Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

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I converted one of my most popular blog recipes – Best Ever Cinnamon Rolls – over to sourdough with a long rise.  And the result did not disappoint!

sourdough cinnamon rolls

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I recently posted my ‘secret’ to converting isolated yeast recipes on Instagram, and this is one of the recipes I’ve used it for!

These sourdough cinnamon rolls are modified from my Best Ever Cinnamon Rolls recipe which was one of the very first I published back in the day.  Well, back in the early Hopewell Heights days.  My first blog I started in 2015 was about fitness.  But let’s not talk about that.  Because it turned out even though I’m a gym junkie, I’m super uncomfortable taking pics of myself working out, or tbh myself in general.  Live and learn.

Now let’s get to it.

Wild yeast, that’s what a sourdough starter is.

And you can read all about it here, and learn to make one with a step by step photo tutorial here.

The idea is, real yeast doesn’t come in packets.  It’s made out of flour and water.  And can be used to leaven all your favorite recipes.  Bread, rolls, pancakes, etc.  It looks like this:

starter

Notes on this recipe

  • The total rise time is anywhere from 30-36 hours, so I like to start these 2 nights before I’ll be making them for breakfast.
  • A ‘fed starter’ means that the starter has been fed within the last 4-12 hours and is active, bubbly, and risen
  • If your house is cold in the winter, you can try placing the dough in the oven on the proof setting or allow it to rise in the warmest area of the kitchen
  • Make sure your cast iron skillet is seasoned well to prevent the rolls from sticking. Read my tutorial on seasoning cast iron to make it non-stock here.

How to make sourdough cinnamon rolls

Prepare the dough by adding to a large mixing bowl 1/2 cup milk (I used raw goat milk here)

raw milk

Then, add 1 cup fed starter (notice the line in my starter jar where I combined my Einkorn starter with my AP starter…two were too many to keep up with!  Starters are very adaptable and resilient

sourdough starter

Next – 1/4 cup raw honey

I’m getting bees this spring, and can’t wait to have all the raw honey we need.

raw honey

1 t salt and 1/4 cup melted butter

melted butter

After adding everything but the flour, whisk it all together and then add the 3 cups flour

shaggy dough

Turn the dough out onto the counter & knead

shaggy dough

Then place the dough back into an oiled bowl to rise

oiled bowl

Then cover with a tea towel & begin the bulk fermentation period – 24 hours…

covered dough

After the bulk rise, roll the dough out into an 18″ x 12″ rectangle on a well floured surface

rolled dough

Then mix 2/3 cup room temp butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 2T cinnamon, and 3 drops cinnamon vitality oil for the filling

cinnamon sugar filling

Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving 1″ around the perimeter

After rolling the dough, cut into 1″ or 1.5″ rolls and place in a well seasoned cast iron skillet, cover with a tea towel, and begin the second rise for 6-12 hours or until the rolls have risen significantly

cinnamon rolls

Then bake at 375F for 15 minutes

risen cinnamon rolls

Make the icing while the cinnamon rolls cool

buttercream icing

And don’t be shy, heavy on the icing is the only way I know.

icing cinnamon rolls

Alas, sourdough cinnamon rolls

sourdough cinnamon rolls

These always disappear very quickly around here….

Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Dough

  • ½ cup milk
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 1 cup fed starter
  • 1 t salt
  • ¼ cup melter butter
  • 3 cups flour

Filling

  • ? cup room temp butter
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 2 T cinnamon
  • 3 drops cinnamon bark vitality oil (optional)

Icing

  • ¼ cup butter
  • 4 oz cream cheese
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
  • ½ t salt
  • ¾ cup heavy cream
  • 1 t vanilla extract

Dough

  1. Add the milk, honey, fed starter, salt, and melted butter to a mixing bowl and whisk to combine

  2. Add flour, stirring to combine until the dough begins to come together

  3. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until a smooth ball is formed

Bulk Rise

  1. Place the ball of dough into an oiled bowl, cover with a tea towel, and set in a warm place to rise for 24 hours or until the dough has risen significantly or doubled

  2. After the bulk rise, roll the dough out into an 18" x 12" rectangle on a well floured surface, let rest while making the filling

FIlling

  1. Whisk or use a hand mixer to combine the butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and oil

  2. Spread the filling over the rolled out dough, leaving 1" around the perimeter of the dough

  3. Beginning at the far end, roll the dough toward you until you reach the near edge

Second Rise & Bake

  1. Cut the cinnamon rolls either 1" or 1½" depending on how thick you'd like them, then place them in a well seasoned cast iron pan, cover with a tea towel, and set in a warm place for the 4-6 hours or until the cinnamon rolls have risen significantly or doubled

  2. After the second rise, bake the cinnamon rolls for 15 minutes at 375° – after baking, allow to cool while preparing the icing

Icing

  1. Using a hand mixer, mix the cream cheese and butter in a large mixing bowl until smooth

  2. Add in the powdered sugar and salt and continue mixing on low

  3. While mixing on low, add in the vanilla and slowly pour in the heavy cream. Mix until the icing is incorporated, then spread over the cooled cinnamon rolls & serve.

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16″ Cast Iron Skillet

Copper Measuring Cups

Anchor Starter Jar

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sourdough cinnamon rolls

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8 Comments

  6. These are awesome! It’s summer time, so my rise time was a little different. The first rise was about 15 hours, and then I did the second rise overnight ~7 hours. I was so impressed with the flavor and how well these rose. Thank you for this recipe!

    Reply
  8. Pingback: Sourdough Pie Crust made with Discard - Hopewell Heights

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