Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls

A fork and cinnamon bun on a round white plate.

4.96 from 22 votes

Sourdough discard cinnamon rolls are soft, sweet, and delicious! Try this recipe for a delightful breakfast treat that everyone will love!

Prep Time35

Cook Time25

Resting Time9 30

Total Time10 30

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Keyword: sourdough discard recipes, cinnamon rolls, sourdough discard cinnamon rolls

Servings: rolls

Calories: 337kcal

Author: Renae Gerhardstein

Equipment

large bowl
dough whisk optional
Baking dish
rolling pin
pastry brush for spreading the softened butter and icing
medium bowl
chef's knife for cutting the dough

Ingredients

½ cup sourdough starter discard or fed 12-24 hours prior *see notes below
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

US Customary - Metric

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.

Video

Notes

This recipe uses a discard or unfed sourdough starter, which means one that was fed 12-24 hours before starting the recipe. Our recipe does not use a starter that's at its peak when mixing the dough. A 100% hydration sourdough starter works best for this recipe.

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.

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

Make Ahead Instructions:

Follow the recipe steps until the point of the last rise then, rather than bake, cover the baking dish with plastic wrap or foil and refrigerate for up to three days. When ready to use, remove and allow to come to room temperature before baking. Follow above instructions for baking and icing.

Storing Instructions:

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.

Nutrition