Looking for THE BEST soft sourdough cinnamon roll recipe from scratch? These easy, overnight rolls are it! Made with bubbly, active sourdough starter & tips shared for make-ahead options.
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 (besides a slice of warm and toasty sourdough bread)?!
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 Sourdough Recipes & Resources
- Sourdough Bread: a Beginner’s Guide
- Best Sourdough Pizza Crust (No steel or stone!)
- How to Stretch and Fold Sourdough {Video}
- Ultimate Sourdough Banana Bread
- Best Sourdough Pancakes
Soft Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
- Prep Time: 15 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 15 hours 30 minutes
- 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 notes below for variation)
- 1 large egg
- 100 g (1/2 cup) bubbly, active sourdough starter
- 24 g (2 tbsp) granulated sugar
- 300 g (2½ cups) King Arthur all-purpose flour
- 5 g (1 tsp) fine sea salt
- cooking spray or oil, for coating
Cinnamon-Sugar Filling
- 28 g (2 tbsp) unsalted butter (see notes below for variation)
- 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, Tips & Variations
- For a richer dough, increase the butter to 115 (8 tbsp) and use 360 g (3 cups) flour total. The texture is incredible.
- 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: to prevent the cinnamon sugar filling from leaking while the rolls bake, instead of using 28g (2 tbsp) of melted butter, combine 84 g (6 tbsp) softened butter with the rest of the cinnamon-sugar filling ingredients listed above.
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
If using the softened butter variation (listed in the notes above): add 84 g (6 tbsp) softened butter to a small bowl. Mix with the sugar, cinnamon and flour. With an offset spatula, spread onto the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges.
If using the melted butter version: brush the entire surface of the dough, including the top, bottom and sides with 28 g (2 tbsp) melted butter. Use all of it. Combine the sugar, cinnamon and flour in a bowl. Sprinkle the mixture onto the dough leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges. Smooth it out with your hands until it looks wet and sandy.
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
Comments
Nicole says
Hi Emilie! Do you know if buttermilk can be used instead of the whole/2% milk? Thanks!
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Nicole! I haven’t tried this recipe with buttermilk, but it should work without any issues. It would be a flavorful addition.
Natalie says
This recipe sounds perfect! No fuss, which I love. I’m planning on making these for Christmas morning. If I were to make the dough this evening and let ferment overnight, then assembled tomorrow morning, they should be fine in the fridge until Saturday morning – right?
Merry Christmas!
Emilie Raffa says
Hello Natalie! Merry Christmas! Personally, I would make the dough tomorrow (12/24) instead. If you start too early, the dough might over ferment and/or taste too sour from the extended time in the fridge. For timing, you could make the dough in the afternoon (12/24) and leave in a warm spot so it rises a bit quicker. Then assemble the rolls and chill overnight. Bake on Christmas morning. xx
Natalie says
Ok – I will do that! Thank you! Appreciate your response :)
Jess says
This is the timeline I’m following! The rolls are ready to go in the fridge. I’m giving them 30 minutes on the counter before they chill all night! Merry Christmas, all!
Natalie says
These were so delicious and your directions were excellent! My little kids devoured these and so did my husband. So much nicer than traditional cinnamon rolls. Perfect! Will make again at Easter.
★★★★★
Sarah says
How long could these sit in the fridge for the second rise? Trying to have cinnamon rolls for breakfast Christmas morning but we will be at my in-laws Christmas Eve starting mid day
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Sarah! In my experience, I’ve had good results with up to 12 hrs. It’s possible the dough can go longer- it depends on the strength of your starter.
Holly Gore says
Can these sit in the fridge for longer than 24hrs? Today is Wednesday and I was going to start them today and make the dough and let rise overnight, then tomorrow shape them and put them in the fridge and then bake them Saturday morning?
Is that too long in the fridge?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Holly! 24 hours might be too long. The dough might over ferment and/or the taste might become too sour. If you can start the dough on 12/24 (perhaps in the morning, leaving the dough to rise in a warm spot) that would be ideal. You can shape in the afternoon and chill overnight. I’ve had great results with a 12 hr. chill in the fridge for the second rise. However, it’s possible the dough can go longer than that- it depends on the strength of your starter.
paws says
I used this dough to make my solstice cinnamon star today. So much better than the yeasted dough on the king Arthur website!
