Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

sourdough cinnamon roll with fork taking bite out.

5 from 2 votes

Long-fermented melt-in-your-mouth sourdough cinnamon rolls with cream cheese glaze, see notes for quick discard option and fresh milled flour measurements.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Long Ferment12

Total Time12 40

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: sourdough cinnamon rolls

Servings: rolls

Calories: 386kcal

Author: Stephanie Dieckman

Equipment

mixing bowl or stand mixer
Rolling Pin
9x12 baking dish

Ingredients

Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Dough

¼ cup milk 60 g
⅔ cups water 160 g
½ cup active sourdough starter 120 g
2 tablespoons sugar 25 g
1 large egg 71 g, without shell
1 teaspoon salt 6 g
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour 465 g
¼ cup butter softened (57 g)
⅓ cup cream for pouring over cinnamon rolls before baking

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

½ cup butter 113 g, softened
½ cup brown sugar 100 g
2 tablespoons cinnamon 16 g
1 tablespoon vanilla extract 13 g

Cream Cheese Glaze

¼ cup cream cheese 113 g, softened
2 tablespoons butter 57 g, softened
½ cup powdered sugar 120 g
2 tablespoons milk 30 g, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 g
¼ tsp salt 2 grams

Instructions

Mix all dough ingredients except the cream, then knead until smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky (by hand or mixer).
Bulk ferment: cover and let rise at room temperature until puffy and about 60–75% risen.
Prepare the cinnamon-sugar filling by whisking all ingredients in a small bowl.
Roll the dough into a 12" x 18" rectangle on a lightly floured surface and spread cinnamon-sugar filling evenly over the dough.
Roll up tightly from the short side into a log. Use a thread to cut or sharp knife to slice into 12 even rolls and place in a greased baking dish.
Final rise: Cover and let the rolls rise at room temperature until puffy and touching, but not collapsing.
Preheat the oven and pour the cream over the risen rolls. Bake in preheated oven at 350F for 20 minutes until the rolls are lightly golden and set through the center. (internal temp 190F)
Prepare the glaze: Beat cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla. Add milk a little at a time until smooth and spreadable or pourable.
Let rolls cool slightly, then pour the glaze over and serve.

Notes

For the long-fermented version, use a bubbly, recently fed starter for the best rise.
Don’t rush proofing—rolls should be visibly puffy before baking (under-proofing = dense rolls).
Dough should be soft and slightly tacky; add flour gradually to avoid dry, heavy rolls.
Use softened butter for the filling, not melted. Melted butter will cause the filling to ooze out of the rolls as you cut them, it's a huge mess!
Warm the cream before pouring it over the risen rolls for the softest, gooey interior.
Bake until centers reach 190–195°F, not just until browned.
For a same-day discard version, add 1 Tbsp yeast to the dough before mixing to shorten the rise time.
Fresh-milled option: use 465 grams hard white wheat flour in place of all-purpose flour; if measuring the grain, mill 2 ⅓ cups hard white wheat berries, which = 3 ½ cups flour. Let the dough rest 15–20 minutes after mixing before adding extra flour (FMF absorbs more).
Glaze when rolls are warm (not hot)—cool 5–10 minutes so it melts without disappearing.

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