Sourdough Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

These Sourdough Overnight Cinnamon Rolls are so delicious! They are a crowd favorite and are gone in a flash around our house. These rolls take a few steps, but they are worth it. Arturo’s food motto is “Good food is not hard; it just takes time,” and these Overnight Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls are proof of that. They take a little time and have a few different steps, but your family and friends will LOVE them.

Is there any better smell than freshly baked cinnamon rolls? Nope, I don’t think so!

Our Sourdough Story  

Arturo began his sourdough starter in 2020 with the rest of the world and has been going strong ever since. He has gotten creative and made many delicious things with his starter. In addition to these Sourdough Overnight Cinnamon Rolls, he makes loaves of bread, waffles, pancakes, and pizza crust. It is all so good.

How to Start Your Own Sourdough Starter

There are different ways to get your sourdough starter going. You can be gifted some from someone, or there are places you can purchase a starter, but you can also make your own. This is what Arturo did. Initially, he used this recipe to get his going. Over the years, he has referred to the King Arthur website for information on sourdough.

About our Sourdough Starter

It is also very popular to name your starter. We haven’t done that. I don’t know why, but we haven’t ever given it a name. 

I will tell you, though, that the Sourdough Starter is all Arturo. I joke that I sometimes can’t remember to feed my two children, so I don’t need one more thing to feed and keep alive. However, I am sure glad he likes to keep it fed and alive because I enjoy the stuff he bakes with it. 

Sourdough Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

These Soughdough Overnight Cinnamon Rolls are not only a fan favorite around our house but also very sought after by our church friends. Every Sunday, our parish serves treats and coffee after mass. Families sign up to bring treats, and when it is our Sunday, Arturo always makes a dozen or two of these rolls, which are the first to go. So we promise that if you make these, you will be very loved by all you serve them to!

Tips for Making Sourdough Overnight Cinamon Rolls

• Don’t cut the proofing time to ensure fluffy rolls. Instead, allow them to rise fully. This will give you the fluffy cinnamon roll you want. 
• We chose regular flour for our cinnamon rolls, but you can also use bread flour. Bread flour is higher in protein and can create a fluffier roll. When I asked Arturo why he uses regular flour, he said it is cheaper.

More of our Sourdough Recipes

• Sourdough Pizza Crust with Active Starter

How to Make Sourdough Overnight Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

For the Dough

• 8 oz active sourdough starter (1 cup, 100% hydration)
• 8 oz whole milk (1 cup, warm but not hot)
• 20 oz unbleached all-purpose flour (4 cups, see note)
• 3 oz sugar (⅓ cup)
• 2 oz unsalted butter (¼ cup, melted)
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon salt

For Assembly:

• 4 oz  butter  (1/2 cup, melted)
• 266 g brown sugar (1 1/2 cup loosely Packed )
• 3-4 tablespoons ground cinnamon

For the Icing

• 2 tablespoons of milk 
• 300 g confectioner’s sugar (2 cups)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the whole milk, egg, sugar, and salt and whisk with a fork until it starts to come together (there is no need to mix thoroughly). Then, add the active sourdough starter and whisk with a fork to combine it again (it doesn’t need to be a homogeneous mixture, but make sure the starter is well incorporated).

Next, add all the flour and use the dough hook for the stand mixer to make a shaggy dough by hand. Add the 2oz butter and mix again by hand briefly to incorporate the butter. 

Now, using the mixer with the dough hook, knead the dough until it is soft and elastic, the sides of the mixing bowl will clean (it will take at least 10 minutes to knead, and making a shaggy dough by hand will speed up the kneading process). The dough will start to make a log and move up the bowl. See the photo below for a visual. 

Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and spray it with cooking spray to prevent sticking. Return the dough to the bowl and let it proof for 6-8 hours. During the winter, we choose to proof doughs in the oven; see the note below on how we do this. ​​

Once the dough is proofed, it is time to begin making the rolls. Start by greasing your preferred pan. We like to use a large cast iron skillet (10″), but you can also use a 9” x 13” pan. 

Turn the dough out on a floured surface and start working it into a rectangular shape by hand. When the dough is flattened out by hand, switch to your favorite rolling pin and roll it out to a rectangle about 24”x 14” (it will be about ¼” in thickness rolled out).

Coat the dough with 1/2 cup of melted butter, and top with the brown sugar and cinnamon in an even layer.

Work from the long side, tightly roll the dough into a log, and pinch the seam to seal. 

Cut the log in half, then cut the halves in half, creating four pieces. Using dental floss, cut the four quarters into three approximately  2” rolls (yielding 12 rolls in total).

Cover the rolls in your preferred pan with greased plastic wrap. 

Place rolls in a warm, dry place and proof overnight, 6-8 hours. 

 After proofing the rolls, they are ready to bake, making your kitchen smell amazing. Preheat the oven to 375* F. Bake until the rolls are golden brown and set in the center, 15- 20 minutes. 

While the buns are baking, make the icing. Mix the whole milk, confectioner’s sugar, and vanilla extract until combined. 

Remove the rolls from the oven and drizzle icing over the warm rolls. 

Enjoy!

Notes 

Why do we proof in the oven during the winter? We live in a 120-year-old farmhouse that can get a little drafty in the winter. Setting the dough in the oven to proof is a pretty foolproof way to ensure a good bulk proof of our dough. If you do not have an oven-proofing function, you can find the warmest spot in your home and place the rolls there to let proof. 

Grease plastic wrap with cooking spray to prevent it from sticking.