(I don’t know why my phone/your site refuses to let me use capital letters. Lol)
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! Thank you so much! I’m imagining your cinnamon star- just beautiful. PS: we’re working on the all lowercase text issue. I don’t know why it’s happening!
Laura says
I do not have a springform pan. Can these be made in a glass pan or the Dutch oven instead?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Laura! Yes to a Dutch oven. Skip the glass pan- it might break.
Kim-Marie says
I give this recipe 5☆!
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Thank you! :)
Kim-Marie says
WOW! These are awesome! I think it’s the 1st time everything went right! I opted for the powdered sugar since I didn’t have cream cheese for the icing, I don’t like too sweet desserts so these are perfect for my husband and I. Thanks for a stellar recipe! 🥰
Emilie Raffa says
You are very welcome! xx
Angelica says
Any chance you can share the flour weight in grams? I tried to convert and my dough came out SUPER dense. Will reduce a bit next time but would so appreciate an exact weight as these still turned out amazing even with the dense dough. THanks!
★★★★★
Angelica says
Disregard! I missed that it’s there ;) Not sure what I’m thinking.
Emilie Raffa says
No worries! ;)
Kayci says
Has anyone ever tried making this with nut or oat milk?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! Yes! Nut milk and/or oat milk will work beautifully.
Sarah Hughes says
Hello! Do you think this recipe will still turn out if I substitute the egg with something else?
Sarah H says
This recipe got rave reviews with my family at Thanksgiving! I had to really make sure that the rolls puff up during the second rise. Most sourdough recipes say 1-2 hours for second rise and mine usually take 1 hour in my kitchen, but this took closer to 2 hours. Don’t rush it. Thanks for a great recipe!
★★★★★
Sara says
I have made these a few times and they seem to turn out well (better than any other cinnamon roll recipe I’ve tried)l. I also add cardamum (as suggested by a reader below) and a bit of powdered ginger to my dough and glaze respectively. The rolls always seem dry though, and I’m curious why or if there is a solution? Particularly the exterior side portions of the rolls that are exposed while they cook Should I brush the tops with butter in the middle of the bake? Is there perhaps another solution? Am I doing something else wrong? Thank you!
★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Sara! Could be a few things: First, check your oven temp (with a thermometer) to make sure it’s accurate. Second, are you using the springform pan for baking? The high sides keeps the moisture. This makes a HUGE difference in the texture of the rolls. Finally, make sure to weigh your ingredients for accuracy. When there’s too much flour in the dough, and the rolls are baked too long/too hot you’ll get dry bread. Hope this helps!
Jamie says
For the overnight rise, if you’re going to leave them for more like 14 hours, should you rise them in the fridge instead of at room temp?
Emilie Raffa says
Jamie, the dough won’t rise much in the fridge. I would start at room temp, then transfer to the fridge. Complete the rest of the bulk the next day at room temperature.
Huckleberr R. Palmer says
There’s just a box instead of a fraction in front of “cup whipped cream cheese”
What is the measurement?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! Not sure why that’s happening? The measurement is 1/3 cup of whipped cream cheese. Enjoy!
Susan Sentman says
There are so many things I like about this recipe! Easy to make dough that is soft and supple, forgiving dough when I keep it in frig longer than anticipated due to time crunch. The dough rolled out so nicely with no stickiness. I cut my rolls at 1.5″ slices and came out with 10 rolls.. Placed them in the frig again overnight and baked in the morning after an hour and a half warm to room temp. Perfect cinnamon rolls in 3 days…and very tasty icing. Hubby loved them!
