Sourdough discard cinnamon rolls are soft and have just the right amount of sweetness and warm cinnamon flavor. Whether you’re expecting guests for brunch or simply want to whip up something special for your family, this sourdough discard recipe is easy to make — and the cinnamon buns taste fantastic!
Is there anything better than biting into a freshly baked cinnamon roll first thing in the morning with your cup of coffee? These rolls are also called sticky buns or cinnamon buns, they’re traditionally made with yeast dough. Sourdough is a great alternative to traditional yeast and I make it even easier by using discard starter. You can make a batch of delicious cinnamon buns with icing, but no yeast is needed!
Are you a beginner-level sourdough baker?
If you are new to making sourdough recipes, we have some articles to help you! Be sure to read our sourdough starter recipe, and our guide on how to freeze sourdough starter. Or if you have trouble with your starter, we have tips on how to fix your sourdough starter!
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Why We Love This Recipe
Sourdough discard is the part of sourdough dough starter that you remove before “feeding” your starter. This is so you are feeding a smaller quantity of starter and using less flour in the process. However, rather than letting it go to waste, we use it in sourdough discard recipes like this one.
- Prevents food waste.
Don’t let the word “discard” confuse you; it doesn’t need to be thrown away. It’s perfect to use for making delicious foods!
- Easy overnight recipe.
You’ll need a bit of patience because the sourdough cinnamon rolls do need to rise overnight. But it’s worth waiting for, especially when you finally bite into that soft and fluffy treat.
- No kneading necessary!
One of the best things about sourdough recipes is that no kneading is required, which is often a negative aspect of yeast recipes.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Active Sourdough starter discard – fed 12-24 hours before starting the recipe.
When we say active, we mean a mature starter that is at least a week old and always doubles in size within 4-6 hours of feeding. It doesn’t mean you need to use it at the peak activity after a feeding.
- Granulated sugar- you can substitute for brown sugar at a 1:1 substitution ratio however this can slightly alter the texture as well as flavor.
- Butter- you can use unsalted butter but you may want to add a pinch of salt to this recipe to balance out the sweetness.
- Bread flour – For this sourdough cinnamon roll recipe, it’s important that you do not use all-purpose flour. The reason is, bread flour has more gluten than all-purpose flour. Gluten creates structure, which is why bread flour is the best ingredient to use for hearty breads, easy sourdough dinner rolls, and cinnamon rolls.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Measure your ingredients properly!
In general, using measuring cups is less reliable than using a food scale to weigh them. Accurate measurements are important, especially when you are baking. To properly measure dry ingredients like flour, don’t scoop it!
Instead, use a small spoon to stir the flour, then use the spoon to fill the measuring cup. Level off the top of the cup with a table knife. Do not compress or tap down the flour.
Do you love cinnamon desserts?
From apple cinnamon rolls bake to streusel-topped coffee cake muffins, cinnamon roll muffins, and also learn how to make homemade monkey bread, there’s no shortage of cinnamon-packed sweet treat recipes to make!
Cinnamon Rolls Christmas Morning
My family has a tradition of serving cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning. We love the amazing smell of cinnamon and sugar baking while we open presents.
This past year, I decided to share our tradition with friends. I tripled the recipe and placed the rolls in disposable foil pans prior to baking (see notes below for make-ahead instructions). We drove around Christmas Eve morning and passed them out to our friends. They were so grateful not to have to worry about breakfast on Christmas morning. This can be done for any holiday that you want to share with your friends and loved ones.
Tips for Making Sourdough Cinnamon Buns
- Let the dough rest.
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Once you add the milk, sugar, flour, butter, and salt to the starter, mix well with a dough hook, and you’ll have to let it rest for about 30-45 minutes. This is called the “first rise”. Then, the dough will be “punched down” before rising again.
The second rise is called a “bulk rise” or a “bulk fermentation”.
How long the bulk rise takes depends on your room temperature. Here are the approximate rise times:
- If the room temperature is around 75ºF, the dough will take about 8 hours to rise.
- Around 65ºF, rising could take up to 12 hours.
2. Stretch the dough gently.
Now that the sourdough has had the time to rest and rise, you need to stretch it into a rectangle shape on your floured work surface. Do this as gently and carefully as possible to avoid ripping it.
If it does rip, don’t panic. Just use your fingertips or rolling pin to bring some dough in and close any holes.
3. Use a sharp knife for slicing.
If you use a dull knife, the added pressure will make your sourdough cinnamon buns oval-shaped instead of round. Also, if they aren’t perfectly round, it can also prevent them from rising. so make the cuts as clean as possible.
4. Perform the second rise overnight to save time.
After it has rested and you’ve cut these into rolls it is time for your second rise — this time for 8-12 hours. We make the dough in the evening, then let it rise overnight. This is a real-deal, overnight sourdough discard cinnamon roll recipe!
Tips for Cutting Cinnamon Roll Dough
There is a certain finesse required when it comes to cutting the dough for sourdough discard cinnamon rolls.
