Sourdough cinnamon rolls: the new every-weekend tradition? I began work on this recipe with the intention that these would be a wonderful Christmas morning indulgence, the birth of a new holiday baking custom. But after making them several times for testing, I’m convinced they should perilously be a weekend indulgence. Why limit ourselves and declare these only for special events and holidays? Seriously, let’s make them every weekend.
Cinnamon rolls fit so perfectly with the cold weather. They’re like that warm blanket you left on the radiator, that puffy wool sweater you wear around the house, or that cup of hot chocolate that breaks through the cold. Layers of tender dough segregated by ribbons of gooey cinnamon sugar and topped with a creamy, white sugar glaze—it’s enough to make you completely forget it’s cold outside or perhaps stop caring about winter altogether.
Brioche dough is the base for these sourdough cinnamon rolls, which is dough enriched with butter, sugar, and eggs. These ingredients make for an incredibly tender and mouth-melting crumb when added to a deep yellow dough. When pulled, these rolls shred apart almost like cotton candy, the only resistance provided by the melted brown sugar cinnamon near the bottom—they’re like a warm, gooey cloud of pure enjoyment. When presented with the opportunity, there’s nary a chance anyone will decline one of these on a plate.
These sourdough cinnamon rolls require a little extra effort, but once you get the hang of the process, it’s pretty straightforward—and, of course, totally worth it. The dough is also very versatile: you can adjust the mixing and baking schedule so they’re finished in a single day or spread out over three. The dough can be retarded in the refrigerator after bulk fermentation, shaping, and cutting, or both. I prefer a two-day process where I place the dough in the fridge after bulk fermentation. The next day I wake and get to work on the rolls, and I bake them fresh for breakfast (or brunch if late to rise).
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Spread
This spread has the right level of delicate sweetness and a comforting bite from the cinnamon. The mixture is more crunchy and thick than it is spreadable, which is my preference. When baked, swaths of the spread caramelize and other smaller areas stay crunchy, providing a subtle contrast of textures.
- 215g light brown sugar
- 40g all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Mix or whisk everything together in a bowl, so there are only a few clumps remaining. Keep covered until used (brown sugar dries out very fast).
Cream Cheese Glaze
The cream cheese added not only makes this glaze extremely velvety, but it also pairs wonderfully with vanilla. I’ve also tested various iterations, swapping out the cream cheese for maple syrup, adding orange blossom water, a dash or two of Angostura bitters… The options are endless.
- 114g cream cheese softened to room temp (4 oz, half a standard block)
- 62g (1/2 cup) powdered sugar
- 37g (3 tablespoons) whole milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Add everything to a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk until creamy and soft. It’s best and easiest to use a mixer or handheld beater for this, but a handheld whisk will work if you want a workout. The mixer will ensure there are no stray clumps of cream cheese lingering about.
Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Recipe
It’s best to make this brioche-style dough in a stand mixer (like the one I have) due to the dough’s soft nature and relatively long mix time required. Most of the strength in this dough will be developed upfront at mix time with just a few more stretch and folds during the bulk to finish it off.
This recipe yields 12 sourdough cinnamon rolls but you can halve all the ingredients to make half a dozen (in this case, you’ll want to use a smaller pan). I’m using a USA Pan 9” x 13” rectangular pan to hold these 12 buns and because the pan is coated in silicone there’s no need for any parchment paper (it’s magic, really). If you don’t have this pan I’d recommend using parchment under the buns for easy removal.
You will need a rolling pin for this recipe (in a pinch, you could use an empty wine bottle). I am very partial to my rolling pin: it’s a non-tapered solid block of maple wood that’s functional, used in countless tasks around my kitchen, and just a beautiful tool (and made in the U.S.A.).
Sourdough Starter Notes
I know when some read this recipe title and see the word “sourdough,” thoughts of sharp sourdough cinnamon rolls might enter the mind, but this is definitely not the case. I maintain my sourdough starter with frequent refreshments to ensure acidity is kept low. Additionally, when I call for a mature starter in the ingredient list, “mature” means when my starter is just about to its peak height and has not yet fallen. If the starter is used at a state that is overly ripe (perhaps it’s fallen and has been that way for an hour or more) then the resulting rolls might be a touch sourer.
