This recipe for decadent, chewy sourdough cinnamon rolls uses only wild yeast from your sourdough starter and is dairy-free, egg-free, and vegan!
If you have a sourdough starter, you MUST give this recipe a try.
These cinnamon rolls are ooey, gooey, and chewy – just like a good sourdough bread.
The long wait is worth it: it takes almost a full 24 hours to allow the dough to rise. These delicious rolls will surely win you over!
Enjoy these delicious homemade dairy-free, egg-free, vegan sourdough cinnamon rolls featuring only wild yeast.
But First, Feed your Sourdough Starter
Where to Find a Sourdough Starter
The most important ingredient is a healthy sourdough starter. If you don’t have one, you can create one from scratch by mixing water and flour together. Simply let this mixture sit on your counter and feed it twice a day until the yeast from the air turns it into a starter.
An easier solution would be to find a friend with a starter who can share a bit or buy a starter online. I’ve shared many of my sourdough starter babies through the Buy Nothing group I’m in!
Sourdough Starter Before and After Rising
How to Feed Your Sourdough Starter
The day before you plan to bake your sourdough bread, measure out equal parts water and flour by weight and add this to your starter. The amount of water and flour you add should be roughly equal to the amount of starter you have so it doubles in size.
I find it easiest to set my jar of sourdough starter on my kitchen scale and add flour directly to the jar, then zero the scale and add the same amount of water.
I then stir the starter well to incorporate all the new ingredients and let it sit at room temperature for several hours until I’m ready to mix up the dough for the bread.
If you don’t have a kitchen scale, the measurement is roughly a 1:2 ratio – meaning a half cup water for every one cup of flour.
Ingredients for Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Homemade sourdough bread requires only a few simple ingredients – and the same is true for these Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls!
Ingredients for Dough
- 3 cup Unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1 1/2 cup Water
- 1/2 cup Sourdough starter (fed earlier in the day)
Ingredients for Filling
- 1/2 cup Unsalted butter (use vegan butter for dairy-free)
- 1 cup Brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Cinnamon
Get creative with filling additions! Go with traditional raisin + walnuts, or try one of these fun combos:
- Orange Zest + Chopped Pecans
- Dried Cranberries + White Chocolate Chips
- Strawberry Jelly in place of Sugar
How to Make Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Because this recipe uses only wild yeast, plan for a full 24 hours to make this recipe!
Feed Sourdough Starter 2-12 Hours Before Starting Recipe
To feed your sourdough starter, place it on a kitchen scale. Add equal parts by weight of water and flour, about enough to double the amount of starter. For my starter, I usually add 75-100 grams of flour and the same amount of water.
If you don’t have a scale, add about 1/2 cup flour for every 1/4 cup water.
Stir well until flour and water are completely incorporated. Cover loosely with a lid (don’t screw on tight) and let sit loosely covered for several hours. Once starter has doubled in volume, it’s ready to use.
Make Dough 12-14 Hours Before Making Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Start the sourdough the night before planning to bake your cinnamon rolls. In a large bowl mix together flour and salt. Stir in water and sourdough starter until a wet dough forms.
Cover the bowl with a towel and allow it to rest overnight at room temperature about 12-14 hours until roughly doubled in size.
Make Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Once the dough has roughly doubled in size, it’s time to make your cinnamon rolls!
Add a generous amount of flour onto a clean countertop and spread out using your hands. Use a rubber scraper to pour the sourdough onto the counter.
Coat your hands in flour and begin to knead: stretch dough and fold in half, turn a half-turn and press the ball of hand firmly into the dough. Repeat this until the dough becomes firm and springs back when touched. Note: a lot more flour is needed during this step; continue to add flour to the counter as you knead to prevent it from sticking.
Once dough springs back when touched, roll the dough out into a large rectangle: add more flour to the countertop and use a rolling pin to roll dough into a large, rectangle about 1/2 inch thick.
Melt butter in the microwave for 30-60 seconds in a microwave-safe bowl and use a pastry brush or spoon to spread evenly across the dough. Sprinkle brown sugar evenly across the dough, followed by a sprinkling of a tablespoon of cinnamon.
Add optional ingredients, spreading evenly across dough: raisins, chopped walnuts and pecans, or orange zest for a fun twist on traditional rolls.
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 cutting. Make the rolls as evenly sized as possible to ensure even baking.
Spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Place cinnamon rolls gently into the dish laying on their cut side so you can see the swirl. It’s okay if they’re touching inside the dish; there doesn’t need to be any space between the rolls.
Cover the rolls loosely with a towel and allow to rise another 2-4 hours in a warm area until plump.
Bake Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Once cinnamon rolls have roughly doubled in size, pre-heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Cover rolls with aluminum foil and bake for 30-35 minutes.
Rolls are finished when they spring back when touched and filling is bubbling. Serve sourdough cinnamon rolls plain or top with cream cheese frosting if desired.
How to Store Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
*If* you manage to have any leftover cinnamon rolls, store them in an airtight container at room temperature up to 5 days. For longer storage, refrigerate for 7-10 days or freeze for up to several months.
For best results, reheat in the microwave for 10-20 seconds just before serving.
You can also make these rolls ahead of time, then refrigerate rolls after making them instead of sitting at room temperature. They can rise in the refrigerator 1-2 days, then pull them out and allow to rest at room temperature about an hour before baking.
More Sourdough Recipes
The fun doesn’t have to stop here! Try this recipe for Easy, No-Knead Sourdough Sandwich Bread or the Artisan Sourdough for a more traditional option.
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If you try this recipe for Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls, please tag me @peasandhoppiness on Instagram or Facebook!
Happy Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Eating,
Dietitian Ann
Originally Posted: 9/10/17
Updated: 3/25/24
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