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Soft & Gooey Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls Recipe

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3.9 from 62 reviews

  • Author: Amina
  • Total Time: 15 hours 30 minutes including rises and baking
  • Yield: 8 servings (8 cinnamon rolls)
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

These Soft & Gooey Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls offer a delightful twist on a classic breakfast treat, featuring a tender sourdough dough enriched with butter and milk, layered with a fragrant cinnamon-sugar filling, and finished with a luscious cream cheese glaze. The recipe includes options for overnight rising and make-ahead freezing, making it convenient for any schedule.

Ingredients

Dough

  • 160 g (2/3 cup) milk, whole or 2%
  • 28 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted (or 84 g / 6 tbsp softened butter for filling variation)
  • 1 large egg
  • 100 g (1/2 cup) bubbly, active sourdough starter
  • 24 g (2 tbsp) granulated sugar
  • 300 g (2½ cups) King Arthur all-purpose flour
  • 5 g (1 tsp) fine sea salt
  • Cooking spray or oil, for coating

Cinnamon-Sugar Filling

  • 28 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter (or 84 g / 6 tbsp softened butter for filling variation)
  • 100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
  • 3 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 level tbsp flour

Glaze

  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  • ⅓ cup whipped cream cheese, room temperature
  • ¼–½ cup powdered sugar, sifted (adjust sweetness to taste)
  • 1–2 tbsp milk

Instructions

  1. Baker’s Schedule: You can make the dough in the evening for an overnight rise and roll it out the next morning for baking. Alternatively, after 1 hour of resting, cover and chill the dough until use. For freezing, shape the rolls, freeze in a parchment-lined springform pan, and thaw overnight before baking.
  2. Make the Dough: Combine melted butter and milk, cool slightly. In a stand mixer bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, mix egg, sourdough starter, and sugar. Slowly add milk mixture while mixing. Add flour and salt, mix until rough and sticky dough forms (~1 min). Cover and rest 30 minutes.
  3. Knead the Dough: Replace paddle with dough hook, knead on medium-low speed for 6-8 minutes until dough is soft, supple, and clears bowl edges. Add flour if too sticky.
  4. Bulk Rise: Transfer dough to a butter-coated bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise overnight at 67-68°F until doubled in size (8-12+ hours). Optionally, perform stretch and fold 30 min to 1 hour into rise to aerate and increase volume.
  5. Roll the Dough: Next morning, line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment. Lightly oil and flour countertop, turn dough out, pat into rough rectangle, rest 10 minutes. Dust dough and rolling pin with flour. Roll into a 16×12-inch rectangle (use tape measure for accuracy). If resistant, rest dough 5-10 minutes and retry.
  6. Make the Cinnamon-Sugar Filling: For softened butter version, mix 84 g softened butter with sugar, cinnamon, and flour; spread evenly on dough leaving a ½-inch border. For melted butter version, brush 28 g melted butter on dough, then sprinkle combined sugar, cinnamon, and flour mixture, smoothing until wet and sandy.
  7. Shape & Cut the Dough: Roll dough log tightly from the 16-inch side, seam side down. Cut into 2-inch slices with oiled knife or bench scraper, ensuring even sizes.
  8. Second Rise: Arrange rolls in prepared pan. Let rest 1-2 hours at room temperature until puffy. Alternatively, chill or freeze as per make-ahead instructions.
  9. Bake the Cinnamon Rolls: Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake rolls on the center rack for 35-40 minutes, checking around 30 minutes for golden brown tops.
  10. Cool the Rolls: Remove pan from oven, cool rolls in pan for 15 minutes to allow butter absorption. Lift parchment to transfer rolls to wire rack.
  11. Make the Glaze: While rolls bake or cool, beat softened butter, cream cheese, and sifted powdered sugar in stand mixer until smooth. Thin with milk to desired consistency.
  12. Serve: Top warm rolls with glaze or dust with powdered sugar. Best enjoyed slightly warm on the day of baking.

Notes

  • For a richer dough, increase butter to 115 g (8 tbsp) and flour to 360 g (3 cups) for incredible texture.
  • Ensure milk and melted butter mixture is cooled before mixing dough to avoid sticky cake-batter consistency.
  • The softened butter filling variation helps prevent cinnamon sugar from leaking during baking.
  • If dough sticks during rolling, rest it a few minutes and try again; lightly oil or flour your hands if needed.
  • Freeze shaped rolls in a parchment-lined pan wrapped tightly to preserve freshness; replace plastic wrap night before baking to prevent condensation.
  • Prep Time: 30 minutes active prep + 8-12 hours bulk rise (inactive)
  • Cook Time: 35-40 minutes
  • Category: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Find it online: https://aminabakes.com/soft-and-gooey-sourdough-cinnamon-rolls-recipe/