If you’re interested in how I maintain my sourdough starter head over to my Sourdough Starter Maintenance Routine post for in-depth details.
Dough Formula
The target final dough temperature (FDT) for this dough is 70-73°F (21-22°C).
| Total Dough Weight | 1,250 grams |
| Pre-fermented Flour | 42.00% |
| Yield | One dozen rolls |
| Weight | Ingredient | Baker’s Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 477g | All-purpose or bread flour (King Arthur All-Purpose Flour) | 100.00% |
| 133g | Whole milk, cold from the fridge | 28.00% |
| 191g | Unsalted butter (Kerrygold) | 40.00% |
| 191g | Whole eggs (about 4 large) | 40.00% |
| 48g | Fine white sugar (caster sugar) | 10.00% |
| 11g | Salt | 2.3% |
| 200g | Ripe, 100% hydration liquid sourdough starter | 42.00% |
Method
1. Mix – 9:00 a.m.
First, take out the butter and cut it into 1/4” to 1/2” squares; let them sit in a bowl to warm to room temperature while gathering and mixing other ingredients.
Mixing will occur in three stages (clockwise starting in the upper-left in the image above, the last image is the final dough). The first stage involves the initial incorporation of all the ingredients, followed by a 10-minute rest. The second stage will be strengthening the gluten in the dough before adding butter. The third and final stage will be adding the room-temperature butter blocks to the strengthened dough.
Initial Incorporation
In a medium bowl, add the cold eggs, cold whole milk, sugar, and mature sourdough starter. Whisk together until incorporated.
Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment. Set the mixer to low (level “1” on my machine, one notch above “STIR”), and slowly start to pour the liquid into the mixer bowl. Add a little at a time over the course of 3 minutes. Once finished the dough will look very wet and have clumps, let it rest for 10 minutes before further strengthening.
Strengthen Dough
After the 10-minute rest, turn the mixer to medium speed (number “4” on my machine) and mix for about 5-6 minutes until the dough starts to come together and all clumps have disappeared. The dough should start to pull away from the sides of the bowl, but it will not completely detach from the bottom. If the dough doesn’t want to come together and it’s overly wet, add a little flour, a tablespoon at a time, until it comes together.
Incorporate Butter
Butter temperature is important. It should be slightly cold to the touch but easily pliable. If the butter is too cold, it won’t incorporate easily into the dough; if it’s too warm (almost melted), it will result in a greasy dough. Don’t fret if the temperature is off. Pop the bowl with butter in the microwave for 10 seconds to warm slowly, or place it into the freezer for a minute or two to firm up. Adjust as necessary.
Add the butter to the dough one square at a time, waiting until the previous block is absorbed before adding the next. It is easiest to place it right where the hook meets the dough. Continue until all the butter is added and there are no visible butter patches; this may take 8-10 minutes at a low to medium mix speed.
2. Bulk Fermentation – 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Transfer the mixed dough to a bulk container and let it ferment for 2 hours at 75ºF (23°C). Just as when baking sourdough bread, perform 3 to 4 sets of stretch and folds during the bulk fermentation stage, spaced 30 minutes apart. To perform a set, grab one side of the dough, stretch it upward, and fold it over to the other side. Fold once at each side, North, South, East, and West. If the dough is firm after the third set, skip the last set but let the dough rest for a full 2 hours.
3. Chill Dough – 11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Place the covered bulk container into the fridge for at least 2 hours (I like 3-4 hours).
Overnight option: The timing is very flexible at this point. Once the dough is covered and refrigerated, it can rest overnight, and the rest of the process can be completed in the morning for fresh rolls early in the day or for brunch.
Roll the dough out to a rectangle only when it’s completely chilled.
The dough needs to be completely cold and firm to the touch before rolling out; do not skip this step.
4. Shape Rolls – 2:00 p.m.
Before rolling out the dough, make the Brown Sugar Cinnamon mixture (see recipe, above).
