Brown Butter Frosted Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Name: Brown Butter Frosted Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 850 min
Ingredients: 4 cups bread flour; 1 tablespoon granulated sugar; 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt; 1 1/4 cup whole milk; 1/4 cup unsalted butter (cut into 1 tablespoon or 14 gram pieces); 1/2 cup active sourdough starter; 1 large egg; nonstick cooking spray; 1/2 cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature); 1 cup light brown sugar; 2 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; 5 ounces cream cheese (softened to room temperature); 1 cup confectioners' sugar (measured then sifted); 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract; 1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt

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Bake a batch of sourdough cinnamon topped with brown butter cream cheese frosting. These frosted cinnamon rolls are made with a sourdough starter.

Once winter rolls around (especially during the holidays) there's nothing I want more than a warm cinnamon roll topped with an unreasonable amount of frosting.

This year, I decided to develop my perfect cinnamon roll recipe. After many rounds of testing, I finally found what I believe is the perfect combo:

A sourdough cinnamon roll made with active sourdough starter.
Brown butter cream cheese frosting (and lots of it).
A recipe that makes 9 large cinnamon rolls so you can share them with your family and friends.

I hope you love these cinnamon rolls with frosting as much as I do! If you have any trouble with this recipe (because yes, homemade dough can be hard), leave a comment below and I'll help you out.

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What You'll Learn In This Recipe
10 Secrets to Instantly Become a Better Baker
Ingredients You Need
Baking Schedule
How To Make This Recipe
Expert Tips
Recipe FAQs
More Sourdough Recipes
Brown Butter Frosted Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

What You'll Learn In This Recipe

Tips for helping your cinnamon rolls rise and proof.
A suggested sourdough baking schedule.
How to make this recipe with and without a mixer.

For more tips and tricks to help level up your baking game, check out my top 10 secrets to becoming a better baker.

Ingredients You Need

Here are the ingredients you'll need for the sourdough cinnamon rolls and brown butter cream cheese frosting.

frosted sourdough cinnamon rolls ingredients with labels.

Bread flour: I prefer to use bread flour instead of all purpose flour. Bread flour has a higher amount of protein, giving the cinnamon rolls a more chewy taste.
Granulated sugar: The sugar helps the dough turn golden brown as it bakes. There's not enough to add a lot of sweetness to the dough (that will come from the filling and frosting).
Fine sea salt: Salt is such an important ingredient in dough to add flavor.
Whole milk: I prefer whole milk for a rich flavor, but a lower fat milk will also work.
Unsalted butter: This ingredient acts as a tenderizer since it minimizes gluten development.
Active sourdough starter: Be sure your sourdough starter is active before you begin baking. To do this, you’ll need to feed the starter to make it bubbly and active. I feed my sourdough starter with a one-to-one ratio of flour and water (by weight). My standard sourdough feeding is 50 grams water and 50 grams bread flour.
Egg: This is another common ingredient in enriched dough. It helps add tenderness to the dough and results in a lighter and fluffier cinnamon roll.

Check out the recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and exact measurements.

Baking Schedule

Here's my typical baking schedule for sourdough cinnamon rolls:

Day 1 (late morning): Feed the starter.
Day 1 (evening): Make the cinnamon roll dough. Allow the dough to rest overnight for 8 hours.
Day 2 (morning): Roll and proof the cinnamon rolls, then bake.

How To Make This Recipe

Homemade bread can be intimidating to make. But don't worry, I'll walk you step-by-step through the whole process.

four numbered photos showing how to make sourdough cinnamon roll dough.

1. First, whisk the bread flour, granulated sugar, and fine sea salt in a mixing bowl.

2. Add the milk and butter to a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the milk reaches 110°F (43°C) on an instant read thermometer. At this point the butter might not be fully melted, so just continue stirring until it's completely melted into the milk.

3. Add the warmed milk and butter, active sourdough starter, and egg to a large bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon just until combined. Then, add the flour and mix until a sticky dough forms.

From here, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to sit for 1 hour.

