Quick Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls (Discard or Starter)

​These quick cinnamon rolls utilize a sourdough starter for added taste but without the wait. These quick cinnamon rolls are fluffy, soft in the center and have a melt in your mouth flavor.

Each year at Christmas time, I make a batch of buttery warm sourdough cinnamon rolls. Something that we absolutely look forward to. I mean, who doesn’t like a warm cinnamon roll straight from the oven? Is there such a person? If so, that person definitely does not live here. Now these rolls I have only recently realized are not on the blog yet for whatever reason. Which is a major oversight on my part. These things are delicious and once you taste them, you will know exactly why they are a once a year treat for us. Granite, we are a family of two, and that means this entire batch is ours…

This year, I was short on time and long fermenting was out of the question. So I decided to throw some baking powder and baking soda into the dough in lieu of long fermenting with the hopes they would rise well enough when baked. To my absolute delight, I pulled a batch of perfectly risen, soft in the center rolls out of the oven and you could not even tell the difference. The texture was spot on, the flavor just as amazing and the work load cut in half. That was my call to finally share them with you. If anyone appreciates a good sourdough recipe, I know it’s here. 

If making cinnamon rolls for the first time, this is the perfect recipe to start with. There is no need to worry about rise times or yeast. Just add the dry ingredients to the wet, fill, roll, bake and top. If don’t have a sourdough starter to use, here’s how to make one easily yourself. Now let’s talk about these easy sourdough cinnamon rolls and what you will need to make them.

Quick Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls Are…

• Made without the need for a first or second rise.
• Able to be made with active sourdough starter, or discard. 
• One of my very favorite sourdough recipes ever.
• Delicious warm from the oven or reheated the next day.
• Fluffy sourdough cinnamon rolls perfect for a special occasion like Christmas morning.

Ingredients

Flour- all-purpose flour works great for these rolls. I use unbleached organic flour but standard all-purpose works fine. 

Sourdough Starter- you can use active sourdough starter, starter pulled straight from the fridge or discard for this recipe.

Baking Powder- needed to help rise the rolls, do not skip this unless you are doing a long ferment to rise the rolls (see baking notes below).

Baking Soda- this also helps rise the rolls, same as above, do not skip unless wanting to make overnight sourdough cinnamon rolls and utilize bulk fermentation. (See baking notes below). 

Water- I use room temperature water. Use drinking water not sink water. 

Butter- the recipe calls for salted butter, you can use unsalted butter if you like just adjust the salt slightly. I suggest 1 tsp. salt if using unsalted butter.

Cinnamon- use a good quality ground cinnamon.

Sugar- for best results use brown sugar over white sugar for the filling. You can use dark brown sugar or light brown sugar for these. For the cream cheese frosting, powdered sugar works best.

Vanilla- I use my homemade vanilla extract for this but a good quality store-bought vanilla works fine too. 

Honey- I use raw unfiltered honey but standard honey will work here.

Cream Cheese- I use full fat cream cheese for this and make sure it is room temperature before whipping up the icing otherwise it will be lumpy.

Milk- I use whole milk 2% milk for the cream cheese icing. You can use whatever milk you like for it. 

*Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through the links I provide (at no cost to you).

Tools

Stand Mixer (optional, you can hand mix as well)

9×13 Baking Dish or 12 inch Cast Iron Skillet

Bench Scraper

Rolling Pin

Directions

Set the oven to 375 F. In the bowl of a stand mixer add the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Stir to combine with a spoon. Pour in the starter, honey, vanilla, water, and melted butter. Stir with a spoon to just combine and then place a dough hook on.

Set the mixer on low and allow it to mix until a dough ball forms, this will take about 5-6 minutes.

Place the dough on a dough board or work surface and roll it out into a large rectangle with a rolling pin.

In a small bowl, mix the filling ingredients and spread it over the rectangle leaving about a 1/2 inch around the corners.

Pick up the dough on the narrow side and begin rolling the dough into the shape of a log. Use a bench scraper to help.

Use either a sharp knife or a bench scraper to cut the rolls into 1 1/2 inch wide circles. You should have about 9 to 10 rolls. 

Place the rolls in a greased baking pan or cast iron skillet. Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown and done in the center.

Remove the rolls from the oven and allow them to cool slightly before frosting. To make the frosting, use a whip attachment (or a hand mixer).

Place the frosting ingredients into the bowl and whip until completely combined. Spread the frosting over the warm rolls and serve immediately.

Baking Notes

• ​If you would like to do a long fermentation to rise the dough, omit both the baking powder and baking soda from the dough when mixing up. Use an active sourdough starter for this. Allow the dough to rise overnight. Once the dough has doubled in size, roll it out, fill cut and then do a second rise before baking. Frost as instructed.
• ​You can use active starter, discard or starter pulled straight from the fridge for this recipe.
• The dough is not overly sticky, if you have a dough board you will not likely need to roll these out on a floured surface. Be sure not to use excess flour if using any on your rolling pin or surface as this can result in a dryer cinnamon roll. 
• If you have a hard time cutting the rolls, you can use a piece of plain dental floss to help cut them without squishing down the rolls. 

How To Store

You can wrap the rolls with plastic wrap or aluminum foil or by transferring them into an airtight container. They can be stored at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. These rolls are great to reheat the next morning by placing them into a toaster oven at 280 F for a few minutes or until warmed. You can also microwave them as well.  

FAQ’S

​Can I use bread flour instead of all purpose flour for these?

Yes, you can use bread flour over the ap flour in this recipe. You may need to slightly adjust the amount of water. I find I need slightly more water with bread flour recipes than with all-purpose flour ones. I suggest mixing the dough with the recipe as written, then add a touch more only if the dough seems dry or has any issues coming together. 

Can I place the unbaked rolls in the fridge to make them ahead?

Yes, for a make-ahead option, you can make these up and place them in the baking dish you plan to bake them in. Then pop them in to the fridge to bake later. I would suggest covering them well with plastic wrap or even a damp cloth so the dough does not dry out. Bake same day for best results. Once baked, frost as instructed. 

​Can I freeze these rolls?

You can. If wanting to freeze these sourdough rolls to keep longer. I would recommend not frosting them. Allow the rolls to come to room temperature, place them in a freezer bag, push all the excess air out of the bag. Date them and pop them into the fridge. To thaw, allow them to come to room temperature, then reheat in a oven or toaster oven, frost and enjoy. These will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer.

​Is there a way to make the cream cheese frosting without the powdered sugar?

Yes, you can add 1/4 cup to 1/3 cup of maple syrup or honey to the cream cheese instead of the powdered sugar. I suggest adding half the milk suggested in the recipe, then adding more if needed. The liquid sweetener might make the frosting a little more runny. 

Can this recipe be doubled?

I would recommend just making these up in batches rather than doubling the recipe. The dough ball is large and makes up about 9 large cinnamon rolls (or more if you cut them a little thinner). It would be easier to do them in batches rolling out one set and then the next as needed. 

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Other Recipes You May Like…

• Sourdough Monkey Bread
• Sourdough Chocolate Muffins (Discard or Starter)
• Best Sourdough Cinnamon Swirl Loaf

If you try this recipe and love it, I would appreciate you coming back to give it 5 stars!