Flour your work surface. Then, remove the chilled dough from the fridge and turn it out onto the floured surface. Flour the top of the dough and the rolling pin, and begin rolling the dough. Roll it out to an 11” x 21” rectangle that is oriented so one of the long sides is near your body and the squat ends are to the sides. Use a bench knife and dust the surface with flour wherever the dough sticks.
Try to keep your warm hands off the dough as much as possible to avoid heating it. Sprinkle the dry Brown Sugar Cinnamon mixture evenly over the dough, but leave a small margin at the very top bare. When the dough is rolled up, that small margin will help seal the roll.
Starting at the long end nearest you, fold up a small portion of the dough all the way across. Then, roll the dough one revolution at a time, starting at the left side and moving to the right. During the first few rolls, it’s important to roll things up sufficiently tight to make cutting and transferring easier later.
Continue rolling from left to right, one revolution at a time, until the dough is completely rolled up into a “log.” Lay a ruler and using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the dough every 1 3/4” inches. You can go smaller if you want squatter rolls or up to 2” for taller rolls (if you cut smaller, you’ll have more rolls and taller you’ll have fewer).
Transfer the cut discs to a baking pan with some space around each one.
A few tips to help with this step:
- Place the rolling pin in the freezer while the dough is chilling to help keep it cold
- If the dough warms up excessively while rolling out, transfer to a baking sheet and place in the fridge for 15 minutes to cool
- If the dough is very pliable and warm after it’s completely rolled up, place the entire rolled “log” into the fridge on a baking sheet before cutting
7. Proof – 2:30 p.m.
Place the baking pan with cut dough somewhere warm, around 77°F (25°C), to let proof for 2 hours. During proof, the rolls will relax out and start to puff up, eventually, they may touch each other but it depends on how much space you have between rolls.
Don’t be alarmed if you see any sugary liquid leaking out of the rolls, it’s totally normal. Additionally, if any of the layers develop gaps between them it only means when they rise in the oven they’ll be a little more interesting with pieces jutting up and out—beautiful.
8. Bake – Preheat oven at 4:00 p.m., Bake at 4:40 p.m.
Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C) during the last 30 minutes of proof. Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the rolls are well colored.
Spread the glaze over the rolls once cooled. These sourdough cinnamon rolls stay great for a few days in the fridge, and I always reheat them (without glaze) in the oven or microwave to warm back up before eating. They fill the kitchen with that intoxicating aroma once again and always seem to come out as if they were freshly baked.
Conclusion
Whatever the distraction, whatever the work being done—even if a bath is drawn—the kitchen’s aroma when these are baked is sure to draw out all. It reminds me of those old cartoons where they put out a piece of cheese, and you see everyone floating toward it in a trance—just like that.
These sourdough cinnamon rolls are addicting. The brioche interior is extremely tender and silky, interrupted only by warm, gooey brown sugar cinnamon. As I alluded to earlier, the cream cheese glaze is tremendous, but the possibilities here are endless, each change bringing on a whole new dimension to these sourdough cinnamon rolls.
Well, I know I’ll be making these sourdough cinnamon rolls for Christmas morning! But now that the word is out and everyone knows what I’m baking every other weekend after that I might be expecting a few more surprise visits from friends and family. I’m completely fine with it, though, because I’m happy to share with any and all who stop by—it may just mean I sneak off with one or two before they do. Buon appetito!
Now that you have experience working with enriched dough, the next step is my naturally leavened bomboloni (doughnut) recipe! They’re based on a similar dough with just a few changes—they’re absolutely incredible. Or, if you’re looking for more rolls, have a look at my ultra-tender sourdough cardamom rolls for a different take.
Print
Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
- Prep Time: 7 hours 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 7 hours 55 minutes
- Yield: 12 cinnamon rolls
- Cuisine: American
Description
These sourdough cinnamon rolls are addicting. The brioche dough is extremely tender and silky, interrupted only by warm, gooey brown sugar cinnamon. If you’re looking for the perfect weekend treat, these cinnamon rolls are the ticket.
