnamon sugar—adjust it to your taste!

2. Roll: Roll the dough out fairly thin, about the thickness of butter naan. I prefer it thin because I LOVE lots of swirls. 🤌🏼

3. Fill: Spread softened butter over the dough first, then generously sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture all over.

4. Cut & Rise: Cut the dough into strips and roll each strip into a cinnamon roll. Place them in a buttered metal/steel pan, leaving enough space between them to rise. Pizza cutter

5. The Cream Pour: Right before placing the pan in the oven, gently pour 2 tablespoons of heavy cream evenly over the risen rolls. Pans I use

6. Bake: (Add your baking temp and time here! e.g., Bake at 400°F  for 11-14 mins until golden brown) it took me 11 mins to get the soft gooey
   rolls.

7. Frost: Let cool slightly, then mix your frosting ingredients and spread over the warm rolls.