Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

4.62 from 1384 votes

With rich cream cheese icing and a cinnamon-sugar filling, these fluffy sourdough cinnamon rolls deliver tangy flavor, a tender texture, and warm, gooey sweetness.

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Additional Time12

Total Time12 45

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cream cheese frosting, sourdough cinnamon buns, sourdough cinnamon rolls

Servings: rolls

Author: Lisa Bass

Equipment

1 Stand Mixer

Ingredients

1/2 cup sourdough starter bubbly and active 113 grams
1/2 cup water 118 grams
4 cups all-purpose flour 560 grams
1/2 cup neutral oil 113 grams
1/2 cup honey 168 grams
2 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

1/2 cup softened butter 114 grams
1 cup brown sugar 200 grams
2 tablespoons cinnamon 16 grams

Cream Cheese Topping:

6 ounces cream cheese
1/2 cup heavy cream 120 grams
1/2 cup maple syrup or honey 168 grams
2 teaspoons vanilla extract 10 grams

Instructions

Add active sourdough starter, water, flour, oil, honey, and eggs into the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. Mix until the dough forms a ball, then knead for a few minutes on medium-low speed until smooth and glossy.
Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl and cover tightly. Ferment in a warm place for 8-12 hours or overnight.
The next day, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Add baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the dough. Knead in the stand mixer or on a floured work surface for approximately five minutes until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll it into a roughly 12x15-inch rectangle. It should be about 1/4-inch thick.
In a separate bowl, combine softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Stir until smooth. Spread the softened butter mixture evenly over the dough.
Roll the dough up as tightly as you can. When you get to the end, pinch the edge into the main roll to prevent leaking. Slice the rolls with a sharp knife, bench scraper, or thread. Alternatively, you can slice the dough into 12 equal strips, then roll them up individually.
Place the unbaked rolls into a greased 9×13 baking dish. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the rolls are lightly browned and the dough is cooked through. Allow them to cool a bit before frosting.
While the rolls bake, prepare the cream cheese icing. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, add cream cheese, heavy cream, maple syrup or honey, and vanilla extract. Stir well. Pour over the cinnamon rolls and enjoy!

Notes

The temperature of your kitchen will affect the fermentation. Colder is slower; warmer speeds things up. Find a warm place, such as inside the oven with the light on (heat off), on top of your fridge, or near some mild heat source.
If you're avoiding unfermented grains, use einkorn flour to dust the surface of the counter when rolling out the dough.
I find that string or unflavored dental floss works best for slicing the cinnamon roll dough. A sharp knife also works, but is more likely to smush the rolls and lose some of the shape.
Grease your baking dish generously or use parchment paper for no sticking.
Keep the rolls spaced a bit apart so they have room to expand.
This recipe has been edited to reflect changes made over the years of making this recipe. Some people had issues incorporating the eggs on the second day, so I changed this and started mixing them into the dough the night before. This works very well.

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