Ingredients
Dough
- 477g all-purpose or bread flour
- 133g milk, whole
- 191g butter, unsalted
- 191g eggs (about 4 large)
- 48g sugar, caster
- 11g salt
- 200g sourdough starter
Filling
- 215g light brown sugar
- 40g all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons butter, unsalted and melted
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon, ground
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Cream Cheese Glaze
- 114g (4oz, half a block) cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 62g powdered sugar
- 37g milk, whole
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mix (9:00 a.m.)
Cut the butter into 1/4″ pats and let warm to room temperature while mixing the rest of the ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the eggs, milk, sugar, and sourdough starter. Whisk together until incorporated. Add the flour and salt and mix on speed 1 for 3 minutes until incorporated. Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. After the 10-minute rest turn the mixer to speed 2 and mix for about 5-6 minutes until the dough starts to come together and all clumps have disappeared. The dough should start to pull from the sides of the bowl but it will not completely remove from the bottom. If the dough just doesn’t want to come together and it’s overly wet add a little flour, a tablespoon at a time until it comes together. With the mixer set to speed 1, add the butter one pat at a time, waiting to add each until the previous is absorbed. Continue until all the butter is added and the dough is shiny and smooth, this could take around 8-10 minutes. - Bulk fermentation (9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.)
Transfer the mixed dough to a bulk container and let ferment for 2 hours at 75ºF (23°C). Perform 3 to 4 sets of stretch and folds at 30-minute intervals. - Chill dough (11:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.)
Place the covered bulk fermentation container into the fridge for at least 2 hours to thoroughly chill. - Shape rolls (2:00 p.m.)
First, make the filling. In a bowl mix together the filling ingredients and set aside. Next, take out your dough from the fridge, lightly flour your work surface and the dough, and roll out to an 11×21″ rectangle with a long side closest to your body. Spread the filling evenly over the dough. roll the dough up away from you into a tight log. Cut the log into pieces every 1 3/4″. Transfer the cut pieces to a baking pan with space around each one. - Proof (2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
Cover the pan and proof somewhere warm, around 77°F (25°C), for 2 to 3 hours. The dough will relax and puff up during this time. They’re ready to bake when the dough feels very soft and light—give the dough additional time to proof if necessary. - Bake (4:30 p.m.)
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Slide the rolls into the oven once preheated and bake for 20-25 minutes. Spread the glaze over the rolls once cooled.
Notes
These sourdough cinnamon rolls are best the day they’re made, but can be reheated the next day (without glaze) and then topped with freshly mixed glaze.
If you use this recipe, tag @maurizio on Instagram and use the hashtag #theperfectloaf so I can take a look! Thanks so much to USA Pan for sponsoring this sourdough post! As always, all opinions and thoughts here are my own.
673 Comments
Hi, I’m experienced with sourdough bread but new to pastries and such.
If one wanted to be able to bake these first thing in the morning, are you able to treat this dough more like regular sourdough? That is, bulk the dough like usual, skip shaping and just chill it, and then once it’s chilled, shape it into rolls and put it back into the fridge, then have it do an overnight cold proof like usual (~12 hrs total fridge time); then, you could simply bake it right from the fridge.
Or does this dough and the way it’s enriched and formed make it work differently from a “regular” dough? Thanks Maurizio.
That’ll work just fine, Drew!
Just made these cinnamon rolls for the first time, very carefully following Maurizio’s instructions (as always). We don’t have a stand mixer (yet), so I applied ample amounts of elbow grease, which worked pretty well once I figured out which of our wooden mixing spoons worked best for the job. For me the bulk fermentation took 3-4 hours, but we keep our house pretty cool in the winter. Also read through the comments and saw the tips for forming the rolls the night before, so that’s what I did. Proofed in the morning for about 2.5 hours in the oven with just the light on (about 82 degrees Fahrenheit). Well, there simply are no words for how wonderful the result is. These are the best cinnamon rolls ever, and the whole family agrees. This is officially a new tradition. Thanks Maurizio!
