Despite the chaos of a morning with four young children, I try to make a “special” breakfast for my kids at least once a week. Toast or oatmeal are perfectly fine, but it’s nice to have a lovely homemade muffin, silce of banana bread, or, lately, these delicious sourdough cinnamon rolls to break up the ordinary.

Firstly I love that these cinnamon buns fit in beautifully with my bread baking routine. If you already make my sourdough bread recipe, then you’ll recognize the schedule and see how you can make both bread and cinnamon rolls at the same time. This is a great time saver for me and also allows me to use up more of my starter. Win, win!

Additionally, these buns really are quite easy to make! Yes, they technically take longer than a muffin or quick bread because of rising times, but as long as you have a strong sourdough starter, you can make these cinnamon buns!

Secondly, I love the flavor profile in this variation. These buns are not the cloyingly sweet, over the top, mall kiosk variety of a cinnamon roll. This dough is tender, buttery, and, thanks to the sourdough fermentation, beautifully complex in comparison to your run of the mill cinnamon buns. The icing is rich, and the cinnamon filling is a sweet, spiced heaven. Really! These buns can’t be beat.

Finally, I love that these rolls are completely naturally leavened. If you already bake with sourdough, then you’re probably aware of the numerous health benefits to eating slowly and naturally fermented foods. While cinnamon buns probably won’t ever be considered “healthy,” it does make me feel good knowing I’m feeding my children a treat that is not only totally delicious, but also much more digestible and wholesome than commercial options.

If you’re newer to working with yeasted baking or sourdough, here’s my biggest tip! Be mindful of temperature always. I keep my house around 72ºF. This warmer temperature is great for proofing. I also keep a tea towel under my bowl and try to keep the dough out of drafty areas to ensure the it stays warm and keeps rising. Otherwise, read the instructions carefully, be patient, and have fun! You’re going to do great!

Sourdough Cinnamon Buns - makes 8 buns

Equipment:

• Electric food scale

• Stand Mixer

• 9in. round spring form pan

• Hand held electric mixer

• Rolling pin

• Piping bag (optional)

Leaven Ingredients

• 86g water (75-85ºF)

• 43g ripe, hungry sourdough starter

• 43g. bread flour

• 43g. rye or whole wheat flour

Dough Ingredients:

• 160g. whole milk

• 2TBS. unsalted butter, melted

• 1 egg

• 100g ripe leaven

• 2TBS. sugar

• 300g all-purpose flour

• 5g. kosher sea salt

Cinnamon Filling Ingredients:

• 5TBS. unsalted butter, softened

• 1/2 cup sugar

• 1TBS. all-purpose flour

• 1TBS. ground cinnamon

Cream Cheese Icing Ingredients:

• 2TBS. unsalted butter, melted

• 1/3 cup cream cheese, softened

• 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted + more for dusting

• 1-2TBS. whole milk or orange/lemon juice for a citrus twist

Method:

1. The night before baking, make the Leaven. Place all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Stir until fully combined, and then cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Place on a towel in a warm area to ferment overnight.

2. The next morning (after about 12 hours), make the dough. Combine the milk and melted butter and set aside to allow to cool slightly. In the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the egg, 100g. of the ripe leaven, and sugar. Reserve the remaining leaven to make bread. Mix on medium speed until combined, then pour in the milk and butter. Mix again until combined, and then add the flour and salt. Mix once more for about a minute, or until the dough forms a rough, shaggy mass. Remove the paddle attachment and cover the bowl with a tea towel to allow the dough to rest for 30 minutes.

3. After 30 minutes, switch to the dough hook. Mix on medium low speed for about 6-8 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and forms a ball. You are trying to develop the gluten, so a window pane test should let you know when the dough is kneaded enough.

1. Bulk Fermentation. Place the dough in a buttered bowl and cover tightly with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm place on top of a tea towel. Allow the dough to rise for 5-6 hours, or until doubled in size. **If your room temperature is too cool, this may take a couple additional hours.

2. Make the cinnamon filling. Once the dough has doubled in size, make the filling. Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Use a fork to cream everything together until the filling is smooth and consistent.

1. Roll and Cut the dough. Pour out the dough onto a clean, lightly floured work surface. Gently press the dough into a rectangle. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes before rolling. After resting, sprinkle flour on the surface of the dough and roll it out into a 12in. X 16in. rectangle. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

2. Use an angled spatula to spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving a half inch border.

3. Roll the dough tightly. Work from one long (16in. side) and evenly roll until you have a 16in. long roll. The seam should be on the bottom of your log. Then use a sharp knife or bench knife to cut 8 buns, each 2in. long. Place the buns cinnamon swirl side up and evenly apart in a 9in. round pan lined with parchment paper.

1. 2nd Rise. Allow the rolls to rise at a warm room temperature for another 1-2 hours. They should puff considerably. Once they have risen, either proceed to bake immediately or store the buns in the refrigerator to bake the next morning. The buns will continue to rise in the cold refrigerator, but at a much slower pace.

2. Bake. Once the buns have risen, preheat the oven to 350ºF. If you put your buns in the refrigerator overnight, bring them out for about an hour to come to room temperature before baking. Bake the buns for 30-40 minutes or until golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and cool the buns in the pan for 15 minutes before frosting.

1. Make the cream cheese icing. In a large bowl, whip the cream cheese and butter together using the handheld electric mixer until it’s light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and milk as needed until you reach your desired consistency. Dust the cinnamon rolls with powdered sugar, and either spread or pipe the icing over top. Enjoy warm! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Recipe adapted from The Clever Carrot