Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Soft, tangy sourdough rolls swirled with brown sugar and cinnamon, baked until golden and finished with cream cheese icing.
Photograph credit: Cinnamon roll by TastyLens · Pixabay Content License · Pixabay
The smell of cinnamon, butter and warm bread rising through the house is the point of this recipe, and it does take a while to arrive. Sourdough rolls are slower than yeasted ones, since the wild yeast in the starter works at its own pace, but the long rise gives them a soft, pillowy crumb and a light tang that cuts through the sweetness of the filling.
The dough is enriched with milk, butter, sugar and an egg, so it is soft and a little sticky. Knead it well, for about 10 minutes, until it passes the windowpane test: a small piece should stretch thin enough to see light through without tearing. Roll it out to a large rectangle, spread with softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, and roll it up from the long side.
Cut the log into ten rolls with unflavoured dental floss or a very sharp knife, which keeps the spirals neat. Let them prove until puffy, then bake until golden. Spread the cream cheese icing on while the rolls are still warm, so it melts into the swirls. Eat them the same day.
What People Ask
How long does Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls take to make?
45 minutes of preparation and 30 minutes of cooking, plus 4 hours of Rising and proving, so allow 5 hours 15 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 10.
How to Make Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
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Mix the flour, starter, milk, 60 g butter, caster sugar, egg and salt. Knead for 10 minutes into a smooth, elastic dough. Cover and leave to rise for 3 hours until doubled.
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Roll the dough to a 30 x 40 cm rectangle. Spread with the 60 g butter and sprinkle with the brown sugar and cinnamon. Roll up from the long side and cut into 10 rolls.
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Arrange the rolls in a greased 23 x 33 cm dish, cover and leave to prove for 1 hour until puffy.
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Heat the oven to 180°C / 355°F and bake for 30 minutes until golden. Beat the cream cheese, icing sugar and milk and spread over the warm rolls.
Related guides: Prep, cook and total time · Pan and tin size.
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A Few Pointers
- Use a starter that has recently been fed.
- Cut with floss for neat spirals.
- Ice the rolls while they are still warm.
Serve It With
Hot coffee · Cold milk · Fresh fruit · Spiced tea
Leftovers and Storage
Best on the day. Keeps in an airtight container for 2 days.
What's in a Serving
Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked. Found a mistake? Tell us.
First published ; last changed .
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