Description
Fluffy Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls served with buttercream frosting! Wondering what else you can make with sourdough starter? Here's one delicious idea!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Rolls:
- 1/4 cup milk (whole or 2%)
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup butter, cut into 4 pieces
- 2/3 cup active bubbly sourdough starter*
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 2 1/3 to 2 2/3 cups quality all-purpose flour
For the Filling:
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
For the Icing:
- 1/4 cup butter
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 to 3 tablespoons milk
Instructions
- Heat the milk, sugar, and butter in a small saucepan or microwave-safe container just until the milk is warm and the butter is melted. If it gets overly hot, let it cool before using. You'll want it to be only warm to the touch when adding it to your sourdough starter. If it's too hot, it'll kill your natural yeast, and your rolls won't rise.
- Add the milk mixture to the bowl of your stand mixer, add the sourdough starter, salt, 2 eggs, and 2 cups of flour.
- Mix with the dough hook on low speed until the mixture forms a very wet dough, and then mix on medium-low speed to knead very well for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Let the dough rest for 5 minutes in the bowl with the mixer turned off.
- After 5 minutes have passed add a little more flour to the mixture, about 1/3 cup, and let the machine knead the mixture for another 4 to 5 minutes.
- Turn the very soft dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead by hand until the dough is no longer sticky, but is still very tender, adding a little flour as needed as you knead. You may add up to another 1/3 cup of flour. Form the dough into a smooth ball.
- Lightly grease the mixing bowl and return the dough to the bowl.
- Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel, and let it rise for 3 to 6 hours at room temperature.
- Prepare a baking dish by greasing it well. You can use a 9x13-inch or an 11x7-inch baking dish or even two 8-inch round pie plates. I prefer to use an 11x7-inch pan so that they cook close together.
- Gently remove the dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured work surface.
- Roll out the dough into a rectangle that is roughly 14 inches by 18 inches.
- If the butter you are working with isn't not very soft, microwave it for just a few seconds so that it's semi-solid but very, very soft.
- Spread the soft butter evenly over the entire rectangle of rolled out dough.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the butter.
- Sprinkle the cinnamon evenly over the brown sugar.
- Starting along the edge that is 14 inches long, roll the dough up against itself.
- Roll the dough into a log. Make a small mark in the dough about halfway, in the middle, of the rolled up dough. Make a small mark on the dough in the center of each half (you've now roughly marked your dough into 4 sections).
- With a serrated knife cut each section you marked into 3 pieces, cutting the entire log into 12 even pieces.
- Place them flat side down evenly in the pan (they fit in a 3-by-4 pattern well in the rectangle pans).
- Cover the rolls with a damp towel, and allow to rise at room temperature for an additional 1 to 3 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F., and then bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes or until the tops are golden-brown.
- While the rolls are cooking, make the icing. To make the icing, add the butter to a microwave safe bowl, and microwave until melted.
- Add the vanilla and the powdered sugar to the warm butter, and stir with a whisk to combine.
- Add the milk a tablespoon at a time, and stir to combine. It's ok if the icing gets a little thick; just whisk it until there are no lumps and it's smooth. The icing will melt over the warm rolls to the perfect consistency.
- When the rolls are done cooking remove them from the oven. Allow them to rest for 5 minutes.
- Spread the warm rolls gently with the icing to cover well. Serve warm.
Notes
- *Your sourdough starter should be at its peak in height when you use it, and bubbly and active. Feed it 2-4 hours before using, depending on its habits, so that it's at its peak when you are using it.
- This recipe was developed with a sourdough starter that is kept at 100% hydration (it's fed an equal amount of flour and water).
- This recipe was tested with Bob's Red Mill all-purpose flour; try to avoid flour that has been bleached for best results.
- The rising times can vary a lot depending on your schedule and how warm your kitchen is. Feel free to let the recipe work in your favor. Know that the longer it rises each time, the more sour flavor it will have.
- If you prefer a cream cheese frosting for your cinnamon rolls, feel free to use one instead.
- You can make the dough and prepare the rolled dough the night before, and then cover them tightly with plastic wrap and let them rise overnight in the fridge after you've cut and shaped them. Bring them to room temperature before baking in the morning. This adds quite a bit of sour flavor.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Sourdough
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: sourdough cinnamon rolls, sourdough starter recipe, sourdough cinnamon rolls without yeast, cinnamon rolls from scratch