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Susan, you are so very kind. Thank you! I’m thrilled you liked the recipe and you had success with the method :) xx
Erika says
I will preface this by saying, I’ve never baked cinnamon rolls before. Macarons, no problem. Biscotti, easy. Cheesecake, cake walk. I’ve always seen recipes that seemed very in depth and lengthy in time. So with great fear (and an equal portion of excitement), I started my journey as an experiment for my sourdough discard. I did not use an active bubbly starter.. I used discard that I had sitting in my fridge for a few days. Let me tell you.. they came out amazing. When I first mixed these up, I had my doubts. The dough looked great but would it rise enough? Would they roll out well and then rise before baking? Yes, yes and yes. They baked, rose and just were beyond my expectations. They’re sweet but not overly. It’s like the perfect balance of sweet and cinnamon. They’re light and have a wonderful sourdough tang.. again, just enough. With a cream cheese glaze, they’re perfect. The flavour is just so balanced. Loved this. This is going on the permanent discard rotation. I can’t wait to see what they will be like with an active, bubbly starter! Lol. And it was EASY. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Kelsea Sona says
I’m not sure what went wrong but I left these to thaw overnight per the instructions and all of the butter seemed to have seeped out. Baking them at 5am woke the whole house up from the smoke alarm going off from the butter dripping out of the springform pan. Out of the oven they look a little dry and deflated from their pre-bake puffy selves. I’m sure the glaze will kept the kids happy though. Any thoughts on the butter problem?
★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Kelsea! Oh no! Sorry to hear that. What is your current room temperature overnight? It’s possible the temperature was too warm, causing the butter to seep out. As for the dough looking deflated, the rolls might have been over proofed (rose for too long), which is possible if the temperature was too warm. Next time, if you want to skip the freezer option, make the dough during the day, shape and chill the rolls overnight in the fridge. In the morning, give them more time to puff up before baking. They will be just as good. Hope this helps!
Erica says
I have been making these buns using your comments as a guide. As I also love cardamom, I add some to the filling as well as the dough. A lovely touch to your simple glaze is a squeeze of lemon juice to replace some of the water.
Emilie Raffa says
Sounds amazing. I love lemon on anything too! Thanks for sharing :)
Anne says
This looks awesome!
Just a lot of waiting for many steps… Wondering if I can buy a dry starter and would I get the same results? (Sorry I can’t wait a week or more for the starter to be ready) I have a husband who wants to have his sweets sooner than later.
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Anne! Yes: a dried starter works really well. I sell mine here.
Eowyn says
Utterly scrumptious and light, but perfectly filling. My family gave them rave reviews. :) Thank you for such a wonderful baking experience, Emilie!
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Eowyn! So glad you and your family liked the rolls. Thanks for sharing your feedback!
Elle says
Hi Emilie! After rolling these up – im just so tempted to cut these length-ways and make it into a babka! As i’ve tried this cinnamon roll recipe out many times, and not babkas, I know these would work, but am wondering if there would be any big differences? Especially in cook times etc. Would love to hear your thoughts!
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Elle! Great question. You know, I haven’t tested it, so I’m unsure about exact bake times/additional tips etc. But it definitely can be modified! If you experiment, please let me know.
Hanna says
Very confused as I put the dough together last night, it was a tough dough. Let is “rise” all night and its just the same tough ball this morning. Not soft, fluffy, or even risible? Not sure what to do now.
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! Happy to help troubleshoot. The lack of rise could be due to a few things.
For next time: Make sure your starter is strong, bubbly and active; if not, the dough won’t budge. Active starters appear double in bulk volume, with bubbles throughout the culture and an aerated texture. Second, find a warmer spot for the dough to rise. The warmer it is, the faster it will bulk up.
For right now: I would continue to rise the dough in a warm spot to save it. Warm spots include proofing boxes set to 75-78˚F, a cabinet, or in the oven, covered (switched off) with the light on for a little bit (shut it off after a while- it gets hot!). If after a few hours the dough still doesn’t budge, then we can assume it’s your starter.
Hope this helps! – E
Hanna says
Thank you so much! I am going to try again this evening (:
HannaDawn McComish says
So far, so good! They are in the oven. I am thinking maybe I didn’t kneed enough because I dont have a stand mixer. But – they look amazing so far!
★★★★★
Maria Hulme says
I had the same issue though not using and I did the same thing – just left it for much longer so that it would rise and it did. Eventually was able to bake my scrolls and they turned out just fine !
Mona says
Hi
I have had great success with this recipe twice now, following and tweaking the recipe the first time. The second time, I made it plantbased replacing it with coconut milk. The plantbased was okay but a bit rubbery.
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Thanks for sharing your tips, Mona!
Sarah says
As a Swede, raised on cinnamon buns, these are hands down the easiest and tastiest homemade buns I’ve ever made – and I’ve made a lot!
I cannot get enough of these and my kids would happily devour the whole pan before the buns barely have time to cool down enough to touch.
I’ve been making the richer dough. I also add cardamom to my dough because…it’s just delicious.
