Recipes ยท 7 min read
Overnight Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
A soft, buttery weekend recipe you shape at night and bake in the morning.
These rolls use the same starter we bake bread with, so the dough rises slowly overnight and comes out tender. Shape them after dinner and your kitchen smells like cinnamon before breakfast.
What you need
This makes nine generous rolls in a square pan. Softened butter matters more than fancy equipment.
- 1 cup active sourdough starter
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1 cup warm milk and 1 egg
- 1/4 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon salt
- 6 tablespoons softened butter for the dough
- Filling: 1/2 cup butter, 3/4 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- Icing: 1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, splash of vanilla
Mix and rest
Stir the starter, milk, egg, and sugar together, then add the flour and salt until a shaggy dough forms. Work in the softened butter and knead until smooth.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rise at room temperature for about four hours, until it looks puffy and has grown by half.
Shape the night before
Roll the dough into a rectangle, spread the butter, and scatter the brown sugar and cinnamon to the edges. Roll it up, cut nine rolls, and set them in a buttered pan.
Cover the pan and refrigerate overnight. The cold slows the rise and deepens the flavor.
Bake and finish
Let the pan sit on the counter for an hour, then bake at 350F for 28 to 32 minutes, until the centers are set and the tops are golden.
Whisk the icing and drizzle it over the rolls while they are still warm. Serve them from the pan.