These Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls are a great way to use up some of your sourdough discard and make a delicious treat for breakfast, brunch, or a sweet afternoon treat! Looking for a few creative variations? Try these Sourdough Discard Apple Cinnamon Rolls and Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls, too!
I've also included directions below on how to make overnight cinnamon rolls, in case you want to prep them the day before baking!
This recipe knocks it out of the park! 3 pans were gone in less than an hour; everyone said they were incredible. I can't wait to make these again!
- Emma
Why you'll love this recipe
- Embrace the irregularity! Rolls that are a little irregularly shaped or sized can be very cute (and it makes it so much easier if we're not aiming for perfection!).
- You might also love this Sourdough Discard Apple Pull Apart Bread and those irregular layers!
- Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls freeze well so you can make a batch and then freeze to enjoy any time.
- You can adapt this recipe to make overnight cinnamon rolls so they're ready to bake first thing in the morning. See the notes below!
- The raisins add a nice flavor punch, but you can also leave them out or substitute them for other things like crushed nuts.
- Try these Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Raisin Bagels, and Sourdough Discard Cranberry Bagels, too!
Ingredients
There are only a few ingredients you'll need to make these cinnamon rolls.
- Sourdough discard: The sourdough discard should be unfed and at room temperature for this recipe. This recipe is designed to be made from a sourdough starter that uses a 1:1 ratio (when you feed your starter, it's with 1 part flour and 1 part water). If your starter uses a different ratio, you may need to adjust some of the ingredients in this recipe.
- Learn more about how to make a sourdough starter.
- Raisins: These are optional and you can certainly leave them out (I know there are some strong opinions about raisins!), but I think they add a nice pop to the recipe.
- You might like this Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Raisin Bread, too!
See full recipe below for detailed directions.
Substitutions & Variations
This is a very adaptable recipe and below are a few easy substitutions and variations you can try.
- Use active sourdough starter: If you'd like to make this recipe with active sourdough starter instead of discard, you can! To do so, omit the yeast and replace the sourdough discard with sourdough starter (200g). You will also need to adjust the rise times.
- Use rum- or bourbon-soaked raisins: While your dough is rising, soak the raisins in rum or bourbon. This will help them plump up, but also add some of that spirit flavoring!
- Add crushed nuts: Add ¼ cup crushed almonds, pecans or walnuts when you're spreading the cinnamon sugar mixture.
- Interested in cinnamon rolls in a different format? Try this Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Roll Pull Apart Bread and this Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Roll Focaccia.
How to Make Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls
Letting the dough rise for enough time is the key to success with this recipe. There are a few easy steps you'll need to follow to make these Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls!
- Step 1: Mix the dough ingredients, then place in a large, greased bowl and let rise for 60-90 minutes until doubled in size.
- Step 2: Roll the dough into a roughly 12x18-inch rectangle on a floured surface.
- Step 3: Spread the dough with the softened butter, then sprinkle with cinnamon, brown sugar and drained raisins. Be generous with the filling!
- Step 4: From the long end of the rectangle, roll the dough into a log. It shouldn't be loose, but doesn't need to be super tight, either!
- Step 5: Using unflavored dental floss or a sharp knife, cut the rolled log into 12 approximately equal-sized pieces.
- Step 6: Place the pieces cut-side up in a greased 9x13-inch baking pan. They will not fill the pan fully, but they will expand with the second rise. Cover and let rise.
- Step 7: After the second rise, the rolls should be touching each other in the pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Set aside to let cool.
- Step 8: While the rolls are cooling, combine the ingredients to make the frosting.
- Step 9: Once the rolls have cooled, spread with the frosting.
Expert Baking Tips
- Make sure to knead the dough long enough. The dough should be soft and smooth (not sticky) before the first rise.
- Let the dough rise long enough. Rise times will vary based on the temperature of your room. Remember, dough rises quicker in a warmer room and slower in a cooler room.
- You can use different baking pans. I recommend using a 9x13-inch baking pan for 12 rolls, but this could also work with an 8x11-inch pan (especially if you cut the dough into fewer rolls), or two 8-inch round pans. Cinnamon rolls are very versatile!
- Don't worry about making perfectly-shaped rolls. Embrace the irregularity! Some might be bigger and some might be smaller. What you want to watch is the thickness - rolls should all be the same thickness in order to bake evenly.
- Let the rolls cool before adding the frosting. If you add the frosting before the rolls are cooled, they will still be delicious. The frosting will melt and soak into the rolls a bit (not a bad thing!).
- Looking for other sweet treats? Try these Sourdough Discard Brownies, these Sourdough Lofthouse Cookies, and these Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel Bites!
Overnight Cinnamon Rolls
If you want to make an overnight version of these cinnamon rolls, you can! Once you have shaped the cinnamon rolls and placed them in the baking pan, cover with plastic wrap and let rise in the refrigerator overnight. In the morning, remove from the fridge and let the rolls come to room temperature, about 2-3 hours. The rolls should look puffed and be touching each other in the pan.
