Soft, pillowy sourdough cinnamon rolls with a brown sugar cinnamon filling, sticky caramel bottom, and a buttercream glaze that keeps them moist for days. This is the recipe sourdough bakers have been waiting for.
New to sourdough? Start Here! How To Feed Sourdough Starter Beginners Guide Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe for Beginners (Artisan Loaf)
Cinnamon rolls should be special. They take a little time and I want something amazing out of that investment! I took everything you loved about my Better Than Cinnamon Cinnamon Rolls and poured it into a wonderful sourdough recipe!
The overnight fermentation does something to this dough that you simply can’t rush — it builds a depth of flavor and a tenderness that makes every bite taste complex and rich. The brown sugar filling caramelizes against the pan into a sticky, golden layer on the bottom of every roll.
And the buttercream glaze is specifically designed to be spooned over warm rolls so it soaks in just enough to keep them moist all the way through — not just fresh out of the oven, but the next day too.
Mix the dough in a stand mixer, let it rise overnight, roll and cut in the morning, bake to golden perfection. Clear steps, no sourdough wizardry required.
Why This Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Recipe Works
- That tang changes everything. The natural fermentation adds a subtle complexity that balances the sweetness of the filling beautifully. It’s not sour — it’s interesting.
- Overnight rise, no babysitting. Mix at night, bake in the morning. Your starter does the work while you sleep.
- Incredibly soft texture. AP flour plus enriched dough plus long fermentation equals rolls that stay pillowy and tender even the next day.
- Real depth of flavor. Sourdough brings something special — a richness that makes the filling taste more caramel-y and the whole roll taste more intentional.
- That glaze. A simple, rich buttercream that swirls over warm rolls and soaks in just enough to keep them impossibly moist.
Timing at a Glance
One of the best things about this recipe is the flexibility. Here’s what a typical schedule looks like:
- Mix dough: 15 minutes
- Bulk ferment: 8–12 hours at room temperature (or ~6 hours in a warmer spot around 90°F)
- Shape: 20 minutes
- Second rise: 60–90 minutes
- Bake: 25–30 minutes
- Cool + glaze: 35 minutes
Classic morning schedule: Mix at 8pm → rise overnight → roll and cut at 7am → bake at 8am. Fresh cinnamon rolls before the day even gets going.
AP Flour vs. Bread Flour: Why It Matters
This is the baking debate that never dies — and if you’ve ever wondered why your cinnamon rolls came out a little bready instead of pillowy, flour is likely the culprit.
Bread flour runs 12–14% protein. All-purpose flour sits around 10–11.5%. More protein means more gluten, which is exactly what you want in a crusty sourdough loaf — but in a cinnamon roll, a strong tight gluten web creates a chewier texture that cools down tough.
Cinnamon roll dough is an enriched dough, meaning it’s loaded with butter. Fat coats the flour proteins and naturally inhibits gluten development — doing part of the tenderizing work for you. When you add bread flour on top of that, you end up fighting yourself. AP flour plays nicely with all that butter and produces the melt-in-your-mouth texture you’re going for.
The bottom line: Use all-purpose.
The One Filling Mistake That Ruins Cinnamon Rolls
This one little detail matters more than you’d think. The filling recipe calls for very soft butter — not melted — stirred with the brown sugar and cinnamon into a thick, spreadable paste.
Melted butter is liquid, and liquid runs. When you roll up the dough, runny butter can cause the layers to slip and the rolls to spiral unevenly during the rise and bake — filling pooled at the bottom instead of layered throughout. Soft butter stays in place. It holds the filling where you put it, keeps the swirl clean, and gives you those beautiful distinct layers in every roll.
Soft butter is the secret to a cinnamon roll that looks as good as it tastes.
Tools That Make Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls Easier
- Stand mixer — The workhorse of this recipe. Ten minutes of hands-off kneading gives you the smooth, elastic dough that makes these rolls so pillowy. (Not sure which mixer is right for you? Check out my Bosch vs. KitchenAid breakdown)
- Dough mat — A lightly sprayed silicone dough mat gives you a non-stick surface for rolling and takes the guesswork out of sizing. The measurement guides make hitting that 12″ × 18″ rectangle much easier. Mine has simplified my cinnamon roll process a ton!
- Offset spatula — The best tool for spreading the filling evenly all the way to the edges without dragging or tearing the dough.
- Pizza cutter — For cutting the rolls cleanly without squishing. A rolling blade means zero downward pressure on that log. (See the full cutting guide below.)
- Unflavored dental floss — The old faithful backup if you don’t have a pizza cutter. Works beautifully.
- USA Pan metal baking pan — Quality matters here. A heavy metal pan distributes heat evenly for a consistent bake across all 12 rolls. Glass pans run hotter and slower and just don’t give the same result. I used to bake all my cinnamon rolls in glass Pyrex and I’ve totally switched over to these metal pans by USA.
How to Make Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Quick Dough Prep: The dough comes together quickly in a stand mixer — ten minutes of mixing and you’re done. What you’re looking for at the end is a dough that feels smooth and soft like play-dough. That texture is your sign that the gluten is developed and the rolls are going to bake up pillowy.
Overnight Bulk Ferment: The bulk ferment is where the magic happens, and also where the most questions come up. The short answer is: don’t watch the clock, watch the dough. It should roughly double and look visibly airy with bubbles forming in the walls. A cool kitchen will take longer — sometimes up to 12 hours. A warm one can finish in 6. Both are fine. A clear glass bowl or Cambro container makes this easy to monitor.
