Courtesy of using a sweet stiff starter, these sourdough cinnamon rolls come out ultra fluffy and tender.
sourdough cinnamon rolls
the absolute fluffiest!
Big statement incoming: these might just be my favorite cinnamon rolls ever (and I really wouldn’t be surprised if they become yours too), for taste and texture are simply on point.
It makes 7 fairly gigantic rolls (i.e. you can also make 9 smaller ones)(but do know there’s a beauty in the texture of the large guys that you’d be missing out on a tad)(for there’s always a trade off in life).
p.s. this recipe was first published in my substack newsletter where it became an instant hit with you guys (and it remains my most popular recipe there!)
p.p.s. looking to start a sourdough starter? right this way.
what’s a sweet stiff starter 👩🔬
Rather than bake with just an active sourdough starter, you’ll use it to create a sweet starter (i.e. levain) made out of flour, water and sugar. It’ll be stiff like a dough, but you’ll let it rise until it triples for 8-12 hours and then make your dough.
And while it sounds like it’ll just add more time to the process, it effectively halves the bulk proofing time and you’ll see it create the lightest (and most intricate) web of gluten courtesy of simple chemistry.
You see– by adding sugar to the sourdough starter equation you’re creating osmotic stress, which in turn limits the reproduction of bacteria in your culture (responsible for the generation of lactic acid), therefore resulting in a much less sour dough.
But the imbalance doesn’t end there as yeast cultures in turn take over, leading to what I can only describe as truly impressive fluffiness.
⭐ brownie points ⭐: I also added a touch of almond flour to ensure that your rolls keep fresh for longer (as we all know it’s a race against staleness after the first 24 hours). So think of almond flour as a natural moisture preservative– releasing its oils post bake, keeping them moist and tender (yup, even after freezing they reheat unbelievably well)
(The Fluffiest!) Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
for the sweet stiff starter
- 120 g bread flour
- 50 g spring water
- 40 g active sourdough starter
- 20 g sugar works better than honey
for the dough
- all your sweet stiff starter
- 1 large egg at room temp
- 1 egg yolk
- 24 g raw honey maple syrup or granulated sugar of choice
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean powder optional, but very nice touch
- 160 g whole milk at room temp
- 330 g unbleached bread flour*
- 6 g fine sea salt
- 84 g unsalted grass-fed butter at room temp
- 60 g almond flour optional, but will keep your bread extra moist
for the cinnamon filling
- 42 g unsalted grass fed butter soft enough to spread
- 50 g raw cane sugar (you can add up to 100g if you like them sweeter)
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- pinch fine sea salt
for the glaze
- 28 g unsalted butter at room temp
- 56 g cream cheese at room temp
- 2-4 tablespoons powdered sugar to taste
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch fine sea salt
Instructions
6 p.m. feed your starter
- VIP (time saving) note: if your starter is active enough that you trust it to double in size after every feeding (i.e. it hasn't been languishing in the fridge for months), feel free to skip this section and whip up your sweet stiff starter using your unfed starter.
- Add 50g of flour to feed your starter (you need just 40g of active starter for the recipe, so it depends on how big you keep your starter (and if you’re taking yours out of the fridge you’ll most def need to do one feeding before it’s strong enough to bake with).
- Add 50g spring water (you don’t want filtered, you really do want the added minerals)(this should tell you something too about what you should be drinking too btw 👀) and mix until the dough resembles a thick pancake batter.
- Allow to rest for 3-6 hours in a warm(ish) place until doubled in size.
9 p.m. make your sweet stiff starter
- Add all your ingredients to a medium bowl and knead them together until a stiff dough emerges (just ensure there are no pockets of flour).
- Form a round, transfer to a wide-rim jar and allow it to proof in a warm spot until tripled in size (8-12 hours).
- Note: know that you can refrigerate your sss for 12-24 hours once its nearly tripled, just bring it back to room temperature before baking with it.
7 a.m. make your dough
- My best advice: just ensure everything is at room temp to give your culture the best fighting chance (and watch the recipe video for the shaping). Other than that, you’ll be surprised how simple the process is (and how little you have to do, it just takes time).
- Add sweet stiff starter, eggs, honey, sugar and vanilla to the bowl of your stand mixer and mix, until just combined, using the paddle attachment. Add in the milk and mix again.
- Set your mixer on low and add the flour in parts until just combined. Add in the salt and continue mixing until everything looks nice and incorporated (about a minute). Yup, the dough is pretty sticky at this point!
- Cover with a damp paper towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
- Switch to the dough hook attachment on your mixer and “knead” on medium speed for 8-10 minutes, adding a pad of butter at a time (it really needs to be at room temp so that it incorporates seamlessly!) . The dough will be sleek and pull away from the sides at this point (if it isn’t, just sprinkle a tad of flour at a time, think a tablespoon or two, and kneed for a bit longer).
- Add your almond flour (optional) and kneed until incorporated. Your dough should be at (or very near) windowpane by now– test it by stretching it, you want it to be translucent. If it feels a bit stiff don’t worry, knead it for a couple more minutes, let it rest for thirty minutes and do a set of stretch and folds (the sourdough cultures will take care of it).
- Transfer to a smaller bowl for the bulk rise (as it’s easier to gauge the rise if you can actually mark it with a sharpie) and cover with cling film.
- Allow to proof in a warm spot for 3-5 hours, or until at least doubled in size (but I generally let mine go until it almost tripes as I personally find it easiest to digest).
- Note: once it doubles is a good time to refrigerate the dough if you don’t intend to bake the same day.
shape (watch video for deets)
- Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and set aside (I prefer it over cast iron or ceramic as these have a tendency to create thicker crusts in breads).
- Lightly flour your working surface, turn the dough out and stretch it out gently (allow it to rest for 10 minutes if it “feels” like it’s resisting)(you’ll know, trust me!). Add a tad bit more flour and roll it out into a roughly 12x16” rectangle.
- Spread the softened butter, and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
- Cut up into roughly 2-inch sections and transfer to the prepared pan (you can use dental floss, but tbch I’ve never had an issue with just using a knife.. and its easier).
- Cover with a kitchen towel and allow to rest until they puff up nicely (1-2 hours).
- and bake away!
- Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
- Bake on the center rack for 25-30 minutes, checking in at minute 15 for over-browning. The top will be a nice golden brown once they’re ready (but be sure to tent with foil if they begin to brown to quickly).
- Allow to rest for 15 minutes before serving.
- Make your glaze in the meantime by beating the butter with the cream cheese until soft and fluffy (3-4 minutes). Sweeten to taste (you’ll be surprised how little honey you need when using quality ingredients), mix in a touch of vanilla and a good pinch of salt.
- Spread onto the warm rolls and enjoy *imminently*.
- p.s. it’s best to store them unglazed at room temp in an airtight container (you’ll be surprised the wonders the touch of almond does to keep them moist), just give them a quick reheat. Otherwise I froze half this batch frosted and that was OK too, the frosting just gets a bit messy while reheating.