Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

These homemade sourdough cinnamon rolls are one for the books! Ribbons of flavorful and delicious soft buttery dough, with smothered ooey gooey cinnamon sugar filling, topped with melted maple cream cheese glaze drizzle- yum. If you are a sourdough fan, this recipe is definitely for you!

Not only are sourdough cinnamon rolls stunningly delicious, but they’re also gut-friendly! This recipe uses the wild yeast in your sourdough starter to allow the dough to ferment and give the rolls that fluffy rise.

The fermentation breaks down the phytic acid (which is what can cause irritability) and in return makes for easier digestion. The goal is to have them taste great, but also get all the grains thoroughly fermented with starter.

We love sourdough around here and these sourdough cinnamon rolls make the perfect weekend breakfast treat. Much of the work can be done the night before, and they’ll rise while you sleep, so you won’t have to wait hours the next day before you can bake them. And there’s no need to get up so early to prepare them, which is perfect if you’re hoping to sleep a little extra on a Saturday morning.

So, if you have been looking for a recipe to put your bubbly starter to use that is easy, time manageable, and will turn out great every time- this sourdough cinnamon roll recipe has proven itself to my family time and time again. I hope you’ll see for yourself, give it a try, and enjoy it as much as we do!

 If you’re new to sourdough, you can learn how to create your own sourdough starter from scratch here.

Dough Ingredients:

• Active sourdough starter – This is starter that is active & bubbly, fed within the last 4-12 hours.
• Water
• Flour – I use unbleached all-purpose flour.
• Coconut oil
• Honey
• Eggs
• Salt

Cinnamon Sugar Filling:

• Butter: Use very soft butter for the filling. It shouldn’t be too hard, but it also shouldn’t be melted. If it is too hard, it will be nearly impossible to spread evenly over the soft dough. If it is melted, it will absorb into the dough. So, you need a good medium.
• Brown sugar, dark or light brown. I’ve used both.
• Ground Cinnamon

Cream Cheese Drizzle:

• Cream cheese
• Heavy cream
• Maple syrup or honey
• Vanilla extract

Tools you may need:

• KitchenAid Stand Mixer with dough hook attachment, or dough whisk.
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Kitchen scale (optional)
• Bench scraper (optional)
• Large bowl
• Rolling Pin
• Cast iron skillet or large baking dish.
• Immersion blender (optional) for cream cheese topping.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

Steps and Instructions:

Step 1: Combine the ingredients to make the dough.

 In a bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, combine fed sourdough starter, flour, honey, water, eggs, and melted coconut oil. Mix together until well incorporated and form into a ball. Knead for a few minutes on medium low speed, until smooth and glossy. If you do not have a stand mixer, no worries, you can mix with a dough whisk or your hands- totally doable!

Step 2: Cover & Ferment 8-12 hours (or overnight)

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover the dough with a beeswax or plastic wrap. Something tight fitting. I often use a wet hand or tea towel. Allow to rest in a warm place 8-12 hours.

If you’re not comfortable leaving your dough out so long, then allow to rest at least 2-4 hours and then place it in the fridge for the remainder of the time needed to ferment.

Step 3: Combine buttered cinnamon sugar filling ingredients.

In a bowl, combine softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir well.

I have also added these individually layered: butter, brown sugar, cinnamon (in that order). It works and tastes just the same, so complete this step at your own personal preference.

Step 4: Roll Out Dough & Add Cinnamon Sugar Filling

Place dough on a counter lightly oiled or dusted with flour. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough to about a 1/4-inch-thick rectangle.

I always tried to use oil before I had my bench scraper; but if you choose to use flour, you may want to use einkorn flour to dust the surface of the counter, that way you’re not adding so much unfermented grains to your dough.

Spread the butter and cinnamon-sugar filling evenly on top of the flattened dough.

Then begin to roll the dough from the 12″ side all the way till it forms a tight log. Pinch the ends together as you roll the dough.

If you have a bench scraper, it can be a really helpful tool when you get to this step. It prevents you from having to use oil or additional flour (which makes for unfermented grains), making it easier to manage the dough sticking to your countertop or work surface. You’re able to pick or push up the dough as you’re rolling it without tearing the dough or ruining its shape.

Roll the dough up as tightly as you can. When you get to the end, pull the dough up tightly and pinch the ends into the main roll.

Using a knife or bench scraper, mark the dough to create equal sections in the log. I usually try for twelve cinnamon rolls, but you can mark at your liking or preference depending on the size and amount of rolls you’re going for.