Hey, Reid! Sorry for the delay. So glad to hear these worked out well for you 🙂
I haven’t made these, but I make cinnamon rolls regularly from the sourdough babka recipe. I think there’s more cinnamon filling in those. I make a double batch for 12 rolls in a 9×13 pan. They are delicious!!
Awesome, Jenny! Yes, definitely more filling in the babka. These are a slightly different result—all wonderful 🙂
I’m curious how other bakers are cutting the individual buns once they’re rolled. I used a small serrated knife with marginal results. Baking a second batch tomorrow (12/24) would love your input. 🙂
Happy “Lovingly-Distanced” Holidays to one and all.
I use a metal bench scraper
Great! I was thinking I’d try that on my next bake. 🙂
I just did a quick search: dental floss! Check this out
https://youtu.be/LhT3W9nj5vY
I cut these with a very sharp chef’s knife. If the dough is cold, it cuts just fine for me! I’ve also heard dental floss (unflavored) works really well.
Yes! Dental floss for the win! My rolls today are stellar!!!
Excellent, Dani! Enjoy 🙂
Stainless steel (fishing) wire works well too. I use for cutting dough, cake layers, etc. It is a little stronger/sharper than dental floss and similarly precise. Hope this helps –
Now that’s a fantastic idea, Jennifer. I’ll pick some of this up!
dentist here… i approve!
For more reason than one? 😉
Hi Maurizio, I’ve made these many times following your baking schedule and they are out of this world!! I was wondering if it is ok to shape them and cold proof overnight, pulling out for the final rise in the morning rather than doing the cold proof overnight. Was hoping to just get up on Christmas morning and let these do their things without needing much prep.
So glad to hear that, Rebekah! Yes, that works really well (I just did this myself). Just be sure to give them whatever time they need in the morning to finish proofing. Happy holidays!
Wonderful!! Thanks for your quick response and your amazing recipes.
I live in the Northeast so our house is only ~65F in the winter. I did the following process yesterday and it worked great. If your house is warmer you can just take the rolls out of the fridge in the morning and give it ~2-3 hrs to proof.
I started around 8am, and went through the entire process including ~5 hours of chilling the bulk dough in the fridge. Late evening I took the dough out, shaped, filled, cut then put back in the fridge to chill. Right before i go to bed I took the rolls out and left it on the counter overnight.
In total the rolls were chilled ~2 hours and left on the counter for ~6-7 hours. I baked first thing in the morning and have warm cinnamon rolls for breakfast!
One more question… making a test batch today. Dough is silky and looks great. But, it didn’t rise (at all) during the bulk fermentation. I left it out for a couple of extra hours just in case it wasn’t warm enough. Still nothing. You didn’t mention how much is should rise, so is it ok? Or did I miss something? (Thank you!)
You should definitely be seeing some rise and activity in the dough. It is a slow moving dough, but as long as you used your starter when it was nice and ripe and the dough has been kept warm, you should see something after the bulk time I outline above. Giving it more time is the way to go!
Thanks! I put it in the fridge after 2 additional hours. And, there it started to show some activity. It’s looking nice now and I will finish rolling and baking in the morning. Excited to share the results! *fingers crossed*
Hope they turned out great!
Hey Maurizio!
Planning to make a couple of batches of these to deliver to family for the “distancing with love” holiday. I’d love to make one batch as mini cinnamon rolls. Do you have any suggestions for a successful bake? I was thinking I’d divide the dough into 3rds, roll those out per the recipe, and cover with 1/3 cinnamon filling… roll, cut and bake per the recipe. Am I thinking about this right? 🙂
Thanks!
Dani—that should work just fine! What you proposed would work very well. Roll them up tightly and cut to whatever height you’d like, they’ll turn out great 🙂
Hi Maurizio,
I use your site almost exclusively and have made many of your recipes. My friends and family consider me some kind of magician with the skills I’ve accquired thanks to you.
As far as these buns, I’ve made these as-written successfully before but I wanted to ask about a variant for the holidays. Are you familiar with British Chelsea Buns? There appear to be several versions but can I use the dough as-is and just swap the filling for the dried fruit combination?
Thanks!
