I've tried so many cinnamon roll recipes throughout the years, and most were good. But nothing was TO DIE FOR. Well, that is until I came up with this recipe. They're SO tender and perfectly balanced in sweetness. Not only that, but they're the perfect thing to throw together the night before.
Also if you don't know already, I generally use organic and grass fed ingredients whenever I bake or cook. Not only is it healthier but I absolutely think it makes the food taste better because it's better quality. Even my starter is fed with organic einkorn flour!
Ingredients:
Dough
- 16g active dry yeast
- 186g warm milk
- 150g sugar
- 100g sourdough starter
- 113.5g butter, softened (1 stick)
- 3g ground cinnamon
- 3g sea salt
- 680g all purpose flour
- 5g vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, room temperature
Filling
- 175g brown sugar
- 10g ground cinnamon
- 65g butter, softened
Icing
- 110g cream cheese, softened (about 1/2 of a block)
- 5g vanilla extract
- 15g half and half
- 130g powdered sugar
Directions:
- Add about 1-2 Tbsp of the sugar, yeast, and warm milk in a large bowl. Cover and let bloom 5-10 mins. You want it to look foamy on top and smell "yeasty".
- Add the rest of the sugar and butter. Beat until well mixed. The butter will be in small chunks and won't completely incorporate, that's okay. Add the eggs and vanilla, mix well.
- Add the the sourdough starter, salt, and cinnamon and mix until incorporated.
- Lastly add the flour, one cup at a time until dough forms a ball. Knead for about 10 minutes (I do this on the counter).
- Place back into the bowl and cover. Let rise about 2 hours. Once dough has risen turn it out onto a clean floured counter. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 12x24. You want the dough to be rolled out thin, but not too thin that it breaks when rolling into a log. About 1/4 in thick or so.
- Prepare the filling by combining all the filling ingredients into a bowl. I prefer to use my hands to mix it, but you can use a spoon or whatever you like. You want it to become a nice thick paste.
- Spread the filling all over the dough. Make sure to get it from edge to edge. Once the dough is covered in filling, start rolling the dough from the the long edge. Make sure your seam is at the bottom of your log. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. I use a dough scraper to mark before I cut.
- Line a baking dish with parchment paper. Place your cinnamon rolls in 4 rows of three. Cover tightly and place in the fridge overnight.
- In the morning, remove the cinnamon rolls from the fridge and let them rise on the counter about 1 hour. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350º F.
- Uncover the cinnamon rolls and place in the oven for about 25-30 minutes or until golden.
- While the cinnamon rolls are baking make your icing. Combine all the icing ingredients into a bowl and beat until smooth.
- Remove from the oven and immediately cover the rolls in the icing. Enjoy!
NOTE: If you want to bake these immediately instead of letting them ferment overnight, just skip throwing them in the fridge and instead let them rise a second time on the counter for about an hour before baking.
If you try these let me know what you think! These have become a family favorite already and are perfect for Christmas morning!
