Soft Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing
If you love cinnamon rolls, try this soft and delicious sourdough version! Made with a tangy sourdough starter and filled with a sweet cinnamon sugar mixture, these soft sourdough cinnamon rolls are perfect for a cozy breakfast or brunch.
The creamy and tangy cream cheese icing takes this recipe over the top. Whether you’re a seasoned sourdough baker or just getting started, these cinnamon rolls are sure to become a new favorite.
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Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls Ingredients
Optional nuts: Feel free to add chopped pecans or walnuts to the filling before rolling the dough.
Easy Sourdough Starter
Whenever I want to start up a sourdough starter, I buy from Kensington Starterdough. It comes dehydrated and it takes 7 days to get it to be active. I have purchased from them numerous times and it always turns out.
Dairy Free Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Looking for dairy-free adjustments to the recipe?
To make these dairy free, use coconut milk instead of regular milk. You can also use almond milk or your favorite non-dairy milk.
Feel free to use ghee, plant-based butter, or coconut oil instead of butter. Ghee or plant-based butter would probably be best for the taste.
How to Store Sourdough Cinnamon Buns
I recommend storing the cinnamon rolls in an airtight container or a resealable bag (Ziploc bag).
The cream cheese frosting tastes best when it’s fresh, so if you are planning to serve these later. Make the frosting before you serve it. Especially if you’re storing them in a bag (it will get messy and then you’ll be wasting the delicious frosting).
FAQs about Cinnamon Rolls made with Sourdough Starter
Step By Step How to Make Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
First Rise
To make the dough for your sourdough cinnamon rolls, start by combining your sourdough starter, all-purpose flour, milk, sugar, oil, egg, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Mix everything together until a smooth dough forms.
Knead the dough for 7-10 minutes until it becomes elastic and doesn’t stick to the sides of the bowl.
Cover the bowl with a lid, a damp towel, or plastic wrap, and let the dough rise in a warm place for approximately 2 hours, or until it has nearly doubled in size. Keep in mind that the rise time may vary depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
Once the dough has risen, you’re ready to assemble and bake your sourdough cinnamon rolls.
Get ready for the delicious aroma of cinnamon and sweet dough to fill your kitchen!
To Assemble the Cinnamon Buns
To assemble your sourdough cinnamon rolls, place the dough on a floured work surface and use a lightly floured rolling pin to roll it out into a large, 1/4-inch-thick rectangle.
Next, brush melted butter over the surface of the dough, leaving a small border around the edges. In a separate small bowl, mix together cinnamon and brown sugar, then sprinkle the mixture evenly over the dough.
Starting from the long end, tightly roll up the dough and use a sharp knife, bench scraper, fishing line, or unflavored dental floss to cut it into 12 slices, each about 2 inches wide.
Second Rise
Lightly grease the bottom of a skillet, pan, or 9×13-inch baking dish, or line your skillet with parchment paper.
Place the slices inside the skillet or pan, cover them with plastic wrap, and let them rise for about an hour in a warm spot for their second and final rise.
Baking Cinnamon Rolls
Preheat your oven to 350°F, brush the rolls with butter, and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
While the cinnamon rolls are baking, make the icing by mixing powdered sugar, butter, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl.
Once the rolls are done, drizzle the cream cheese icing generously over the top while they are still warm and fluffy.
More Tasty Desserts
Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
Ingredients
For the dough
- 1 cup of sourdough starter or discard
- 6 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups of warm water 1/4 cup of sugar
- 1/4 cup of oil
- 2 teaspoons of yeast
- 1 tsp of salt 1 egg
For the filling
- 1 tsp of ground cinnamon
- 3/4 cup of brown sugar
- 1/4 cup of melted butter
For the icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, add your sourdough starter, all-purpose flour, milk, sugar, oil, egg, and salt. Combine all these ingredients until a dough forms.
- Knead the dough until it doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl. The kneading should take about 7-10 minutes.
- Cover the bowl with a lid, a damp towel, or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise in a warm place for about 2 hours, or until it almost doubles in size. Rise times will differ depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
- Place the dough onto a work surface that has been dusted with a little flour. Using a lightly floured rolling pin roll it out into a large rectangle that's about 1⁄4 inches thick.
- Brush the melted butter over the dough leaving a little border around the edges.
- In a small bowl, mix together cinnamon and brown sugar. Spread the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly over the dough.
- Beginning with the long end, roll up the dough tightly and then cut it into about 12 slices (2-inch sections) with a sharp knife, bench scraper, fishing line, or unflavored dental floss.
- Lightly grease the bottom of the skillet, pan, or 9X13-inch baking dish and place the slices inside. Alternatively, you could line your skillet pan with parchment paper. Cover the skillet with plastic wrap and let it do the second rise (or final rise) in a warm spot for about an hour.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F and then brush the rolls with butter. Bake them for 25-30 minutes or until they turn golden brown.
- As the cinnamon rolls bake, make the icing by mixing powdered sugar in a small bowl with butter, milk, and vanilla extract in a small bowl
- Drizzle the icing generously on top of the warm fluffy cinnamon rolls and enjoy!