- Start in the middle. This makes cutting evenly-sized rolls a lot easier. Just half the roll each time and you’ll get evenly spaced buns!
- Safety first! If you have kids helping you with the prep work, we recommend using waxed dental floss instead of a knife to cut the dough. It works just as well and is a lot safer for little fingers! Wiggle the dental floss under the log, wrap around, and pull the two ends together like an X to cut.
Recipe FAQs
A sourdough starter is a fermented culture made from flour and water that serves as a base for various sourdough recipes. Sourdough discard is a portion of the starter that’s removed every time you “feed” the starter with fresh flour and water. This discard can be used in recipes instead of being thrown away.
Sourdough discard is used in baking for a variety of reasons: it adds moisture to baked goods, it is a natural yeast which is known for its health benefits, it adds a tangy flavor to your recipe and it reduces waste as you are not throwing away discard during feeding.
Store any leftover cinnamon rolls in an airtight container in the fridge. They will keep for about 1 week.
You can freeze sourdough cinnamon buns for up to 3 months, but only after baking, and before spreading icing on them. Powdered sugar cinnamon roll icing only takes 5 minutes to make, so it’s best to wait and ice the rolls after they have thawed out. We suggest doing this just before you serve them.
You can reheat individual servings in the microwave in 30-second increments until warm. Another reheating option is in the oven at 275°F., with a small dish of water on the oven rack beneath the rolls. In the oven, it takes about 10-15 minutes.
More Bread Recipes To Love…
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Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls
Equipment
- dough whisk - optional
- pastry brush - for spreading the softened butter and icing
- chef's knife - for cutting the dough
Ingredients
- ½ cup active sourdough starter discard fed within 12-24 hours *see notes
- 1 cups warm milk (95º to 100º F)
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 3 cups bread flour *see notes
- 1½ tablespoons butter melted
- 1 teaspoons sea salt
Cinnamon sugar filling
- 4 tablespoons butter melted and cooled
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Cinnamon roll icing
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons butter melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 ounces half and half
Instructions
- Add the starter discard to a large bowl. Mix in warm milk and sugar, stirring until dissolved. Add bread flour, melted butter, and salt. Stir with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until a thick, shaggy dough forms.
- Flour your hands, then finish mixing dough by hand until most of the flour is absorbed. *Don't worry if flour is on the sides or bottom of the bowl. Cover bowl with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Stretch and fold the dough in the bowl: Grab a corner of the dough and stretch it 4 inches, then push it down into the middle of the dough. Turn the bowl and continue until you have done 4-6 stretches. Cover the bowl with a damp towel. Let the dough rise at room temperature for at least 8 hours, and up to 12 hours, until the dough doubles in size and there are bubbles on the top and bottom. **See notes below.
- After the bulk rise, lightly flour your countertop. Remove the dough from the bowl and gently stretch it into a rectangle shape. Roll dough with a rolling pin until the rectangle measures 10" wide by 15" in length.
- Add softened butter to a medium bowl. Using a pastry brush, apply butter evenly over the dough. Wipe out the bowl, then use it to combine sugar and cinnamon together. Sprinkle the mixture evenly over the butter and dough.
- Working from the long end, roll up the dough into a log. Tuck the seam under.Starting in the center of the log, use a chef's knife or waxed dental floss to cut the dough in half. Then cut each half roll into 6 pieces. This will give you 12 rolls total. Place the rolls into a greased 9"x13" casserole dish, leaving about 1" space between each cinnamon bun.
- Cover dish with a clean kitchen cloth and let the rolls rise in a warm, draft-free area for 45 to 60 minutes, until doubled in size (they will almost touch one another).
- Preheat oven to 350° F. Place pan of cinnamon rolls into the center of preheated oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until deep golden in color. Remove pan from oven and allow rolls to cool in pan for 10 minutes while you prepare the icing.
Icing
- Add all icing ingredients to a medium bowl, and stir well to combine. Use a spatula or pour icing over the warm rolls to create a glaze. Serve immediately.
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Notes
To measure flour properly, don’t scoop it! Use a small spoon to stir the flour, then use the spoon to fill the measuring cup with flour. Level off the top of the cup with a table knife. Do not compress or and tap down the flour. Rising Time For the best results, allow the dough to rise for at least 8 hours, or up to 12 hours. We usually make the dough in the evening and let it rise overnight. How long the bulk rise takes depends on your room temperature. Here are my guidelines:
- Around 75ºF will take about 8 hours
- Around 65ºF will take around 12 hours
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Dupls says
This recipe is amazing. As a twist I make a Nutella version with no topping as 5he Nutella is sweet enough. Thank you for this recipe. A total winner.
Andrea says
Nothing beats fresh, homemade cinnamon rolls like these fabulous sourdough discard ones. They look and sound amazing. I can’t wait to try them.
Katherine says
I loved the flavor from the sourdough discard in these fluffy cinnamon rolls!