Also, I double the butter/cinnamon spread mix because…again it’s just delicious.
I don’t bother with the cream cheese – I just sprinkle pearl sugar or cinnamon+caster sugar mix while they are still warm.
A really good tip, if your buns tend to be a bit dry, is to brush them with a water & sugar mix, as soon as they come out of the oven. 1 part sugar with 2 parts water – dissolve. That will make them super moist and even more delicious.
★★★★★
Jen says
Love this recipe – its my go to for cinnamon rolls, and they always come out amazing!
I wanted to try to make them vegan for a friend – what would you recommend replacing the butter with in the dough? Would coconut oil or olive oil work?
Emilie Raffa says
Hello! Great question. I haven’t tried replacing the butter in the dough with oil. However, a plant based butter should work. Keep your eye on the salt though. Sometimes those butters are very salty (just reduce the amount called for in this recipe).
Sheila anderson says
Yes they were yummy. But oh my goodness what an annoying recipe. No ‘jump to recipe’. Things kind of repeated in the description and the recipe, sometimes not the same. I had to have 2 devices open, one with the ingredients and one with the recipe, as flicking back and forth was so painful.. lastly, if you recommend different quantities of butter and flour, put it right there in the recipe instead of in the notes. Duh. I do love the finished product but won’t use this recipe again, way too stressful
★★★
S Bolton says
I am new to reading this blog and noticed your comment… While I see your point, was it necessary to be so snarky? It’s clearly a good recipe, and while the author could benefit from some quality editing, you don’t even have to pay anything to access this, so maybe just be grateful for getting free access to a great recipe? If you want to offer helpful criticism, fine, but “duh” is just snarky and your post is borderline mean. It comes across as spoiled, ungrateful, and bully-ish. Maybe think twice about the feelings of whoever is on the other end of your comments? Would you have spoken this way face-to-face with someone? If so I feel for the people around you.
Emilie, you must be a brilliant baker! While I enjoy baking, I must rely on recipes like yours to make this caliber of baked goods because, like the other poster, I could never come up with such recipes on my own! My forte is in copy editing, as it so happens, (which is why it’s making me crazy that this software won’t let me capitalize anything! Lol) so if you’re ever interested in having someone help just make sure the brilliance of your recipes comes through so it is fully appreciated, drop me a note! Maybe we can work out a deal. But meanwhile, keep going! This is a lovely bake.
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Hello! You very kind to comment here. Thank you for taking the time to do so- I really appreciate your support. The digital world has become a very interesting place these days ;) Thanks for letting me know about the copy editing! You’ll be happy to know the text capitalization issue has been fixed. Happy holidays!
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Shelia! Thanks for your feedback. At this time, we don’t offer a “jump to” format at the top of this site for various reasons. However, you can easily skip to the recipe at anytime. As for any variations, per most recipes, they are not included in the ingredient list. They are suggested ideas.
Rachel says
I love these so much when made fresh but I have yet to successfully make them from frozen. I always double the batch, make one fresh and freeze the second half. The fresh always turns out beautifully but the frozen never works out. I get a good rise overnight (bulk rise), roll, prep, and cut the dough, then freeze. I’ve probably made these 6 times from frozen and have yet to ever achieve the second rise.
Thoughts about what might be going wrong?
Coco says
I just made these from frozen and had the same exact issue. The second rise just never happened. Perhaps they should rise the second time before freezing? The recipe seems to indicate otherwise, but I suppose I could be reading it wrong.
Zoe says
The only reason for the low rating is because our rolls turned hard and heavy. The only thing we noticed was the oven was on 325 most of the time and then turned it up near the end. Any thoughts on this wpuld be greatly appreciated and would be willing to try again.
★★
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! It could be a few things: too much flour in the dough, inadequate gluten development & the baking time and temperature wasn’t correct. For best results, be sure to weigh all ingredients for accuracy, allow the dough to double in size to create strong gluten, and watch the baking time and temperature so that the dough doesn’t dry out. These suggestions should help!
Heather says
This is my go-to recipe for cinnamon rolls! I’ve been making them for about a year now and just this recipe as a base, while adding various flavour changes (eggnog glaze in December, blueberries and lemon in the summer, pumpkin in the autumn). They’re perfect every time.