Pour ½ cup warm milk (any kind) or heavy cream over the rolls, then bake as directed. The additional warm milk will give the rolls a bit of extra moisture that will be soaked up into the dough while baking.
Looking for more overnight breakfast recipes? Try this Sourdough French Toast Casserole, too!
How to Cut Cinnamon Rolls
Cutting the rolls is an important step. You want to make sure the rolls are equal in thickness so they will cook evenly. If they're a little bit off (especially those end pieces), that's ok, but you want to get them as close as possible to the same thickness.
There are a few ways to cut cinnamon rolls:
- Use dental floss: This is my preferred method. Use an unflavored dental floss (if it's flavored, you'll taste that in the final rolls!) and wrap it around the log. Cross the ends over the log and pull to pinch-cut the rolls. Dental floss is ideal here as it's very thin and strong and will cut through the dough easily. I do not recommend using kitchen twine, or a thicker string to try to do this, as that will tear the rolls rather than cutting them cleanly.
- Use a sharp knife: You can also use a large, sharp knife to cut the rolls. Again, you want them to be equal in thickness, and try to get a crisp cut rather than a tear.
- Cut the dough before rolling the rolls: After you spread the filling on the dough, you can use a pizza cutter to cut dough strips. You will then roll each strip into a cinnamon roll. For this, you are cutting before rolling (unlike the above methods). This works well, but I find you need to be a bit more precise with measurements and cutting to size!
For this recipe, I recommend cutting the log into 12 rolls. But cinnamon rolls are very versatile and you could easily cut into fewer or more rolls to fit your baking pan!
Storage
Room Temperature Storage: Store the rolls covered or in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. They will harden as they dry out. You can reheat the rolls for 15-30 seconds in the microwave to make them warm and soft again.
Freezer Storage: These cinnamon rolls freeze very well. Once the cinnamon rolls are fully cooled, transfer to an airtight container or bag (I like to split them into individual rolls and store each in a plastic bag, which makes it easier to heat up just one roll at a time). Freeze for up to 3 months. To reheat, warm the cinnamon rolls in the microwave for about 60 seconds until soft and warm again.
Recipe FAQs
No. I like to use mine because it's convenient, but you could also use a large mixing bowl and a wooden spoon to mix the dough. Then, knead the dough by hand.
When certain ingredients (like milk, eggs, etc.) are cold, it will impact the rise of the dough, and can even prevent the rise from happening. To encourage rising, you want to make sure these ingredients are at room temperature, or even warmed, as long as it's listed in the directions.
More Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Roll Recipes
If you tried these Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls or any other recipe on my website, please leave a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. I'd love to hear from you! Happy Baking!
Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Rolls
- ½ cup + 3 Tablespoons milk (non-dairy or regular dairy) warmed to 110℉
- 1 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 egg lightly beaten, at room temperature
- 200 grams (about ¾ cup) sourdough discard unfed, at room temperature
- ½ cup yogurt or Greek yogurt (non-dairy or regular dairy) room temperature
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
For the Filling
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened, plus more for greasing the pan
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup raisins optional
For the Frosting
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- 1 ½ cups confectioner's sugar
- 2-3 Tablespoons milk non-dairy or regular dairy
Instructions
- Add the warmed milk to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook*. Sprinkle with yeast and let sit for 5 minutes, or until foamy. If the yeast does not foam, it is dead and you'll need to start over with fresh yeast.
- Add granulated sugar, beaten egg, sourdough discard, yogurt, flour, and salt. Mix on low until combined, adding the melted butter as it mixes. Transfer the dough to a work surface and knead for 3-4 minutes until a soft, smooth dough forms. If needed, add more flour or milk (1 Tablespoon at a time) to reach your desired consistency.
- Transfer the dough to a large, greased bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 60-90 minutes, or until doubled in size. While the dough rises, soak the raisins in a bowl of hot water (this helps the raisins plump up if they've been sitting in your pantry for a while!).
- Transfer the dough to a floured work surface. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a 12x18-inch rectangle**. Drain the raisins. Spread the dough with softened butter and evenly sprinkle with brown sugar, cinnamon, and raisins (optional).
- From the long end of the rectangle, roll the dough into a log, pressing the seam along the edge of the dough to close. Use unflavored dental floss or a sharp knife to cut the log into 12 approximately equal-sized pieces. If using dental floss, wrap the floss around the log, then cross the ends over each other and pinch to cut.
- Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan with 1 Tablespoon melted butter. Transfer the cut rolls into the baking pan, face up. The rolls will not be touching, and there should be room for the rolls to expand in the dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 30-45 minutes until the rolls have expanded to touch each other.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180℃). Bake the rolls for 30-35 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool.
- While the rolls cool, make the frosting. In a medium bowl, whip the softened butter until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add vanilla extract and a pinch of salt. Add the confectioner's sugar and 1 Tablespoon milk at a time, mixing until smooth. Add additional milk to reach your desired consistency, if needed. Spread the frosting on the rolls and serve.
Carolyn says
Have you tried these with part whole wheat flour?
Jessica Vogl says
I have not, but it should work!
