Happy New Year friends! I’m starting the year off right by sharing this amazing sourdough cinnamon roll recipe with you. 2020 was the year of baking, and I love seeing how many people have jumped into the wonderful world of sourdough.

My dear friend Ruth Tam from Cook Til Delicious blog released her first cookbook called “Baked To Order”, which is a collection of sweet and savoury recipes with variations for each one! Ruth offers flour swaps, different shaping methods, mix-in alternatives and more, and it truly makes every recipe so versatile. I have followed Ruth for quite a while, and am always impressed by her attention to detail, meticulous recipe testing, and thorough trouble shooting tips. Seriously some of the most important skills to have when writing a cookbook! Whether you’re a beginner or a more experienced baker, this book would make a perfect baking companion. I am so excited to keep baking my way through this book, especially the entire bread section!

Now let’s talk about these sourdough cinnamon rolls! Ruth’s sourdough recipes are always impressive, and these rolls are no exception. As always, read through the whole recipe before jumping in! This recipe takes a couple days to make (or can be extended into several days!), so a bit of planning is required.

Ruth breaks it down into a few main steps: Make the levain. Mix the final dough. Shape and proof. Bake.

Here’s a quick summary of the times so you can get an idea of how to organize your baking:

Make the levain: ferment at room temp until doubled, about 8-12 hours.

Mix the final dough: mix dough and autolyse for 45 minutes.
Add salt and knead for 5 minutes. Add butter and knead for 10-15 minutes.
Shape into ball and rise for 2 hours.
Then stretch and fold, cover and refrigerate for minimum 8 hours, up to 24 hours.

Shape and proof: shape into rolls and proof for 8 hours or overnight.

Bake: bake for about 20 minutes.

Here’s what my timeline looked like:

Sourdough starter fed at 7 am and 7 pm for several days beforehand to ensure it’s nice and strong.

Day 1 (Morning): Build levain at 7 am with peak starter. Let it ferment until doubled, about 8-12 hours.

Day 1 (Evening between 5pm-7pm): Make dough (about 1 hour), then rise for 2 hours at room temperature. Stretch and fold and refrigerate overnight.

Day 2 (Morning): Shape into rolls and proof at room temp until doubled.

Day 2 (Afternoon/Evening): Bake for 20 minutes, make frosting, and serve!

P.S. My friend Erin from Cloudy Kitchen included her timeline in her blog post about this recipe that’s a bit different than mine, as well as loads of tips and tricks too if you want to pop over to her post and read more!

sourdough cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting

recipe: Ruth Tam - Baked to Order cookbook from Page Street Publishing - posted with permission

yield: about 9 large rolls

ingredients

Levain

18g (1 heaping tbsp) ripe sourdough starter (100% hydration)

31 g (2 tbsp) milk

57 g (1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp) bread flour

Final Dough

125 g (1 cup) bread flour

125 g (1 cup) all purpose flour

34 g (1/4 cup) spelt flour

48 g (4 tbsp) granulated sugar

21 g (3 tbsp) milk powder

1 large egg

104 g (1/3 cup plus 1 1/2 tbsp) milk

88 g (1/3 cup plus 2 tsp) heavy cream

All the levain (from above)

7 g (1 3/4 tsp) kosher salt

45 g (3 tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Filling

57 g (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature

100 g (1/2 cup) brown sugar (light or dark)

8 g (1 tbsp) ground cinnamon

pinch of salt

Cream Cheese Frosting

90 g (6 tbsp) cream cheese, at room temperature

56 g (4 tbsp) butter, at room temperature

3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

pinch of salt

68 g (1/2 cup plus 1 tbsp) icing sugar

Make the Levain:

In a medium bowl, mix the starter, milk, and flour together to form a stiff dough. Cover the bowl and ferment the levain at room temperature until more than doubled in volume, puffy, and domed, about 8 to 12 hours.

Mix the Final Dough:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix together the flours, sugar, milk powder, egg, milk, cream, and levain until just combined. Cover and autolyse (rest) for 45 minutes.

Add the salt and knead on medium-low speed until the gluten is moderately developed, about 5 minutes. The dough will start out sticky and rough but should gradually come together to feel quite smooth and stretchy. Turn the mixer to low and add the butter about 1 tablespoon at a time, incorporating each batch before adding the next. Turn the speed back up to medium-low and continue kneading until the gluten is well developed and the dough passes the windowpane test, about 10 to 15 minutes. The dough should be smooth and supple.

Shape the dough into a smooth ball and transfer to a lightly oiled container. Cover and let rise at room temperature for 2 hours. The dough will be noticeably expanded but not doubled. Stretch and fold the dough, cover, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, and up to 24 hours.

Shape, Proof, and Bake the Rolls:

When ready to shape, in a small bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, cinnamon, and salt to form a spreadable paste. Lightly crease a 9x9 inch baking pan, or 9 or 10 inch round cake pan (I used a cast iron skillet!). Take the dough out of the fridge and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 14-inch square, doing your best to maintain an even thickness.

Spread the filling mixture evenly over the dough, going all the way to the edges.

Roll the dough up like a jelly roll, pinching to seal. Turn the roll so the seam side is down.

Cut into 9 even pieces using a sharp knife or unflavoured dental floss. Transfer the rolls, cut side up, to the prepared pan, leaving space between each roll (they will rise and then bake up and spread).

Cover the rolls with a piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap. Proof at room temperature, about 74 to 76 degrees F, until the dough is very puffy and roughly doubled, about 8 hours or overnight.

About 45 minutes before you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400 degrees F, with a rack in the middle. Bake until the rolls are lightly golden and register 195 to 200 degrees F in the center, about 20 mintues.

Prepare the Cream Cheese Frosting:

While the rolls are baking, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add half the icing sugar and beat to combine. Add the remaining icing sugar and beat for 1 to 2 minutes or until fluffy.

Allow the rolls to cool on a wire rack before spreading with frosting. Serve immediately.

My tips:

• Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container unfrosted. Warm in the oven or for a few seconds in the microwave before frosting and serving. Alternatively, freeze in an airtight container for longer storage. Allow to come to room temperature before warming and serving.

• I found milk powder at Bulk Barn, and was able to buy just a few tablespoons since I don’t use it that much!

• I added a wee bit of vanilla bean paste to my frosting because those tiny flecks make me so happy to see! I also think a bit of citrus zest would be another lovely variation.

• Don’t be scared of how sticky the dough is when you first starting mixing! Trust Ruth and just let your mixer do its thing.

• Can you make these by hand? Possibly, but I haven’t tried, and there is a lot of kneading very sticky dough! If you’re very determined, I would lightly wet or oil my hands, but it may be a sticky nightmare!

• Ruth offers several variations of these in her book, including: baking as a loaf, black sesame filling, malted, and forming as a giant cinnamon roll. All excellent options that I do hope to try in the near future!

Congratulations again Ruth! You’ve made such a beautiful book with such lovely recipes for both everyday use and special occasions!
Find order links for Baked to Order HERE.

Happy cinnamon roll baking friends!