Baking Instructions

Estimated time: 12 minutes

Overview

Questions

• How do you prepare the sourdough cinnamon rolls?

Objectives

• Be able to produce a batch of delicious cinnamon rolls
• Understand how to adjust proofing time

The Night Before

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Mix the dough:

• Use a box grater to shred the cold butter into a large mixing bowl.
• Add the flour to the bowl and use a fork, bench scraper, or pastry cutter (if you have one) to cut the butter into the flour.
• Add the sourdough starter discard, buttermilk, honey and salt.
• Use a spatula or wooden spoon to mix until the ingredients are well incorporated.
• Cover the bowl and let it rest for 10-12 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen (more time for cooler kitchens, less time for warmer ones).

The Next Morning

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Make cinnamon sugar filling and glaze:

• Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.
• In a separate bowl, mix the glaze ingredients.
• Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C) and butter a 12” cast iron skillet or deep baking container (glass or enamel will work just fine).

Add leavening agents to dough:

If using active sourdough starter, skip this step.

• Use a fork to mix the baking powder and baking soda in a small bowl until they are evenly mixed with no clumps.
• Sprinkle the mixture evenly on top of the dough and use your hands to mix it in, distributing it evenly throughout the dough.

Roll out the dough:

• Flour your work surface generously and tip the dough out of the bowl onto it.
• Sprinkle flour across the top of the dough.
• Use a rolling pin to roll the dough into a roughly 12” x 24” (30cm x 61cm) rectangle, which should be about 1/4” (0.5cm) thick.

Cut out rolls:

• Use a pastry brush to coat the top of the dough with melted butter. If you don’t have a pastry brush, you can drizzle it and use a finger to spread it somewhat evenly.
• Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the surface of the rolls so that it sticks to the melted butter, leaving a half inch (1cm) bare along the edges.
• Starting on one of the long sides of the rectangle, roll the dough into a log shape, so the log is about 24” (61cm) long
• Use the bench scraper or a knife to cut the log into 12 pieces, approximately 2 inches (5cm) long.
• Arrange the pieces in the baking vessel so the “swirls” are upright, leaving space in between each piece so they can expand while baking.

Bake:

• Bake the cinnamon rolls for 35-40 minutes or until the tops show a nice golden-brown color.
• Remove from the oven and drizzle glaze over the rolls while they are still hot.

A batch of cinnamon rolls partway through baking, wafting a very tempting aroma throughout the kitchen.