Sherry Garner says
I've made these several times but today my dough was much stiffer than normal. Any idea what could of happened ?
Thanks
Sherry
Jessica Vogl says
Starter (and discard) can be very different on different days (in different seasons, etc.). Could just be a variation there! I would just add a bit more liquid to the dough to reach the consistency you’re looking for.
Kaz says
Hi I had a go at making them and they rose well etc and were light and fluffy but the next day they were heavy and dense. What did I do wrong
Jessica Vogl says
They’re definitely best fresh! If you want to keep them until the next day, you can always reheat in the microwave for about 30 seconds before serving to make them warm and soft again. They also freeze well if you want to keep for longer!
Emily Standridge says
What would be the best way to freeze them?
Jessica Vogl says
I recommend freezing after they’re baked (more on this in the storage section above). I like to separate the rolls and put one roll each in a ziploc bag, then freeze. You can then just reheat one roll at a time when you want it!
Dawn says
I've made this recipe several times and it's fantastic. But I swear at one time it called for yogurt. Am I crazy or did you change the recipe?
Jessica Vogl says
An earlier version did! I’ve made a few tweaks over time!
Dawn says
Can you tell me how much yogurt there was in your original recipe for these rolls? My family prefers your older version of this recipe. Thank you!
Jessica Vogl says
A previous version of this recipe used 3/4 cup dairy-free milk and 1/4 cup dairy-free yogurt (both at room temperature) for the rolls. Hopefully that helps!
Tracy says
Thank you for the best cinnamon roll recipe out there!!! It’s the only one I use and everyone loves them! I also get 14 large rolls every time I make which is often. The people at work are addicted lol I also increased the brown sugar and cinnamon. Measured from the heart ;)❤️
Jessica Vogl says
Love a good measure from the heart glad you loved them!
Nikki says
I've made this recipe 3 times now and everyone loves it! I do get 15 big rolls vs. 12
All 3 times I've down the second rise over night and it's the easiest breakfast treat.
Last bake I added some nutmeg into the cinnamon/sugar mix and they tasted just like egg nog. Perfect for the holidays.
Adele Doran says
Freeze before or after baking?
Thaw or go right to the oven?
Jessica Vogl says
I'd recommend freezing after baking! That way, you can take one out whenever you want to eat it! I like to reheat for about 60 seconds in the microwave (straight from the freezer).
Lina Serpico says
Excited to make these tonight but quick question, do you think there is any benefit to pouring heavy cream over the buns before baking? Or does this recipe yield a gooey Cinnamon Bun? Thank you, I love all of your recipes!
Jessica Vogl says
I haven’t tried it with the cream (I’m lactose intolerant!). It could work, but I’d be cautious of using too much / undercooking the buns.
Joanna says
Question- I have them in individual containers for the second rise, would they be good in the fridge before baking for 2 days?
Jessica Vogl says
That's a very long time. You could do a rise overnight, but I think 2 days may be too long.
Linda says
Can egg replacer be used in place of a real egg? I would like to make these but one of my family cannot have eggs.
Jessica Vogl says
Yes, that should work!
April Nickloy says
The BEST cinnamon rolls I've ever had!! You made me look like a professional baker. The one negative review, was most definitely user error. They are giant rolls and my husband nor myself could finish one. I'll try cutting into 12 next time. I wish I could post a photo of him w beautiful they are. Thank you!!!
Dawn says
I've made this recipe twice now and am making it again today. Hands down the best recipe I've tried. I've made several people very happy with a pan of these gifted to them Thanks for a fantastic recipe
Jessica Vogl says
Yay! Love to hear that - thank you so much for sharing!
Kacie says
I’m excited to try this recipe!
Will Greek yogurt work ok?
(I’m probably going to give it a try before you answer… I’ll let you know how it goes!)
😉
Jessica Vogl says
Go for it! If anything, you might find you need a touch more liquid (since greek yogurt is quite thick), but it should work!
Gayle says
No stars, this recipe did not turn out well. Not very sweet, and the rolls are not light and airy"// massively underwhelmed. Will not be trying again
Kirstin Herson says
Can you make these the night before?
Jessica Vogl says
Hi Kirstin! I'll be honest that I haven't tried it, but you should be able to cut the cinnamon rolls, place them in the pan, cover, and let them rise overnight in the fridge (step 5). Remove them from the fridge the next morning and let the dough come to room temperature, then bake. Let me know if you end up trying it!
Molly Jenkins says
Have you since made them the night before ?
Jessica Vogl says
You can! In the section on variations it talks about how to make these overnight.
Erin says
Am I missing a step? I don’t see where to use the yogurt.
Jessica Vogl says
You're completely right, I've just updated now! Thanks for catching!
ERIN says
THANK YOU. MAKING IT NOW.
Jessica Vogl says
Woohoo! Let me know how it goes!
Erin says
It made a lot more than 8. I gently molded into rectangle much larger than 9x14, no rolling needed and doubled the butter and brown sugar amounts in the filling and doubled the butter in the icing. Looks gorgeous. Yield was 20. They look great