Looking for THE BEST soft sourdough cinnamon roll recipe from scratch? These easy, overnight rolls are it! Tips shared for additional make-ahead options.
Ahh… sourdough cinnamon rolls. Soft, feathery scrolls of luscious sweet dough filled with swirls of warm cinnamon-sugar. Can you think of anything more cozy for breakfast?!
I must confess however, I wasn’t always a fan. Traditional cinnamon rolls were always too sweet for my taste and all that heavy, sugary glaze made me nauseas. And plus, with all the recipes out there (and there are tons) I thought to myself: does the world really need another cinnamon roll recipe? Turns out, the answer is yes.
Why This Recipe Works
- Rolls are baked in a 9-inch springform pan. This is my secret. The higher sides traps in more moisture, keeping the rolls soft, light and luxurious. The rolls will rise higher as they bake too.
- Bubbly active sourdough starter lends a lovely flavor that will make you weak in the knees!
- Rolls can be made in advance! I’m sharing my fool-proof methods to fit any baker’s schedule.
How To Make The Best Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
TIP: Before you begin, check out my Baker’s Schedule. You’ll have a better idea of when to start the dough and how to prep ahead.
Mix the Dough & Let it Rise
This dough is made in a stand mixer. If you don’t have one, don’t worry- it can be done by hand (the texture will be sticky).
Start in the evening, let the dough rise overnight at room temperature, and bake the following morning. The dough is ready when it has doubled in size.
How long will it take? Rise times will vary according to temperature. For example, my dough took 12 hrs. @ 67 F (made at 8:00 PM and ready by 8:00 AM). Your room temperature may differ than mine which will effect the rise time. This is normal. Always watch the dough and not the clock!
Roll the Dough
The following morning, lightly oil and flour your countertop.
This is THE BEST tip in the world by the way. The dough won’t stick! I use an all-natural olive oil spray from Trader Joe’s. Works like a charm.
Remove the dough from the bowl, gently pat into a rough rectangle and let rest to relax the gluten. It will be easier to roll out.
Lightly dust the dough and your rolling pin with flour. Roll the dough into a 16 x 12-ish rectangle. Use a tape measure for accuracy; you’ll end up with approximately 8 rolls to fit a 9-inch springform pan.
Make the Cinnamon-Sugar Filling
Melt 2 tbsp of butter in a shallow pan or microwave; set aside.
Combine the cinnamon, sugar and flour in a small separate bowl. Once the butter has cooled brush the entire surface of the dough.
Sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Smooth it out with your hands. The texture will go from dry and sandy to almost wet-looking.
Roll & Cut the Dough
Working with the long side, roll the dough into a log pressing down as you go.
Take your time with this step. You want the log to be tight so the swirls stay in tact when baked. Once you get to the end, make sure the dough is facing seam side down.
TIP: If at any point the dough starts to stick (it tends to get warm from the heat of your hands) lightly oil or flour your fingertips, take a deep breath and try working with it again.
Cut the log into (8) 2-inch sections using an oiled knife or bench scraper. For best results, gently “mark” the dough first so that each piece is roughly the same size before cutting. I’m the worst at eyeballing stuff like this. It really helps!
Second Rise
Place the rolls into a parchment lined pan and let rest for about 1- 2 hours, or until the dough puffs up.
Run out of time? After resting for 1 hour, cover the dough and chill in the fridge until ready to use. Before baking, give the rolls more time to plump up at room temperature, if necessary. Alternatively, freeze the dough: skip the resting step, cover the pan in two layers of plastic wrap and pop in the freezer (see recipe below for defrosting instructions).
Here’s what the dough looked like before resting…
After resting…
Bake the Cinnamon Rolls
Place the dough on the center rack and bake @ 350 F for 30-40 minutes, or until light golden brown. You can make the glaze while the rolls are in the oven.
Once finished, cool the cinnamon rolls in the pan for 15 minutes and then remove to a wire rack.
For the Glaze
Combine softened butter, whipped cream cheese and sifted powdered sugar in the stand mixer. Beat until smooth, thinning out the consistency with a little milk as needed.
Alternatively, skip the glaze and dust with powdered sugar instead!
Time To Eat!
Close your eyes and take a bite… the warm, caramelized cinnamon sugar is absolutely out-of-this-world! And all that fluffy dough? You won’t be able to eat just one!
**Baker’s Schedule**
Overnight Option: Make the dough in the evening and let rise overnight. The following morning, roll, cut and shape the dough. Rest for 1-2 hours (second rise) before baking.
Alternatively, after resting for 1 hour, cover the dough and chill until ready to use. Rest at room temperature before baking. The dough should be plump and puffy before baking.
