Ingredients
Equipment
Method
Prepare the Cinnamon Roll Dough
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. If baking in a cast iron skillet, put the skillet in the oven now as well so it preheats.
- Add the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder to a large bowl and whisk. Cut in the cubed butter with a fork or pastry cutter or grate butter with a cheese grater and whisk it into the flour mixture. (This is what I do - much easier than cutting in!)
- Add the sourdough starter, egg, and milk to the dry ingredients and stir the dough with a spoon until it is shaggy. Do NOT knead the dough. Turn the shaggy dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and fold it over onto itself until all the flour is incorporated, but you can still see chunks of butter.
- Once the dough has come together, roll it out into a 6x9 inch rectangle and trifold it over onto itself - repeat this step 3 times. This folding and tri-folding process will give the dough lots of flaky layers.
- Finally, making sure the work surface is floured well, roll the dough out into an 18x12-inch rectangle.
Prepare the Filling & Assemble the Cinnamon Rolls
- In a small bowl, whisk together the melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla extract. Use a spatula to spread this cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the rolled-out dough.
- If baking in a cast iron skillet, open the oven and add 2 tablespoons of butter to the hot skillet, then return it to the oven while you roll the dough so the butter browns.
- Starting with the long end across from you, roll the dough toward you keeping it tight as you go. If the dough sticks to the work surface, just use a bench scraper to keep it from pulling apart.
- Once the dough is rolled up, use a sharp knife or piece of dental floss or thread to cut the cinnamon buns into 1-inch pieces - which will give you 12 rolls.
Bake the Cinnamon Rolls & Prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Place the cinnamon rolls in a greased 9x13" baking pan or in the hot skillet with brown butter. Bake at 425°F for 15-18 minutes until tops are barely golden brown.
- While the cinnamon rolls are baking, prepare the frosting. Add the cream cheese to a large mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment and mix at medium speed for 2 minutes until the cream cheese is smooth with no lumps. Add powdered sugar, whisk for 2 more minutes until the frosting is smooth. Add the vanilla extract and milk and whisk for another 2 minutes. Set the cream cheese frosting aside.
- Once the cinnamon rolls are done, pour the frosting over them immediately and serve hot.