Perfectly Soft Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
These soft and fluffy sourdough cinnamon rolls are rich without being overly sweet, and are topped with a delicious maple cream cheese frosting. They are perfect for holiday mornings, or any regular old Saturday that you are craving a sweet treat.
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer with dough hook attachment
- 1 10" cast iron pan or 10" springform pan, or 9x9 glass baking dish
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 Tea towel
- 1 small glass bowl
- 1 pizza cutter or large knife
- measuring cups and spoons
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
- 2/3 cup whole milk
- 8 tbsp butter melted
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup bubbly & active sourdough starter
- 1 tbsp organic cane sugar
- 3 cups organic all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- 4 tbsp butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup organic cane sugar
- 3 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tbsp flour
Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
- 2 tbsp butter room temperature
- 1/2 cup cream cheese room temperature
- 5 tbsp real maple syrup
Instructions
Make The Dough
- Melt the butter, and let it cool slightly. Combine the melted butter with the milk in a small glass bowl.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the egg, active starter, and sugar. Use the paddle attachment to mix until combined.
- Keep your mixer running, and pour in the milk and butter.
- Next add in the flour and salt. Continue mixing until combined and a sticky dough forms.
- Cover the mixing bowl with a damp tea towel, and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes. switch to a dough hook and knead the dough for 6 -8 minutes on medium-low speed. The dough should be soft and not stick to the sides of the bowl. That’s how you know it’s done!
Bulk Rise
- Keep the dough in your mixing bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rise overnight until double in size. It should take about 8-12 hours.
Optional: Stretch & Folds
- Optionally, 30-45 minutes into the bulk rise you can perform one set of stretch and folds. To do stretch and folds, grab a piece of the dough, stretch it up, and fold it towards the center of the bowl. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat until you make it all the way back to the start (about 4 times). This step is optional if you are short on time, but it does help the dough to rise better.
Shape The Cinnamon Rolls
- The next morning (once the dough has doubled in size), lightly flour your countertop or work surface to prevent the dough from sticking. I like to use my wooden cutting board for this step.
- Move the dough from the bowl onto your work surface and gently stretch it into a rough rectangle. Let it rest for 10 minutes.
- Sprinkle a rolling pin and your dough with a little more flour. Gently roll the dough into a large rectangle, about 12″ x 16″. Don’t be afraid to use a tape measure if you want, I do!
Make The Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- Combine softened butter, cinnamon, sugar, and flour in a small bowl.
- Using a large spoon or spatula, spread the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly on the dough, as close the edges as you can.
- Starting on the long side of the rectangle (the 16″ side) slice the dough into even 2″ strips. I like to use a pizza cutter or sharp knife for this step. For even strips, you can even use a tape measure and lightly mark the edges first to make sure the cinnamon rolls are even.
- One at a time, roll up the strips of dough. If you lose any crumbles of cinnamon sugar filling, just sprinkle them back in, or on top of the finished cinnamon rolls.
Second Rise
- Place all of the rolls in your cast iron skillet. Let the dough rise 1-2 hours, or until the dough gets slightly puffy.
Bake The Cinnamon Rolls
- Once the cinnamon rolls have puffed up, preheat the oven to 350.
- Bake the cinnamon rolls on the center rack for 35-40 minutes. The tops should be just lightly turning golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, and let the cinnamon rolls cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
Make The Frosting
- While the cinnamon rolls are cooling, prepare the frosting.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all frosting ingredients. Whip on high speed until everything is combined and really creamy. For best results, make sure the ingredients are at room temperature before you start!
- Frost the cinnamon rolls with the maple cream cheese icing, and serve warm.