Today is the day.

I’ve been perfecting this recipe over the last six months or so, delivering the case studies to various (very happy) taste testers. It’s taken me a while to overcome the sticker shock of “oh-dear-lord-there’s-so-much-sugar,” but I’ve succumbed to the fact this is a soul food recipe rather than try to make it unnecessarily healthy-ish. 

So today – finally – is the day: Merv the sourdough starter turns into decadent, melt-in-your-mouth, ooey, gooey Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls. They’re chewy like sourdough, but sweet like Cinnabon. Once you try them, I’m sure you’ll be converted.

If it surprises you that I would create such an unhealthy recipe, I suggest you read my feelings about Soul Food. It’s a capital-letter phrase in my world and holds an equally important place as Fuel Food (the nutritious food that fuels one’s body).

I love people. I love cooking. I love cooking for people and making them happy. Usually I try to cook for my loved ones in a way which fuels their bodies and their souls, but sometimes a little extra butter and sugar is worth it to see the delight on their faces.

Cases in point:

• Blackberry cheesecake as a not-so-traditional birthday dessert

• Party mix that cost more to ship than it did to make, sent to my beloved KC friends for Christmas

• Homemade ice cream for the 4th of July, served with fresh Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp

Such is also the case with these Rolls. I make them with love, white flour, sugar, and real butter.

Making anything with sourdough is a long process; from start to finish, you’re looking at about 24 hours so make sure to prepare. Most of the process is fairly hands-off, though and not as hard as it sounds. Bread is very forgiving (thank goodness!).

I always start my rolls the day before by feeding Merv, my sourdough starter. I add equal parts (by weight) of flour and water, stir him well, and let him sit loosely covered for several hours. When I see that he’s grown – he’s taking up more of the container and there are air bubbles throughout – I know he’s ready to make my cinnamon rolls.

In a large bowl, mix together six cups of all-purpose flour and one teaspoon salt. For more rising power, you can use bread flour, but Merv is healthy enough I find regular all-purpose works just fine.

Stir in three cups of water and one cup of sourdough starter. Mix together with a spoon until it forms a sticky dough. No need to knead at this point, just cover loosely with a towel, set in a warm part of your kitchen, and allow to rise for 12-18 hours. You know your dough has risen a bit too far if it’s no longer getting bigger but instead starts to fall. Don’t stress – just start making rolls!

Spread a LOT of flour on your counter and keep extra flour close by, as you’ll need to add more through the kneading process (probably 2-3 more cups). Pour out your dough and begin to knead:

1. Stretch dough and fold in half

2. Turn a half-turn, then press the ball of your hand firmly in the dough

3. Repeat until your dough starts to become firm and springs back when you poke it

Once it’s to the spring-back point (when you touch the dough, it quickly “springs back” into its original shape), split your dough into two halves. Set one half aside and place the other half on a well-floured, large surface. Using a rolling pin, roll dough into a large, then rectangle about 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick. Don’t roll them too think or the final product will be denser, stickier rolls (or if you like them this way, try it out!).

Melt a half of a cup of butter in the microwave (30-60 seconds in a microwave-safe bowl) and use a pastry brush or spoon to spread evenly across the dough. Next sprinkle one cup (packed) brown sugar evenly across the dough, followed by a sprinkling of a tablespoon of cinnamon.

Add optional ingredients at this point: raisins, chopped walnuts and pecans, or orange zest for a fun twist on traditional rolls.

Allow dough to rest for 10-20 minutes before making into rolls so the butter can solidify just a little.

Carefully roll dough into a tight spiral, then cut into 18 equal pieces. I’d recommend cutting the roll in half first, then scoring each half to identify nine pieces before actually cutting. Make the rolls as evenly-sized as possible to ensure even baking.

Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and tuck your 18 rolls into the pan. Cover loosely with a towel and allow to rise another four to six hours in a warm area until nice and plump. Now repeat the process for the other half of the dough (or if you’re running short on time, cut your losses and just make an Easy Artisan Sourdough loaf).