Emilie Raffa says
Ooo, Heather! These variations sound devious, especially the blueberry lemon. I’m going to give it a try!
Suzanne says
I love this recipe! It’s so easy to use and ideal to be able to freeze, defrost and prove overnight and then bake. I’ve tried a chocolate version and most recently a lemon one – zest of 2 lemons with the sugar and juice of half a lemon squeezed over. When baked I brush with melted butter and lemon juice and sprinkle with sugar. It’s amazing!
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Suzanne, this sounds absolutely heavenly! I adore lemon.
Lorna says
Having spent a year as an exchange student in the mid west I’ve always loved cinnamon rolls, first attempt making and thrilled with result. Don’t have a stand mix so used my magi mix, seemed to work ok and I’m so pleased with result. Thanks
★★★★★
Gina says
I’m not going to rate these because I feel it’s a bit unfair, but mine just turned out weird. It tasted way to sour for cinnamon rolls! Below, I saw that you’d likely pinned the starter as the culprit, but I think I left mine to bulk rise too long. My starter smells slightly tangy, but I’ve sniffed my fair share of sourdough starters – it smells normal.
While my starter seems fine, I did get distracted and let them bulk rise for 14 hours before rolling the dough out. PSA: That is where most of the sourness develops in sourdoughs. So, if you happen to make the same mistake, let me recommend you simply make dinner rolls with the dough you’ve worked on and start over on cinnamon rolls when you can be a little better with your timing. I’ll definitely try those again, but wanted to share my lesson while it’s still fresh in my mind.
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Gina! Thanks for your feedback. Excellent suggestion re: dinner rolls. A deeper sour flavor can happen sometimes- there are so many variables to consider including temperature. In your case, it’s possible the temperature of the dough + the length time (14 hrs) created the deeper flavor profile. You can also add a bit of baking soda to this recipe, perhaps 1/4- 1/2 tsp to neutralize any sour notes.
Ann says
Just going into the oven! Can’t wait! I followed the richer recipe and added chopped walnut too! Smells great!
★★★★★
CB says
I live in the Congo but have been craving these! Travel with my sourdough starter, so all good there. Just can’t get whipped cream cheese here. Any good substitute?
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! Regular cream cheese is fine (the whipped version is just a little bit lighter). The rolls will still taste great :)
Eugenie says
Thanks so much for your wonderful recipes! I have tried several of your recipes. I recently moved to Singapore and room temperature here with AC on is 26C which is about 80F (the warm spot you’re talking about 😅). I made this recipe twice. The first one was perfect as i followed your recipe to the T and pop it in my wine chiller (about 60F) instead of leaving it on room temp overnight. It raised beautifully when i checked in the morning. The second time i made it i tried to do it in the same day and let it raise in my room temp (80F sometimes higher when AC is off) but the dough never doubled though raised some during baking and my husband still ate it said it’s fine. Do you have any tips on making this recipe the same day in warm climate? Your “everyday sourdough recipe” only needed about 3-4 hr for the bulk rise when i made it here. I’ve been making all things sourdough lately, going through a lot of your sourdough recipes. Thank you for your simplified recipes but with awesome results!
★★★★★
Deepali says
Hi…would love to know the answer to this query too:
How can we adapt the recipe for a same day bake?
Thanks😊
Jaq says
We love these cinnamon rolls! I make a small change with the filling-I do 50g white sugar and 50g brown sugar and I melt the butter and add it to the mix then spread it all. It holds together very well, no leaking of contents and when it cooks the brown sugar gives a slight chew to the bottom!
Thanks for sharing with us and perfecting this!
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
Thanks for sharing your tips with us Jaq! Yum! xx
Ian says
You say to brush the butter on the “top, bottom and sides.” Does that mean to flip the dough over so that you can brush butter on the bottom?
cb says
I have the same question!
Emilie Raffa says
Hello! See below!
Emilie Raffa says
Hi there! No, you don’t need to flip the dough over. Brush the entire surface from top to bottom and around the sides.
Jennifer says
I’ve made these a few times and they are delicious! I just wondered your thoughts on adding nuts to the recipe? Do you think if I added chopped pecans that would change how the rolls proof or bake? Thanks!
★★★★★
Amy says
Can I make this in my bread maker?