Ha ha, so awesome to hear I’ve helped, Rob. Unfortunately, I’ve never had a Chelsea Bun. I’ve heard of them, but have never made them myself. This dough is pretty versatile, I’d say you could use it for those buns with added fruit no problem. But, it is a soft dough, so be sure to chill it before shaping!
Hello, this looks like a great recipe and I’m keen to put my new sourdough starter to use. I don’t have a stand mixer though. Would it work mixing and kneading by hand? Thanks! ☺️
Hey, James! It’s definitely possible, and others have had success doing so, but it will take some elbow grease 🙂 Strengthen the dough upfront quite a bit by hand, then add the butter at the end by massaging and mixing it into the dough.
Fabulous- thanks Maurizio! Would you strengthen by kneading, or would the slap and fold technique be better? Thanks again ☺️
I’m a big fan of slap/fold!
Cup of powdered sugar is 120 grams. Should it be half cup. Thanks.
Fixed, thank you Robin!
Oh my God the best cinnamon rolls I have ever had. I am on a weight loss program down to my target wt. but have an indulgence every now and then. Followed the recipe with the addition of roasted chopped pecans. Next time I will try using brown sugar substitute (which is amazingly similar) for my half and powdered sugar sub for the topping. Cutting the calories by more than half. Loved it and so did my neighbor and husband. I purchased the pan using affiliate link. It is such a great pan to have in my collection. Thanks for sharing. Oh and I used 120 gr powdered sugar which is a cup You may need to correct that part of the recipe. I left an earlier post about that 😀
Super happy to hear these turned out well for you! Thanks for picking up that pan, it’s a great one isn’t it? I’m totally hooked on all the USA Pans, they’re just so easy to use and bake everything so well. Corrected the powdered sugar typo—thanks again and enjoy!
Cup of powdered sugar is 120 grams. Should it be half cup. Thanks.
Hey Maurizio, I currently have a kenwood mixer and supplied dough hook is fairly rubish. Do you think i could use a paddle attachment instead or would that damage the gluten too much?
Absolutely, the paddle will work very well with this dough!
Hi Maurizio, I just tried baking this from the very humid and hot Singapore weather. I had difficulty rolling and cutting it so it wasn’t really pretty BUT it’s so delicious! The bread dough itself is absolutely spot on. Do you think I can do the same recipe and fold it like a cinnamon loaf pan bread? What temperature do you suggest baking it and for how long. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes!
Happy to hear that, Ana! Yes, this dough can be used in a loaf pan as well. I’d probably start with something like 425F for 15 minutes, then drop to 375F for 20-30 as needed. Happy baking!
Hi Maurizio, I’ve made this recipes many times during the pandemic and they’re fantastic! I wanted to make an eggnog version for Christmas. I was thinking replacing the milk (in dough and icing) with egg nog, adjust sugar, and put some grated nutmeg along with the cinnamon. What do you think?
Thanks, Spencer! That’s a very interesting idea, I think it’d worth a test. I probably wouldn’t go 100% egg nog, it might be very heavy and rich, maybe a 50/50 mix and see how it goes? I like it!
In thinking more, an egg nog icing would be amazing…
https://www.instagram.com/p/CH5hXGVjQrc/?igshid=1xl63uk5vjf6s Made these today. The bread was perfect but I think the filling needs more oomph! Next time, I’ll double the cinnamon, add nutmeg and maybe some chopped pecans. I’ll probably swap the cream cheese frosting to a maple glaze or orange zest in traditional frosting but the bread was perfect.
Super happy to hear that! Yes, the filling can certainly be customized in a ton of different ways. Raisins are also a nice addition.
Hi Maurizio, I am feeling kinda dumb right now. I have made many of your recipes and they are all amazing (beginner sourdough bread, baguettes, stout country sourdough (favorite) and babka (friends favorite). In all your recipes you give us the levain build. In the babka recipe you give us a levain build that uses 46g of starter. In this recipe you just say 200g of starter (100% hydration) which seems like a ton. I maintain my starter with a ration of 50g starter, 25g rye, 25g wheat, 50g water. I never keep 200gs of starter on hand. When you say 200g starter would that be 50g of mature starter, 50g of AP flour and 100g of warm water? I feel dumb because I have read every comment and no one else seems to have this question. Thanks!