Make-Ahead Option (Freeze): Place the cut & shaped cinnamon rolls into a parchment lined 9-inch springform pan. Cover with two layers of plastic wrap. Freeze until ready to use. The night before baking, remove the old plastic wrap and replace with fresh wrap (this will prevent any condensation from dripping onto the rolls). Defrost overnight, about 10-12 hrs. at room temperature, approximately 67 F. Bake the following morning as directed.
Additional Recipes & Resources
- Beginner Sourdough Starter Recipe
- How to Stretch and Fold Sourdough {Video}
- Ultimate Sourdough Banana Bread
- Fluffy Sourdough Pancakes
Soft Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
- Yield: 8 rolls
- Category: Sourdough Bread Recipes
- Method: Oven-Baked
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
These soft, overnight sourdough cinnamon rolls are the perfect weekend or holiday treat! Made with a luscious sweet dough and a not-too-sweet cinnamon filing, they are guaranteed to be a huge hit.
Ingredients
Sweet Dough
- 160 g (2/3 cup) milk, whole or 2%
- 28 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter, melted (see note below)
- 1 large egg
- 100 g (1/2 cup) bubbly, active sourdough starter
- 24 g (2 tbsp) granulated sugar
- 300 g (2½ cups) all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur)
- 5 g (1 tsp) fine sea salt
- cooking spray or oil, for coating
Cinnamon-Sugar Filling
- 28 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter
- 100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
- 3 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 level tbsp. flour
Glaze
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
- ⅓ cup whipped cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼– 1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted (add more if you like it sweet!)
- 1–2 tbsp milk
Notes
- For a richer dough, increase the butter to 115 (8 tbsp) and use 360 g (3 cups) flour total. A reader recommended this tip, and I have to say, it’s my preferred method.
- Make sure the melted butter and milk mixture has cooled slightly before making the dough. If it’s too hot, the dough will become incredibly sticky like cake batter (I’ve experienced this many times). If this happens to you, don’t worry- wait for the dough to cool down before adding more flour, if needed.
- Recent recipe update: flour has been added to the cinnamon-sugar filling as a binder to prevent the butter from leaking out of the rolls.
Instructions
Baker’s Schedule
Overnight Option: Make the dough in the evening and let rise overnight. The following morning, roll, cut and shape the dough. Rest for 1-2 hours (second rise) before baking.
As an alternative, after resting for 1 hour, cover the dough and chill until ready to use. Rest at room temperature before baking. The dough should be plump and puffy before baking.
Make-Ahead Option (Freeze): Place the cut & shaped cinnamon rolls into a parchment lined 9-inch springform pan. Cover with two layers of plastic wrap. Freeze until ready to use. The night before baking, remove the old plastic wrap and replace with fresh wrap (this prevents any condensation from dripping onto the rolls). Defrost overnight, about 10-12 hrs. at room temperature, approximately 67 F. Bake the following morning as directed.
Make the Dough
In the evening: Combine the melted butter and milk in a small bowl. Cool slightly before using.
Add the egg, sourdough starter, and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix to combine. With the machine running, slowly pour in the milk mixture. Add the flour and salt. Continue mixing until a rough, sticky dough forms, about 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Cover with a damp towel and let rest for 30 minutes.
After the dough has rested, switch to the dough hook. Knead on medium-low speed for 6-8 minutes (I use #2 or #3 on my stand mixer). The dough should feel soft, supple and pull away from the sides of the bowl when ready. If it’s too sticky add a small bit of flour.
Bulk Rise
Transfer the dough to a medium-size bowl coated in butter. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise overnight until double in size, about 8-12 + hrs. @ 67-68 F, depending on temperature.
Stretch and Fold the Dough (optional step): about 30 minutes- 1 hr. into the bulk rise stretch and fold the dough: grab a portion of the dough and stretch it upward. Fold it over toward the center of the bowl. Give the bowl a 1/4 turn; stretch and fold the dough again. Continue this technique until you’ve come full circle around the bowl (4 folds total). For video guidance, click here. This optional step will increase the overall volume of the rolls and aerate the dough.
Roll the Dough
In the morning: Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. I like to scrunch the paper into a ball first, open it up, and then line the inside with enough excess to hang over the sides for easy removal. It tends to fit better this way.
Lightly oil and flour your countertop to prevent sticking. Coax the dough out of the bowl. Gently pat into a rough rectangle. Let rest for 10 minutes for easier rolling.
Dust the dough (and your rolling pin) with flour. Roll the dough into a 16 x 12-ish rectangle using a tape measure for accuracy. If the dough resists, let rest for 5-10 minutes and try again.
Make the Cinnamon-Sugar Filling
Combine the cinnamon, sugar and flour in a small bowl; set aside. Melt the 28 g (2 tbsp) of butter in a shallow pan or microwave. Once the butter has cooled slightly, brush the entire surface of the dough, including the top, bottom and sides. Sprinkle the dough with the cinnamon-sugar mixture leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Smooth it out with your hands.