Step 6: Slice Rolls and Bake

You can do this with thread or nonflavored dental floss. Most of the time I use fishing string.

Slide the string under the dough, bring it up, crisscross the string together and pull to make a clean slice. You could use a really sharp knife if you don’t have any type of string on hand, but it may smush your dough a bit. String makes it easier to keep that pretty shape!

Place the unbaked rolls into a well-seasoned 14″ cast iron skillet or a 9×13 baking dish. If you’re using a baking dish, make sure to butter or grease the bottom of the pan.

I always like to butter my cast iron skillet anyways before placing my rolls to bake. You can’t really have too much buttery flavor, am I right? Or am I right?

I also like to pour about a half of a cup of heavy cream over the rolls before baking. I don’t do this every time, but it provides moisture.

Bake them in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes or until the rolls are lightly browned and the dough is cooked thoroughly. Allow them to cool a bit before serving.

I know, I know, it’s not exactly an easy wait. Just take a second to admire your work of art.

Now you can either wait for them to cool and then enjoy them as they are; there’s nothing wrong with that, they’re beautiful to look at and tasty as is. Or you could go the extra mile and add a homemade maple cream cheese glaze to drizzle on top!

I mean why not, right? And it does make the wait time seem to go by faster.

How to Make Maple Cream Cheese Glaze Topping

In a small saucepan over medium heat, add 6 ounces of cream cheese, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1/2 cup maple syrup or honey, and 2 tsp of vanilla extract. 

Stir until combined. An immersion blender would be handy to get the topping really smooth, but not necessary.

Pour the creamy mixture over cinnamon rolls and enjoy your very own homemade sourdough cinnamon rolls!

How to Store Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

These sourdough cinnamon rolls are best enjoyed warm and on the same day they are baked. Any leftovers (if any) can be kept at room temperature for 2-3 days covered. I like to put mine in a cake stand.

You can store any frosted cinnamon rolls in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

How to Prep Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls Ahead of Time

Make the dough according to the directions. Cut and place in a baking dish (don’t add cream until right before baking). Wrap with plastic wrap and place in the fridge (up to 12 hours) or freezer if you’re planning to prep further in advance. Just remember you don’t want to leave the buns in the fridge too long or they may overproof.

If they’ve been refrigerated, allow to rest on the counter at room temp for 2 hours before baking. If you’re pulling them from the freezer, allow room temp rest overnight.

Bake according to same directions.

Q&A

Do I have to ferment sourdough cinnamon rolls?

No, you do not have to. You have the choice to follow the ingredients and ferment the dough to enjoy the gut healthy benefits, or you can whip up your rolls and bake them on a whim. I’ve done it, they still turn out great. Incorporating the sourdough starter will still provide a good dose of prebiotics and antioxidants. If you choose not to ferment your dough, just follow the recipe and skip that particular step.

Can cinnamon roll dough rise too long?

Yes, it can rise for too long. Your rolls can overproof, which will prevent them from keeping shape.

Can I Freeze Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls?

Yes, you can freeze baked cinnamon rolls that have not been frosted, or you can freeze them before the final rise. Simply cover them with plastic wrap and place in the freezer. When you’re ready to bake, allow them to thaw and rise before baking.

Long Fermentation/Baker’s Schedule:

Note: You can alter the times to fit your own schedule, this is just an example in case you’re confused about the planning.

12 PM the day before baking:

Feed starter, if wanting to use an active and bubbly sourdough starter in your recipe. You can use discard as long as it has been fed recently (in that case, just skip this step). I have used discard straight out of the fridge – as long as I fed it before putting it in the fridge or at the very least hasn’t been a really long since being fed. 

6-8 PM:

In a stand mixer, or a bowl, create the dough. Combine all ingredients and knead a few mins (to develop the gluten strands) until the ingredients are well incorporated, dough is smooth and glossy and passes the windowpane test.

The windowpane test: you grab the dough, pinching it with your thumb and pointer finger, and stretch. If it breaks apart, the gluten strands haven’t developed enough just yet, keep kneading. If you can stretch it to the point of being able to almost see through it, then it passes and is ready.

Cover with plastic wrap, damp hand towel, or a tight lid and allow to ferment overnight.

Around 7-8 AM The Next Morning:

Roll the dough out into a large rectangle. Spread out the cinnamon, sugar, and butter mixture over the top of the dough.

Roll the cinnamon roll up tightly and pinch the seams. Cut into 12 equal rolls and place into a cast iron skillet or baking dish.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Allow to cool a bit before serving.

While the buns are baking, make the maple cream cheese glaze topping.