The Best Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls You've Ever Had
These are the KING of cinnamon rolls. Truly, they are the best. This dough is easy to make, easy to work with, and it bakes up into gigantic cinnamon rolls that are robust and soft all at once; perfectly sweet and just a touch sour; and doused in icing (thank you very much!).These cinnamon rolls are so huge, I'd allot 1 per person. But they're so good, some people might try to eat more!
Servings: 8
Calories: 495kcal
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter
- 175 grams whole milk
- 100 grams active sourdough starter
- 24 grams sugar
- 1 large egg
- 375 grams all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon (4 grams) salt
For the Filling
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ⅔ cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
For the Icing
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted if you want non-lumpy icing
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Directions
Making the Dough + The First Rise
- In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Once melted, remove from heat and pour in the milk. Set aside to cool while you mix the other ingredients. You want it to be at what feels like a good bath water temperature before using.To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the starter, sugar, and egg. Mix on medium speed until well combined. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly pour in the warm milk mixture. Add the flour and salt and mix on low speed until a dough comes together - about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, cover, and rest for 30 minutes.Affix the dough hook to the stand mixer and mix on LOW speed (no higher than 2) for 6-8 minutes, until the dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Transfer to a large, buttered bowl. Cover, and let rise until doubled in size, about 8-12 hours.
For the Filling
- Melt the butter in a small skillet or saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon. It will be the texture of wet sand.
Shaping the Rolls + The Second Rise
- Butter a 9-inch round pan OR line it with parchment paper that's been balled up and unballed a couple of times.Turn the dough out onto a generously floured surface. Press it into a flat disc and shape into a rough rectangle with your hands. Roll it into a 12 by 20-inch rectangle, adding more flour as needed so it doesn't stick to the rolling pin or the work surface.Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar filling over the dough, spreading evenly across the dough with your hands. Leave a 1-inch strip at one of the longer ends uncovered by filling. Starting at the opposite long end, begin rolling the dough into a log. Keep it as tight as you can. When all of the dough is rolled, pinch to seal. Use a bench scraper, knife, or unscented dental floss to cut (8 or 9) 2-inch rolls. Place them in the prepared pan. Cover and let rest at room temperature for 1-4 hours, until significantly puffed up.
Baking the Rolls
- When the rolls are nearing the end of their second rise (when they're starting to look nice and puffy!), preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake on the middle rack for 30-40 minutes, until cooked through to your liking. If you like cinnamon rolls gooey, check closer to the 30-minute mark. If you like them cooked through and brown, start checking at the 35-minute mark.Let the baked rolls cool for 10-15 minutes in the pan, then you can either keep them in the pan, or lift them out using the parchment paper (if you used it).
For the Icing
- Add the powdered sugar, milk, butter, and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Mix - increasing the speed as the powdered sugar is incorporated - until the icing is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. If the icing is too runny, add more sugar. If it's too stiff, add a splash more milk. Once the cinnamon rolls have rested 10-15 minutes, pour the icing over top. You want the cinnamon rolls to be warm, but not piping hot when you ice them - otherwise, the icing will melt straight to the bottom of the pan.Enjoy warm. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, though it seems unfathomable they would last that long!
Notes
If you want warm cinnamon rolls in the morning without the hassle of getting up to do the shaping and baking, you can bake them and leave them covered with foil (once they've cooled) at room temperature. Make the icing too while you're at it and pop it in the fridge. Then reheat the rolls, still covered with foil, at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Ice and enjoy!
Nutrition
Calories: 495kcal (25%) | Carbohydrates: 77g (26%) | Protein: 7g (14%) | Fat: 18g (28%) | Saturated Fat: 11g (69%) | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 67mg (22%) | Sodium: 146mg (6%) | Potassium: 135mg (4%) | Fiber: 2g (8%) | Sugar: 37g (41%) | Vitamin A: 578IU (12%) | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 82mg (8%) | Iron: 3mg (17%)
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