Shape & Cut the Dough
Starting on the long side of the dough (16-inch), roll it into a log pressing down gently as you go. Take your time with this step. The log needs to be tight so the swirls stay in tact. You should end up seam side down. TIP: if the dough starts to get sticky from the heat of your hands, lightly oil or flour your fingertips, take a deep breath and try again.
Cut the dough into 2-inch sections using a oiled knife or bench scraper. I lightly “mark” the dough first to make sure each piece is roughly the same size.
Second Rise
Place the rolls into the lined pan and let rest for 1- 2 hours, or until the dough puffs up. Alternatively, if you’d like to chill or freeze the rolls, please refer to the “Make-Ahead” option in the Baker’s Schedule at the top of this recipe.
Bake the Cinnamon Rolls
Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake the dough onto the center rack and bake for 35-40 minutes (check at the 30 minute mark). The tops should turn light golden brown when ready.
Remove from the oven and cool in the pan for 15 minutes. This helps the butter to absorb back into the dough. Then lift up the rolls, while still on the parchment paper, and transfer to a wire rack.
Make the Glaze
While the rolls are baking or cooling make the glaze. Add softened butter, whipped cream cheese and sifted powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat until smooth, thinning out the consistency with a little milk as needed. The ingredients must be soft and at room temperature for best results.
To serve, top the rolls with some of the glaze or lightly dust with powdered sugar. These rolls are best enjoyed slightly warm on the same day they are baked.
Keywords: sourdough, sourdough recipes, sourdough cinnamon rolls, cinnamon rolls, best sourdough cinnamon rolls, sourdough bread, sourdough starter
Cindy says
Is the AP flour in your recipe unbleached? Can bread flour be substituted if unbleached AP can’t be found?
Emilie Raffa says
Yes: I always use unbleached ap flour. Depending on the brand, bread flour can be used but you’ll need to add more liquid to the dough (it absorbs more water than ap flour). The texture will also be chewier.
Gina says
I was wondering if I could use discard starter as opposed to a bubbly starter (lots of discard to use up) and if so would I need to adjust the recipe in any way? Or what the difference would be?
Thank you!
Emilie Raffa says
Gina, unfortunately sourdough discard is usually not active enough to make bread dough rise. I wouldn’t advise using it here, just in case. You would have to add instant yeast to the recipe- maybe 1 tsp? Keep in mind, instant yeast will make the dough rise a lot faster.
Gina says
Thanks for the speedy reply! I would prefer not to use active yeast, personal choice. Thank you for the advice
Emilie Raffa says
Totally understand. Come to think of it, there might be an option to add baking powder, but since I haven’t tested it specifically, I do not want to lead you into the dark! good luck! And if you need more info on Sourdough Discard, check out this 101 post.
Steffania Paul says
Thank you for the recipe! If I omit the sugar in the dough, will the rise time be the same? Thanks again!
Emilie Raffa says
It might take a little longer, but nothing to worry about at all. There’s little sugar in the dough to begin with :)
Rebecca says
They were really tasty. My husband asked me to make them again soon.
I would have appreciated some information on how to make whipped cream cheese. That is nothing that is readily available in the shop in the UK.
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! Totally understand. Whipped cream cheese is widely available in US grocery stores. But not to worry- you can easily use regular cream cheese instead and simply beat it to a lighter consistency.
Erin ivy says
Hey 4th time making these! QUESTION If I do a double batch, make one as instructed for the next day, can I make the 2nd batch of dough and put it straight into the fridge to take out the day after? I have enough ready starter ready for 2 now rather then waiting a extra day and a feed. ALSO If my husband wasnt my husband he would have proposed again lol his words! You have helped me master sourdough Thank you!! Cant wait to get my hands on your book!!
★★★★★
Kim says
The bulk rise overnight is to in fridge or outside?
Also, can I make the whole process in on day?
Thanks
Emilie Raffa says
In the recipe as written, the bulk rise is done at room temperature overnight (not in the fridge).
However, if you want to make & bake the rolls on the same day, you would follow a different method. Start in the morning, bulk rise at around 80 F and bake later in the day.
Jayne Wragg says
Fabulous recipe, a great hit. Wondering if I could use the dough recipe minus the sugar to make cheese and vegemite scrolls?
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Absolutely!
Don says
2nd time I’ve made these. Amazing! I added 1 tsp of vanilla extract to the butter filling and 1/2 tsp to my glaze (simple icing sugar glaze). The hint of vanilla adds an extra layer of luxury!
★★★★★
Debbie says
Are you supposed to warm the milk before adding?