Hey, Steve! Not a silly question. When I say 200g starter I just mean 200g of your ripe sourdough starter, no levain needed. However, if you don’t keep a starter large enough to cover 200g (some dont!), you can make a levain the night before to ripen in the morning and use that instead. I’d probably do something like 20g ripe starter, 100g flour, 100g water, and then use 200g of that in the AM.
Related, check out my guide to the difference between a levain and a starter.
Hope this helps and enjoy!
Slave, Maurizio. I switched these up by adding some wholegrain flour and make a filling with brown sugar substitute, poppy seeds, cinnamon, cardamom, walnuts, pecans, dried orange peel, almond flour, and Lily’s chocolate chips. They are incredible! Grazie ancora per una ricetta fantastica!
Oh my that’s sounds delicious. I’ve been wanting to add poppy and cardamom to these (I’m also dreaming up raisins and perhaps pecan meal as well). Thanks for reporting back, John! Enjoy 🙂
Maurizio, I made your Cinnamon rolls today. Could I have over proofed the rolls? The spread quite a bit and were extremely fluffy. Or are they meant to be that way? I made cinnamon rolls lots of times before with yeast and that never happened before.
They were proofing for about 2 hours at room temperature.
Thank you!
Hey there! I wonder if perhaps your dough was under strengthened and needed a bit more time in the mixer or an additional set of stretch and folds. If they spread too much you might try holding back some of the liquid in mixing to strengthen the dough, or mix for a little longer (before adding the butter) until the the dough is very well strengthened!
Thank you Maurizio, I will try that next time!
Hi Maurizio! If I wanted to incorporte a tangzhong into this recipe, should I reduce the milk & flour from the dough recipe to make the tangzhong or add additional milk & flour for the tangzhong portion? Would you recommend a specific amount total in grams of tangzhong to add? Hoping to create a dough that stays extra fluffy and soft, and will last for a few days once baked! Thank you!!
Hey, Sarah! I’d take milk and flour from the recipe and move it into a tangzhong. You will need additional liquid, though. Typically it’s 5x more liquid to flour (e.g. if you moved 10g flour to the roux, you’d need 50g milk).
Thanks for the quick reply! Testing these out today and will report back! 😊
Yes, please do! I’ve been meaning to try this with tangzhong 🙂
Hi again! I’ve been LOVING your cinnamon roll recipe, and had great results adding in a tangzhong with your previous tips! I now want to take it a step further and add pumpkin – would you recommend swapping out all of the milk or just a portion of the milk for pumpkin puree? I’m not sure if the hydration level of canned pumpkin puree would require more or less than the 28% milk you list. I was thinking of still doing a small amount of tangzhong, but also worried the dough may end up too soft. Thank you for any suggestion you may have!! -Sarah
That’s awesome to hear, Sarah! My first instinct is to say a portion of the milk, then, hold back some of that milk during mixing to see how the dough mixes up. If it’s super soft, don’t add any more, if it’s going well, keep adding a little at a time. Tangzhong should also be just fine, in my eyes, it’s a way to keep the dough strong while still adding more softness!
Hello Sarah! I was planning to do this recipe as well with a tangzhong, would you mind sharing your experiment measurements and how much milk you used to flour ratio?
Did you also in result held back any butter?
Thank you in advance! (:
-Gayle
Gayle—for some quick answers until Sarah replies, check out my guide to tangzhong!
Hello Mauricio! Ohh perfect, thanks for that! I didn’t realize there was a whole article on it! Perfect!
Also meant to ask what the difference for your sourdough pull apart rolls from the ig/food52 recipe and the one here on your website? Perhaps texture?
I made the food52 version and was super happy with it, seeing the recipe on your website makes me want to make them again and see if it will be even better! ^_^
The rolls I made for Food52 are amazing and a little less work that the ones I posted here. The ones here are much more tender (thanks to the tangzhong), lighter, and more airy—they just require a bit more work 🙂
Thanks Maurizio! Really appreciate the time and effort on the page and feedback and answers you provide for the users! Baking some more cinnamon rolls this week and trying your Romanian Pizza :)!
