Brown Butter Frosted Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

No ratings yet

Brown Butter Frosted Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

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

Prep Time40

Cook Time45

Resting Time12 45

Total Time14 10

Course: Breakfast

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 572kcal

Author: Jessica Mode

Equipment

mixing bowl
instant read thermometer
wooden spoon
plastic wrap
offset or silicone spatula
knife or pizza cutter
9 x 9 inch (23 x 23 cm) light colored baking pan
saucepan
electric or stand mixer

Ingredients

Cinnamon Roll Dough

4 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 ¼ cup whole milk
¼ cup unsalted butter cut into 1 tablespoon or 14 gram pieces
½ cup active sourdough starter
1 large egg

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 ¼ teaspoons ground cinnamon
nonstick cooking spray
¼ cup unsalted butter softened to room temperature

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 ounces cream cheese softened to room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar measured then sifted
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For Cinnamon Roll Dough

Whisk bread flour, granulated sugar, and fine sea salt in a mixing bowl.
Add milk and butter to a small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until the milk reaches 110°F (43°C) on an instant read thermometer. Continue stirring until the butter has completely melted.
Add warmed milk and butter, active sourdough starter, and egg to a large bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon just until combined. Combine flour and mix until a sticky dough forms. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit for 1 hour.
Begin the stretch and fold process. Grab the edge of the dough, stretch it as far as it can go without ripping, 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. After the last stretch and fold, allow the dough to rest at room temperature for 6 - 8 hours. The dough should double in size during this time.

For Cinnamon Sugar Filling

In a small bowl combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
Spray a 9 x 9 inch (23 x 23 cm) light colored baking pan with nonstick cooking spray.
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.
Spread the softened butter across the dough with an offset or silicone spatula. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar mixture on top. Evenly cut 12 strips of dough (about 2 inches or 5 cm wide) with a knife or pizza cutter. Roll each piece of dough into an individual cinnamon roll then place in prepared pan.
Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm (around 75°F - 80°F (24°C - 27°C)), draft-free place until doubled in size and they fill the pan, about 1.5 - 2 hours.
While the cinnamon rolls are proofing, heat oven to 350°F (175°C).
Bake for 35 - 40 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly for about 15 minutes on a wire rack.

For Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Heat butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring continuously until there are golden brown flecks at the bottom of the saucepan and you smell a nutty aroma, about 3 - 5 minutes. Be sure to watch the butter throughout the entire browning process to ensure the butter does not burn. As the butter melts down, foam will begin to form. As soon as you can see golden brown flecks, remove the butter from the heat and transfer to a bowl to cool.
Beat cooled butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 - 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the mixer as needed.
Add confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, and fine sea; mix on medium-low speed until combined.
Set the mixer to medium-high speed, and allow the buttercream to beat for an additional 2 minutes until light and fluffy.
Top warm cinnamon rolls with frosting.

Notes

Baking Schedule:

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

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.

Bulk Fermentation: This is the stage when the dough sits for around 8 hours to double in size. 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.

Alternatively, if you need to leave the dough for over 8 hours, I'd also suggest doing the bulk fermentation stage 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.

Proof Cinnamon Rolls: 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.

Nutrition