Once your rolls have risen again, heat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover rolls with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes. Rolls are finished when they spring back when touched and buttery-cinnamon-ey-goodness is bubbling. Cool and keep covered to prevent from drying out.

Store at room temperature for three to five days, in the fridge for about a week, or in the freezer for several months – they come in very handy for company and re-heat well! That is – if you don’t eat the whole pan as soon as they come out of the oven…

Enjoy!

Ooey-Gooey Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

• 6 c. all-purpose flour (plus 2-3 more cups for kneading)

• 1 tsp. salt

• 3 c. water

• 1 c. sourdough starter

• 1 c. butter, melted (divided)

• 2 c. brown sugar (divided)

• 2 Tbsp. cinnamon (divided)

• Optional additions (not included in nutrition facts): raisins, chopped walnuts or pecans, or orange zest

Instructions

Day Before starting the recipe:

1. Feed sourdough starter equal parts (by weight) of flour and water (add about 1/2 cup flour for every 1/4 cup water), stir well, and let sit loosely covered for several hours.

2. Once starter takes up a larger portion of the container and has air bubbles throughout, it is ready to use in the recipe.

Day Before you Want to Eat your Rolls:

1. In a large bowl, mix together 6 c. all-purpose flour and salt. For more rising power, can use bread flour, but if sourdough starter is healthy enough, all-purpose flour works fine.

2. Stir in water and sourdough starter. Mix together with a spoon until it forms a sticky dough. No need to knead at this point, just cover loosely with a towel, set in a warm part of the kitchen, and allow to rise for 12-18 hours.

3. Dough should at least double in size by the time it’s ready. Your dough has risen a bit too far if it’s no longer getting bigger but instead starts to fall. Don’t stress – just start making rolls!

Day of Roll-Making (Finally!!)

1. Spread a LOT of flour on your counter and keep extra flour close by, as you’ll need to add more through the kneading process (about 2-3 more cups). Pour out your dough and begin to knead:

   1. Stretch dough and fold in half

   2. Turn a half-turn, then press the ball of your hand firmly in the dough

   3. Repeat until your dough starts to become firm and springs back when you poke it

2. Once it’s to the spring-back point (when you touch the dough, it quickly “springs back” into its original shape), split your dough into two halves.

3. Set one half aside and place the other half on a well-floured, large surface. Using a rolling pin, roll dough into a large, then rectangle about 1/8- to 1/4- inch thick. (Rolling too think results in denser, stickier rolls.)

4. Melt 1/2 cup of butter in the microwave (30-60 seconds in a microwave-safe bowl) and use a pastry brush or spoon to spread evenly across the dough. Next sprinkle one cup (packed) brown sugar evenly across the dough, followed by a sprinkling of a tablespoon of cinnamon.

5. Add optional ingredients at this point: raisins, chopped walnuts and pecans, or orange zest for a fun twist on traditional rolls.

6. Carefully roll dough into a tight spiral, then cut into 18 equal pieces: cut the roll in half first, then score each half to identify nine pieces before actually cutting. Make the rolls as evenly-sized as possible to ensure even baking.

7. Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and tuck your 18 rolls into the pan. Cover loosely with a towel and allow to rise another four to six hours in a warm area until nice and plump.

8. Repeat steps 1 through 7 for the other half of the dough (or if you’re running short on time, cut your losses and just make an Easy Artisan Sourdough loaf).

Roll Time (5-6 hours after forming Rolls)

1. Once your rolls have risen again, heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Cover rolls with aluminum foil and bake for 30 minutes.

3. Rolls are finished when they spring back when touched and buttery-cinnamon-ey-goodness is bubbling. Cool and keep covered to prevent from drying out.

Store at room temperature for three to five days, in the fridge for about a week, or in the freezer for several months – they come in very handy for company and re-heat well! That is – if you don’t eat the whole pan as soon as they come out of the oven…

Serves 36 – Serving Size: 1 roll – Nutrients per serving: 185 calories — 10g total fat — 6g saturated fat — 27mg cholesterol — 147mg sodium — 23g total carbohydrates — 12g sugar — 1g fiber — 1g protein