Meg says
Wow these were amazing!! The perfect light dough with a hint of sour taste – so good! After spreading it out, my filling mixture didn’t look as much like ‘wet sand’ as the picture so I brushed some of the dry mix off…next time I think I will keep the extra dry filling on as a bit more filling would have made these even better! Will definitely be making again, thanks Emilie!
★★★★★
Jennifer McGrath says
I’m excited to try these. Would it work without the egg?
Liz says
I have an egg allergy so I made these with a flax egg! (1 tbls ground flax and 3 tbls water, set for 15 min) , they came out great!!!
★★★★★
Jaclyn says
I made these following the note for the enriched dough. When I did the stretch and folds the dough felt so dreamy! For the icing I used 1/4 cup powdered sugar and added a teaspoon of vanilla. These are delicious and very manageable for sourdough!
★★★★★
Bernadette says
Wow! This recipe is GREAT! I went with the extra butter option and made the dough yesterday morning so I could put them in the fridge overnight and baked them this morning. I didn’t have a 9” springform pan so I used my Dutch oven. The rolls rose quite a bit and surprisingly filled up the 10” surface of the pot. I love that the rolls are not too sweet and they are a little tangy from the sourdough. Other cinnamon rolls are heavy and leave me feeling like I ate a greasy ball of dough smothered in sugar, but these are not greasy or sugary. I feel no adverse effects from eating them! No headache or indigestion! Your instructions and measurements are spot on! Thanks for sharing this great recipe!
★★★★★
Jeff Perkins says
Made the recipe as written and the rolls were fantastic! My question is whether it is possible to do first rise and form the rolls and then do second rise in fridge. Trying to avoid the early morning prep so that I can have them in the oven while drinking our coffee. I know this is wanting my rolls and eating them (early in the morning too).
BTW got your Artisan Sourdough book and love it!
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Absolutely. Bulk during the day, shape and chill the rolls overnight. Just make sure the following morning they rolls are plump enough to bake (they won’t rise much in the fridge). Enjoy!
And thank you SO MUCH!
Jennifer says
I have made these several times. Awesome recipe. If you put the dough in the fridge for 30min-1hr before rolling out, you don’t need to spray your counter tops with oil. Just use flour.
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Fantastic tip, thanks Jennifer! :)
Dee says
These are amazing. I tried another recipe a while back and they turned out awful. These are seriously wonderful. I used the extra butter suggestion,
★★★★★
Alwyn Sowerby says
Just perfect! I’m amazed at how much they’ve risen. They taste fantastic, I absolutely drowned them in icing, and I’m regretting that now tbh – they’re so good I think they’d be almost better without or just a little bit of icing (+like you have in your photos)
★★★★★
Sam says
Fantastic recipe! Pretty easy, not much prep time apart from it sitting in the fridge fermenting. I’m fortunate to have an extremely potent sourdough starter, so these *really* ballooned, about 50% growth in the final proof in the baking dish, and another 50% or more from there, so surprisingly they almost filled empty row in the baking dish. Thanks so much!
★★★★★
Jane says
The best cinnamon rolls EVER! I used the extra butter – my family loved them this Christmas morning.
★★★★★
Judy says
This is a great recipe and the instructions are very helpful!
I used a trick my mom taught me as a child…to cut the rolls mark your 2″ sections on the top of the log then use a piece of thread about 12 ” long, slide it under the log and criss cross, pull through to cut nice even rolls.
★★★★★
K says
I had to post again to rate them 5*. Perfection!
★★★★★
Mary says
Love this recipe! Perfect size. If you are like me and planned to do the overnight method, but didn’t realize i should have started 2 nights before to account for the bulk rise you are use some yeast and discard instead! I added 1 tsp of bread machine yeast and used sourdough discard in place of active starter. This worked perfectly. I let the initial dough rise for about 2 hours, then rolled out, shaped and stuck in the fridge overnight.
★★★★★
Katherine says
I made this as Monkey Bread and OMG soooo much better than any I’ve tried – they’re always so sweet! It even looks better – gorgeous! If anyone wants to try, I did 1.5 recipes, went with 2 eggs, omitted flour for tossing balls of dough after dipping in sugar – ended up using 400 grams sugar & 4 tblsp cinnamon for that part.
★★★★★
Shari Campa says
Can’t believe I haven’t left a review on these…these have been a 2020 covid staple since undertaking sourdough this year. These cinnamon rolls are absolutely the best I have ever made (and I have tried LOTS of recipes). I make 2.5 times the recipe and do two 9″ springforms every time because there is always a fight for these in my house. Tonight is the first time I have made the recipe with increased butter and flour – curious to see if I can tell a difference. Have them cooling right now to dive into Christmas morning! Love your site and all that you create.
★★★★★