Max says
Hello! I’m hoping to make these in the next couple of days. I was wondering if it is possible to shape them and then put them in the fridge to rise? I would like to bake them straight in the morning to have with coffee. If I do this method do you think they would sufficiently rise for the second bulk rise? Should I take them out of the fridge to warm up as the oven pre-heats? Thanks for your help!
Alexis says
Did you try this method? This is what I would like to do too!
Max says
I did do this and it worked out perfectly for me! I usually do cold bakes so I hoped this wouldn’t be different.
Christina says
I made these yesterday (proofed during the day and added cinnamon and cloves to the dough) game out soo good. Added pecans and adjusted the icing recipe to my tastes. Entire batch was gone w/i an hour. Everyone loved them. Thanks for the recipe.
Felishia says
Really yummy cinnamon rolls! Easy to follow recipe and not too difficult. I’ll definitely make them again! I rolled my dough out a bit longer to get more cinnamon rolls out of it rather than just 8. Got about 12.
★★★★★
Jayne Wragg says
I can’t describe how wonderful these rolls are, my husband is an expert and I don’t have a sweet tooth but boy these disappeared incredibly quickly. Thanks for a winning treat.
★★★★★
Gabriella says
Hello! I made these and for the most part, they were pretty good! The only complaint my family and I had were that they were a bit too sour…is that how this recipe is supposed to be or was it due to my starter? I was thinking maybe if I did the bulk rise in the fridge for a few days that would make it less sour? Do you think that would work? Or do you have any other tips?
Thanks so much! Love how easy it is to follow your sourdough recipe (and to start a starter) are!
Emilie Raffa says
Hi Gabriella! The rolls should not be sour; they should have a lovely depth of flavor. Allow me to clarify-
When sourness occurs, it’s usually linked to the acidity level in your starter. Acidity levels will always fluctuate depending on how your starter is cared for. Without getting too technical (bare with me… I haven’t had much coffee yet…), if your starter smells very strong, like pungent vinegar, the acidity levels are high. When it smells more mild and yeasty, the acidity levels are lower. You want a balance of both.
Balance is achieved by feeding your starter often, making sure to discard a portion before adding fresh flour and water to the jar, and maintaining a temperature of 75 F. You don’t have to be rigid about this- just aware.
Doing a bulk rise in the fridge might help, but when trouble shooting sourdough, it’s always best to go back to the root which is your sourdough starter and how it’s cared for. I’d start there first. Additionally, if you’re still running into trouble, you can add a small amount of baking soda, perhaps 1/4 to 1/2 tsp to neutralize any pesky sourness.
Hope this helps :)
Casey says
Letting sourdough dough sit in the fridge also develops the sourdough flavor, so it could be tangier if left in the fridge for a day or more!
Sherry says
These are so tender, easy and yummy! Family devoured them!!! Thanks for sharing.
★★★★★
Emilie Raffa says
You’re very welcome, Sherry! xx
kalli casey says
These are my new favorite thing to bake. I crave these weekly! My friends and family loooove them.
★★★★★
Kelly says
My rolls turned out awesome! Great recipe, huge hit with the family!
★★★★★
Kelly Tyler says
Absolute Perfection!!! I have been practicing the art of baking cinnamon rolls for 40 years, since I got married. Now, finally, thanks to this excellent recipe from The Clever Carrot, I have finally attained my goal. I dug out my 9″ springform pan from the garage and followed the recipe as written- using the option for the richer dough- and adding half a cup of soaked raisins. I told my husband if nothing else good happens in the next whole week, I will be content with my life after successfully baking these today. I posted photos of the process in Instagram with #theclevercarrot. Thank you so much for the detailed recipe and tips along the way. My family, friends and neighbors will be thanking you as well, for years to come!
★★★★★
Karen says
Hi Emilie, I really love your cinnamon roll sourdough recipe. Lovely recipe and clear instructions. I’ve made it a few times already successfully and have recommended it to all my friends. They absolutely love it too! I have just one question. After the first proof and before the dough is rolled out into a rectangle, do I to need to deflate the dough before I roll it out, or I do simply drop it out onto the kitchen counter and roll it out immediately without kneading the dough first? Thank you!
★★★★★
Claire Allen says
Wonderful recipe, my rolls turned out great! I made a second batch with apricot preserve and frangipane filling and it was amazing.
★★★★★