Like most of my recipes, I get inspired by one and then research and combine three or four just to make that one thing. It annoys my husband to no end, but I tend to treat recipes as a general guideline rather than a step-by-step manual. The rest I leave up to creativity, curiosity, and taste. This one was no different.

The first time I made these cinnamon rolls, everything went smoothly until the 6th and final day. That day I screwed up royally and ended up have to discard everything. To say that I was disappointed would be an understatement. However, mistakes in the kitchen happen. All we can do is learn from them and try again.

After my blunder, I sat down and physically wrote out this recipe for my blog. Finally I had just one recipe to follow, rather than a couple. I made them again from my own instructions, and they more than turned out. They were soooooooo good. Even though I made quite a few batches, we polished them all off in no time at all.

If you feel like making some cinnamon rolls that take a little extra time, love, and patience, these are the ones for you! I promise they will work for you. ;-)))

Good luck!

Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 2 dozen

Ingredients:

(For the bubbly starter)
1 cup whole wheat or whole rye flour
½ cup cool water
14 cups all-purpose flour

(For the dough)
1 ⅓ cup milk
8 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
2 large eggs
1 cup bubbly starter
4 tbsp sugar
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
oil, to grease

(For the filling)
2 cups brown sugar, packed
4 tbsp ground cinnamon
⅔ cup unsalted butter, melted

Glaze optional

Steps: 

1. You need to first make a bubbly starter that will eventually go into your Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls. This takes nearly a week to prepare. I recommend starting in the morning. Day one: Mix 1 cup of whole wheat (or rye) flour together with ½ cup water in a medium non-reactive bowl. This includes glass, food-grade plastic, stainless steel, etc. Stir thoroughly, cover with a tea towel, and let rest at room temperature for 24 hours.

2. Get in the practice of discarding most of the bubbly starter. The original recipe called for throwing half of it away on day two. Meanwhile, the end result was to yield less than 10 cinnamon rolls. What I did instead was keep both halves of the starter on the second day, thus doubling the recipe. So, day two: Divide the bubbly starter into two, placing each half in a medium non-reactive bowl. Add 1 cup of all-purpose flour and ½ cup of lukewarm water into each bowl. Mix well, cover, and leave for another 24 hours.

3. Day three: Today you should notice some bubbling and a fruity aroma. Today also signals the start of two daily feedings, each one 12 hours apart. Separate 1 cup of bubbly starter from each bowl and throw out the rest. Put that cup of starter back into the bowl and add 1 cup of all-purpose flour and ½ cup of lukewarm water. Mix well, cover, and repeat again in 12 hours.

4. Day four: Repeat the steps for day three.

5. Day five: Repeat the steps for day three.

6. Now it is time to prepare the dough. Again I recommend starting in the morning, only to let it rest for approximately 12 hours. Then that evening you will be able to make and bake the cinnamon rolls! Day six: Using a large bowl, combine 1 egg, ½ cup of bubbly starter, and 2 tbsp of sugar. While stirring, add ⅔ cup of warm milk and 4 tbsp of room temperature butter. Next add 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour and ½ tsp of salt, forming into a rough dough. Cover with a damp tea towel and let rest for 30 minutes. Repeat steps in a separate large bowl, thus make 2 rough balls of dough.

After the dough has rested, flour your countertop and knead for approximately 6 minutes. It should be soft and somewhat tacky. Put the dough in a medium bowl that has been coated with butter. Cover with a damp tea towel. Repeat with the second batch of dough. Set both aside for 8-12 hours at room temperature.

7. Once 8-12 hours have gone by, it is finally time to roll the dough. On a lightly floured countertop, drop one of the dough mixtures. Stretch it as best as possible with your hands. Then using a floured rolling pin, smooth it out into a 12”x16” rectangle. Combine 1 cup of brown sugar, 2 tbsp of ground cinnamon, and ⅓ cup of melted butter in a medium bowl. Spread onto the rolled out dough, leaving a ½ inch border along the edges. Then starting from the longest edge, carefully roll to the other side. Cut in 1 ½” pieces with a serrated knife in order to yield approximately 12 cinnamon rolls. Place onto well-greased 9”x9” baking dish and set aside for 1-2 hours. Repeat with the second dough. Preheat oven to 350°F and bake for approximately 40 minutes or until rolls are golden brown. Remove, let cool, and add glaze if desired. Finally, it is time to enjoy your amazing, melt-in-your-mouth Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls.

Emory

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