Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
I’m so excited to bring this recipe to you because these are OUT. OF. THIS. WORLD!
If you’ve been wanting fluffy, soft, melt in your mouth cinnamon rolls… this is it! It incorporates an overnight ferment (optional but encouraged), which significantly helps break down the gluten content (my hubby who is VERY gluten intolerant has absolutely no issue with these).
I included four different glaze options, depending on how healthy or indulgent you want to get. I typically only make these on special occasions such as Thanksgiving and Christmas morning, so am usually fine with using a more indulgent option such as powdered sugar since it’s so rare that I use that, but it’s totally up to you!
Enjoy and please tag me in your creations on Instagram (@gingerhillhomestead)!
Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Prep/Ferment Time: 10-12 hours Cook Time: 25-30 minutes Servings: 8
Ingredients:
Dough
1/2 tsp. salt
2 TBSP Coconut Palm Sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1/2 cup milk of your choice
4 TBSP unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup (150g) bubbly, active starter
2 1/2 cups (300g) Organic Unbleached All Purpose Flour - Bob’s Red mill is my favorite
Gluten free flour for dusting and rolling out the dough (I prefer brown rice flour, which is important for those with gluten sensitivities)
Filling
3 TBSP butter, melted
4 TBSP coconut palm sugar
2 tsp Cinnamon
Glaze (4 options - take your pick!)
Coconut Butter Glaze (Healthiest):
1/4 C Organic Coconut Butter, slightly melted and drizzled on top
1-2 TBSP maple syrup
2-4 TBSP milk of your choice
*warm the coconut butter slightly until it is soft and melty. Add the maple syrup and 1 tablespoon of milk. Stir vigorously and keep adding 1 TBSP at a time until it has reached a drizzle-able consistency. If you want/need more glaze, then just double the amounts!
Coconut Palm Sugar Glaze (note: Coconut Palm sugar is a low-glycemic granulated sweetener, with an index of 35!)
1 c coconut palm sugar
1 TBSP tapioca or arrowroot flour
2-4 TBSP milk of choice or heavy cream
1 tsp. Vanilla
*For this option, you will need to grind the coconut palm sugar with the flour in a coffee grinder or Vitamix using a dry container. After the coconut palm sugar is ground finely, add 1 TBSP of milk or heavy cream at a time until it has reached the desired/drizzle-able consistency.
Powdered Sugar Glaze (this is the one I do most frequently due to how easy it is!)
1 c powdered sugar
1-2 tbsp milk of choice or heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
*mix all ingredients in a bowl, adding milk until it has reached the desired/drizzle-able consistency.
Cream Cheese Glaze
2 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 TBSP butter, softened
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4-1/2 c powered sugar (depending on how sweet you want it)
*In a stand mixer on high, beat the cream cheese and butter together, then mix in the vanilla. Add the powdered sugar until you reach the disked consistency and sweetness.
Directions:
The afternoon/evening before, prepare your dough. Using the paddle attachment, mix the salt, sugar, egg, milk, butter, vanilla extract, and starter on medium in your stand mixer bowl. Add the flour and continue mixing for about 2 minutes, until a dough forms (note: it will still be sticky). Scrape off any dough sticking to the paddle, then cover with a towel and let it rest for 30 min.
Switch to the dough hook and turn it on medium low for 4-5 minutes. The dough should start to pull from the sides of the bowl but it will not completely remove from the bottom or form a ball. If the dough doesn’t want to come together or it’s overly wet, add a little flour, a tablespoon at a time, until it comes together.
Scrape the dough out (this cheap scraper works great) and transfer to an oiled bowl. Cover with a towel, and let it rest for another 30 min.
Optional but encouraged step: Fold the dough on itself four times (once every 30 minutes). Wet one of your hands, then reach underneath with that hand, pull up, and fold it over. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat until the dough has been stretched and folded on each side and is starting to form a fairly smooth ball. I also like to flip the dough on top of itself at the end of the stretch and fold session (it traps more air inside). Keep the dough in a warm area and covered during these 4 hours (between 72-78 degrees is ideal). This step will help your cinnamon rolls get very fluffy. If you want to see how I do this, go to my Instagram and click on the “Dough 101” highlight in my profile. I fold my bread dough the same as my cinnamon roll dough.
After the 4 hours is up, coax the dough out of the bowl using a scraper onto an oiled and lightly floured countertop (note: if you are gluten sensitive, use gf flour for this step). Fold it in on itself (stretch and fold the top into the middle, then the bottom into the middle, followed by the sides), then flip it over and let is sit for another 15 minutes. While you're waiting, prep the filling. Melt the butter and mix the coconut palm sugar and cinnamon together.
Lightly oil and then flour your countertop (I always use a gf flour such as rice flour since this isn’t going in the dough and and fermenting like the other flour is). Dump the dough out and gently stretch it in a rectangle, then lit it sit for at least 5-10 minutes to relax the gluten (will make it easier to roll out). Once it has relaxed a bit, roll out the dough into a large rectangle (about 12x16 inches) using a rolling pin or wine bottle (works in a pinch, ha!).
Brush the surface with the melted butter, then sprinkle the coconut palm sugar/cinnamon mixture all over the dough, covering the entire surface.
Roll it tightly from the long side. Using a Bench Scraper or a very sharp knife, cut it into 6 rolls (about 2" sections). *Note: you can cut it into 9 rolls, they will just be slightly smaller and not the big fluffy cinnamon rolls as the 6.
Prepare your pan. A 9 inch springform pan works amazing for these. You can also use a 8x8 square pan or a 9-10 in cast iron skillet. Grease with coconut oil or line your pan with Parchment Paper. If using parchment paper and a round pan, crumble it up into a ball and then smooth it out… it will make it easier to smooth into shape. Put the rolls in it and allow them to rest for two hours in a warm spot, covered. If your house is on the cooler side, I recommend putting on the oven light and letting them sit in there for this proofing stage. You can then bake them or put them in the fridge overnight and bake the next morning (my preference in order to allow for a longer ferment and reduce the gluten content).
The next morning, preheat oven to 350 and bake for 30-35 min or until golden brown on top. Cool for 15 minutes. While cooling, make the glaze and drizzle on top of the cinnamon rolls. These are best enjoyed warm from the oven but can be reheated if needed. Enjoy!
