Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Spread:

Mix or whisk everything together in a bowl so there are few clumps remaining. Keep covered until used (brown sugar dries out very fast).

Glaze:

Add everything to a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk until creamy and soft. It’s best, and easiest, to use a mixer or handheld beater for this, but if you want a workout a handheld whisk will work. The mixer will ensure there are no stray clumps of cream cheese lingering about.

Dough Preparation
1. Mix

First, take out butter and cut into 1/4” to 1/2” squares, let sit in a bowl for 30 minutes to warm to room temperature while gathering and mixing other ingredients.

Mixing will take place in three stages (clockwise starting in upper-left in the image below, the last image is the final dough).

The first stage will be the initial incorporation of all the ingredients which is then allowed to rest for 10 minutes.

The second stage will be strengthening the gluten in the dough before adding butter.

The third, and final stage will be adding the room temperature butter blocks to the strengthened dough.

Initial Incorporation
In a medium bowl add the cold eggs, cold whole milk, sugar and mature sourdough
starter.

Whisk together until incorporated.

Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the hook attachment. Set the mixer to low (level “1” on my machine, one notch above “STIR”) and slowly start to pour the liquid into the mixer bowl. Add a little at a time over the course of 3 minutes. Once finished the dough will look very wet and have clumps, let it rest for 10 minutes before further strengthening.

Strengthen Dough

Roll the dough out to a rectangle only when it’s completely chilled
After the 10 minute rest turn the mixer to medium speed (number “4” on my machine) and mix for about 5-6 minutes until the dough starts to come together and all clumps have disappeared. The dough should start to pull from the sides of the bowl but it will not completely remove from the bottom. If the dough just doesn’t want to come together and it’s overly wet add a little flour, a tablespoon at a time, until it comes together.

Incorporate Butter
Butter temperature is important. It should be slightly cold to the touch but easily pliable. If the butter is too cold it won’t incorporate easily into the dough, if it’s too warm (almost melting) then it will make for a greasy dough. Don’t fret if the temperature is off, pop the bowl with butter in the microwave for 10 seconds to warm slowly or place into freezer for a minute or two to firm up.
Adjust as necessary.
Add the butter to the dough one square at a time, waiting until the previous block is absorbed before adding the next. It incorporates easiest if placed right where the hook meets the dough.
Continue until all the butter is added and there are no butter patches visible, this could take 8-10 minutes at low/medium mix speed.

2. Bulk Fermentation
Transfer the mixed dough to a bulk container and let ferment for 2 hours at 75ºF. Just like when baking sourdough bread, do 3 to 4 sets of stretch and folds during bulk spaced out by 30 minutes. If the dough is very strong after the third set omit the last set but let the dough rest for a full 2 hours.

3: Chill Dough
Place the covered bulk container into the fridge for at least 2 hours (I like 3-4 hours), or overnight.
The timing here is very flexible, I’ve done overnight batches that turn out fantastic. This way the rolls could be prepared the day before, shaped and proofed first thing the morning, and then baked so they’re fresh for breakfast (or late breakfast, depending on when you get up).

The dough does need to be completely cold and firm to the touch before rolled out, do not shortcut this step.

4. Shape Rolls
Before rolling out the dough make the Brown Sugar Cinnamon mixture (see recipe, above).
Flour your work surface. Then, remove the chilled dough from the fridge and turn it out to the floured surface. Flour the top of the dough and the rolling pin and begin rolling the dough.
Roll it out to a 11” x 21” rectangle that is oriented so one of the long sides is near your body and the squat ends are to the sides. Use a bench knife and a dusting of flour anywhere the dough sticks to the surface. Try to keep your warm hands off the dough as much as possible to avoid heating it up. Sprinkle the dry Brown Sugar Cinnamon mixture evenly over the dough but leave a small margin at the very top bare. When the dough is rolled up that small margin will help seal the roll.

Transfer the cut discs to a baking pan with some space around each one.
(Place the rolling pin in the freezer while the dough is chilling to help it keep cold)
(If the dough warms up excessively while rolling out, transfer to a baking sheet and place in the fridge for 15 minutes to cool)
(If the dough is very pliable and warm after it’s completely rolled up place the entire rolled “log” into the fridge on a baking sheet before cutting)

7. Proof

Place the baking pan with cut dough somewhere warm, around 77ºF, to let proof for 2 hours. During proof, the rolls will relax out and start to puff up, eventually they may touch each other but it depends on how much space you have between rolls.

Don’t be alarmed if you see any sugary liquid leaking out of the rolls, it’s totally normal. Additionally, if any of the layers develop gaps between them it only means when they rise in the oven they’ll be a little more interesting with pieces jutting up and out — beautiful.

8. Bake – Preheat oven at 4:00 p.m., Bake at 4:40 p.m.

Preheat oven to 350ºF during the last 30 minutes of proof. Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 40-50 minutes until the rolls look well colored.

Spread the glaze over the rolls once cooled.