Hello again Maurizio!
I was reading comments with some people shaping and retarding in the fridge overnight. I was curious if there was a difference if you bulk ferment overnight or if you shape then ferment that overnight? Thank you again! (:
Hi Maurizio! I just wanted to chime in on the timing questions that are so common in this thread. I opted to extend the chill (step 3) overnight, which worked great and made the shaping this time *much* easier than last time. I would totally recommend! The only hiccup was that the dough was still so cold that even at 78º it took about 4 hours to proof. If you want them first thing, I’d say chill partway through the final proof and then take out an hour before baking; if you want them for brunch/lunch, then you can pull the dough out for shaping at 8am and be set by noon!
Excellent advice, Hank! Thanks for sharing all of that. Yes, that chill is almost necessary with this super soft dough. I’ve been playing with an update to the recipe that has a little less butter and the dough is much easier to handle. I might post an update, but this version is just so good. Thanks again!
I’m planning to make these but I’m intolerant/allergic to dairy. Does anyone have any tips about what to replace the milk with? I’m not lactose-intolerant, so lactose-free milk is not an option either. I was thinking about forgoing the glaze and just eating these rolls plain, but the dough still has milk to enrich it 🙁
i would probably just try using your favorite non-dairy milk and see what happens! im making these with oatly and making a vegan cream cheese frosting to spread on top – ive substituted these in other recipes before and they work great
As m said below, a plant based milk will work!
Since many had asked about freezing them, I thought I’d share. I froze them after they were baked (and already glazed). I have small children who wake up early and really wanted the cinnamon rolls to be pretty effortless in the morning. They still tasted divine when I reheated them in the oven at 200 degrees F for about 15-20 minutes. They are best of course, when they are freshly baked, but freezing and reheating them in the oven was similar to reheating leftover freshly baked rolls the next day. Even from frozen, these are still better than any cinnamon roll I’ve bought at a bakery! Thank you again for the easy to follow recipe Maurizio!
Right on, Lisa! Thanks so much for reporting back with that (my problem is we never have any left to test with 😂). Now we know it works just fine, and there’s something to be said/gained for convenience, especially when kids are involved! Enjoy 🙂
my mom gives cinnamon rolls to all neighbors/friends for Christmas, so her baking starts in October. Once baked and glazed, the rolls are wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, then in 2 layers of foil. Reheating (for 9 rolls) is 20-25 minutes at 350F.
& It is ALWAYS NICE to be able to pop a pan in the oven at a moments notice (assuming you have the freezer space).
*(just in case anyone wants reheating/freezing help).
Thanks so much for this recipe, it is really delicious! As I don’t own a stand mixer and this recipe requires long kneeding I tried to mix it with my Magimix food processor and dough attachment, but found it extremely tricky, Next time I will do the mixing in two batches. Wondering if other people have experience with mixing the dought in a food processor or by hand?
Glad to hear that, Jori! Some have reported success mixing by hand, but I can’t recall anyone else using a food processor (and I haven’t tried that!).
Can you freeze them after you shape them to bake later? If you can would you just thaw them and let them proof for a couple hours?
I was wondering this as well. It would be great to be able to give these as gifts, frozen after shaping, with a packet of topping to go with it.
Many readers have said this has worked for them!
Confirming this worked great for me.
I got some 8×8 aluminum pans and lined the bottom with parchment paper and placed 4-rolls in the package and froze them a couple of days ago.
I set them on the counter before going to bed last night and baked them this morning with great results. I like to let them proof longer for puffier results. Plus, I think my kitchen is a little colder than most as my sourdough took longer than 4-hours to bulk ferment. But that’s a post for a different topic.
Guess what my family is getting for Christmas this year? 😉
Excellent! Thanks for reporting back, now I’m going to have to give this a try. And yes, they’re a Christmas tradition here (in fact, I look forward to that morning all year :)). Happy baking!
Many have reported success with this!