The Filling: When it comes to the filling, the only thing to remember is soft butter, not melted. Stir it with the brown sugar and cinnamon into a thick paste and spread it from there. Runny butter slides around when you roll the log and can cause uneven spiraling in the bake. Thick paste stays put.
After baking, give the rolls 30–45 minutes before you glaze. Glazing too hot causes the butter to separate. Warm is perfect — the glaze soaks in just slightly and keeps every roll moist all the way through.
How to Cut Cinnamon Rolls Without Squishing Them
This is where a lot of perfectly good cinnamon rolls meet an unfortunate end. A heavy knife pressed straight down compresses the layers, squishes the filling out, and flattens your beautiful roll before it ever hits the pan. Three methods, ranked from favorite to utilitarian.
Method 1: Pizza Cutter (My Favorite) Instead of rolling the dough into a log and slicing it, I cut the filled dough directly into strips with a pizza cutter and roll each strip up individually. The rolling blade glides through the dough without any downward pressure — no squishing, no dragging, no filling carnage. And honestly? Rolling up individual strips is so much easier than wrestling a giant log.
Method 2: Unflavored Dental Floss (This was my favorite for years before I learned the pizza cutter trick) Slide a piece of unflavored, unwaxed dental floss under the log at your cut point, bring both ends up and over the top, and pull in opposite directions. You are, essentially, garroting the cinnamon roll — and it works perfectly. The floss slices right through without pressing down at all. Clean cuts, intact layers, zero drama.
Method 3: Sharp Knife or Bench Scraper (The Utilitarian) Use the sharpest knife you have and saw lightly back and forth rather than pressing straight down. A bench scraper pushed straight down in one fast, decisive motion also works. Either way — minimal downward pressure on that log.
Serving and Storage
Sourdough cinnamon rolls are at their absolute best on day one — fresh out of the glaze, still slightly warm, pulling apart into soft layers. Cover leftovers and store at room temperature for 1–4 days. Reheat gently in the microwave with a small pat of butter for extra gooeyness.
A note on glazing timing: Glazing straight out of the oven is delicious but the glaze will separate slightly on the hot rolls. Waiting 30–45 minutes gives you the prettier result. Completely your call.
Tips for Success
- Use an active, recently fed starter. Domed, bubbly, and smelling pleasantly sour — not flat or boozy. Everything else depends on this. (If you need help my complete guide to starters is here.)
- Metal pan over glass. Better heat conduction, better bake on the bottom and sides.
- Trust the dough, not the clock. Watch for roughly doubled and airy. That’s your cue, not a timer.
More Sourdough Recipes You’ll Love
- Sourdough Discard Chocolate Chip Cookies (Long Ferment)
- Sourdough Discard Brownies
- Easy Sourdough Focaccia Recipe
Soft & Fluffy Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
Dough
- 200 g active sourdough starter 100% hydration
- 240 g warm water
- ¼ cup salted butter softened
- ½ cup packed brown sugar
- 10 g fine grain sea salt
- 580 g all-purpose flour
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Filling
- ½ cup salted butter very soft (not melted)
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1½ Tablespoons ground cinnamon
Buttercream Glaze
- ½ cup salted butter melted
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 Tablespoons milk any fat content
- 1 teaspoon real vanilla extract
Instructions
Mix the Dough
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine starter, warm water, brown sugar, and softened butter. Mix on low briefly.
- Add flour and salt with the mixer on low. Mix with the dough hook for about 5 minutes until a smooth, slightly tacky dough forms.
- Increase to medium and knead another 5 minutes until smooth, elastic, and soft like play-dough.
Bulk Rise
- Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise 8–10 hours at room temperature or overnight until roughly doubled and airy.
Make the Filling
- Stir together very soft butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon into a thick paste.
Shape and Cut
- Grease a 9×12 metal pan. Lightly spray a clean counter or dough mat with non-stick spray.
- Roll dough into a 12″ × 18″ rectangle.
- Spread filling evenly with an offset spatula, leaving a ½-inch gap along the 18″ edge to seal the roll.
- Cut the filled dough into 12 even strips with a pizza cutter and roll each strip up individually. Place rolls in the prepared pan, spacing evenly. Cover with plastic wrap.
Second Rise
- Set pan in a warm place and let rise 60–90 minutes until puffy and just touching.
Bake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove plastic wrap.
- Bake 25–30 minutes until lightly golden and cooked through (205°F internal). To check doneness, use a fork to gently lift the center layers of a roll in the middle of the pan — no raw dough should be visible.
- Cool 30–45 minutes before glazing.
Glaze
- Whisk together melted butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until smooth.
- Spoon over the warm rolls and swirl to cover. Serve warm.
Helpful Recipe Notes
Your Rating Matters
When you leave a comment or star rating, it means more than you might think. It helps me understand what you’re enjoying, builds trust for other readers, and supports real, tested cooking content. If you have a moment, I’d truly appreciate you sharing your experience. – Mirlandra
Nutrition Estimate
A Note on Nutrition
Nutritional info is an imperfect estimate. Please take it with a grain of salt.
New to sourdough? Start Here! How To Feed Sourdough Starter Beginners Guide Easy Sourdough Bread Recipe for Beginners (Artisan Loaf)
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