4. Next, it's time to begin the stretch and fold process. Grab the edge of the dough, and stretch it as far as it can go without ripping.

four numbered photos showing how to make cinnamon roll dough and filling.

5. Then place it on the opposite side of the dough. Repeat this four times (on the top, bottom, and sides of the dough). Continue these stretch and folds three additional times each 30 minutes apart.

You'll notice the dough gets stronger and less sticky throughout this process.

6. After the last stretch and fold, allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 8 hours. The dough should double in size during this time.

If you live in a warm climate or need to let the dough rest for longer than 8 hours, see the notes in the recipe card below.

7. To make the cinnamon sugar filling, mix the softened butter, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon until fully combined.

8. Once the dough has doubled in size, roll it into a 12 inch x 18 inch (30 x 46 cm) rectangle about ½ cm thick on a lightly floured work surface.

four numbered photos showing how to add filling and roll cinnamon rolls.

9. Evenly spread the filling across the dough with an offset or silicone spatula. Don't worry if it's not perfectly smooth (usually mine isn't either).

10. Evenly cut 9 strips of dough (about 2 inches or 5 cm wide) with a sharp knife or pizza cutter.

11. Roll each piece of dough into an individual cinnamon roll then place in the prepared pan.

12. This is what the cinnamon rolls look like before they're proofed. You can now cover them with plastic wrap and allow them to rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size. This usually takes about 1.5 - 2 hours in my kitchen.

four numbered photos showing how to proof and bake cinnamon rolls and make brown butter frosting.

13. Here's what the cinnamon rolls will look like once they're doubled in size. You can see that they now fully fill the pan, which is how you'll know they're ready.

14. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes at 350°F (175°C) until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly for about 15 minutes on a wire rack.

15. Next, it's time to make the cream cheese frosting. First, brown your butter and allow it to cool.

Then, beat the cooled butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer. Add the confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, and fine sea and mix until combined.

16. Set the mixer to medium-high speed, and allow the buttercream to beat for an additional 2 minutes until light and fluffy. Finally, top the warm cinnamon rolls with frosting.

Expert Tips

Leftovers: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Reheat in the microwave until warmed through.
If you'd prefer, you can use a stand mixer to mix the dough. Add warmed milk and butter, active sourdough starter, and egg to a large bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix just until combined. Combine flour mixture until a sticky dough forms.
If you live in a warm climate or you have a warm kitchen, the dough may double in size before 8 hours. If this is the case, I'd suggest doing the bulk fermentation stage in the refrigerator so the dough doesn't rise too much. Before you roll out the cinnamon rolls, allow the dough to come to room temperature.

Recipe FAQs

My dough is very sticky. Is that right?

The cinnamon dough will be fairly sticky, especially depending on the brand of flour you use. Don't worry if it's sticky. You can use additional flour to help roll out the dough. Don't be tempted to add more flour during the mixing stage or it could ruin the intended texture.

I need to allow the dough to rest for longer than 8 hours. What should I do?

If you made the dough at a time when the bulk fermentation stage needs to last longer than 8 hours, you can rest the dough in the refrigerator. This will slow down the bulk fermentation enough that the dough can rest for 12+ hours.

Before you roll out the cinnamon rolls, allow the dough to come to room temperature.

My dough isn't doubling in size during the bulk fermentation process. What did I do wrong?

First, be sure you allowed the dough to rise for enough time. This time can vary depending on the temperature of your house. Generally, the colder your environment, the longer time it will take the dough to double in size.

You'll also want to check that your starter is active and strong enough to bake with. A weak starter could also prevent your dough from doubling in size.

What's the best way to proof the cinnamon rolls?

You want the cinnamon rolls to proof (this is the second rise before baking) in a warm place. In the winter, I like to turn the oven to a low, warm temperature so the dough can proof on top of (not inside) the warmed oven.

How do I know my sourdough starter is active?

The two best ways to tell if the sourdough starter is ready are:
1. The starter has doubled in size 4 - 8 hours after a feeding.
2. There are many visible bubbles throughout the starter.

More Sourdough Recipes

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