Overnight Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls Recipe (With Active Starter)
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Who doesn’t love waking up to the smell of fresh cinnamon rolls baking in the oven? This sourdough cinnamon rolls recipe takes your favorite breakfast treat to the next level with that amazing tangy sourdough flavor we all love. The best part? You can make the dough the night before, so you’ll have warm, gooey cinnamon rolls ready in just 30 minutes the next morning!
This overnight sourdough cinnamon rolls recipe is perfect for busy families who want homemade goodness without the early morning rush. Using your sourdough starter cinnamon rolls method, you’ll get soft, fluffy rolls with a slightly tangy twist that makes them absolutely irresistible.
Even though this sourdough recipe is pretty straightforward, I give you two scenarios for mixing the dough, shaping, and baking so they’re ready when you are.
Ingredient Notes & Tips
Let’s talk about what makes these sourdough cinnamon roll recipe ingredients special:
Active Sourdough Starter: Make sure your starter is bubbly and active. It should have doubled in size and smells slightly sour and yeasty. If your starter has been in the fridge, feed it and let it come to room temperature first.
Warm Milk: The milk should feel just warm to the touch, not hot. Too hot will kill your starter’s natural yeasts.
Brown Sugar: Using brown sugar instead of white gives extra moisture and a deeper flavor that pairs beautifully with cinnamon.
Butter: Make sure it’s melted but not hot for the dough. For the filling, softened butter (not melted!). You want the butter to be at room temperature meaning that when pressed with your finger it leaves a dent, not melted or runny. It spreads much more easily and won’t make your dough soggy.
All-Purpose Flour: This recipe works best with regular all-purpose flour. Bread flour will make the rolls too chewy.
How to Make Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Making these rolls is easier than you think! The secret is planning ahead and letting time do most of the work.
Note: For the following scenario, I make my dough, and do 2 stretch and folds 30 minutes apart in the evening. I then finish the rolls the next day after an overnight rise at room temperature.
I’ve also made these rolls the same day and just baked them the next day. I explain how to do this further down.
Day One Evening (or Morning): Mix your dough ingredients in a large bowl until everything comes together. Don’t worry about making it perfect – sourdough is forgiving! Knead for just 4-5 minutes until the dough feels soft and slightly tacky. Do two sets of stretch and folds 30 minutes apart, then let it rise overnight at room temperature.
Next Morning: Your dough should be puffy and smell amazing! Roll it into a rectangle, spread your cinnamon-sugar filling, roll it up.
Soft fluffy dough
Roll into Rectangle- Spread the filling
- Roll dough over filling
Cut the rolled dough into 8 pieces using a sharp knife or dental floss (unflavored). Place them in a prepared baking pan. We used a 9-inch springform pan. You could use a pie plate or a round cake pan.
Note: If you are using a spring-form pan, place a baking sheet under the pan (lower rack in the oven) or wrap the pan in aluminum foil to avoid possible leakage.
Pop them in the oven for 30 minutes, and you’re done!
The beauty of this recipe is that the long, slow rise develops incredible flavor while you sleep.
Once your rolls are cool, prepare the glaze. Combine the powdered sugar and the milk. If the icing is too thin, add more (confectioners’) sugar. If it’s too thick, add a bit of milk.
Same Day Shaping Scenario
I always make sure when I make your recipes, I try to put myself in your shoes. Then I thought, what if I don’t have the time for rolling, filling, and cutting in the morning? Because let’s be honest, we won’t wake up at 5 am if we can avoid it.
So I made the recipe again. I made the dough at 8 am on one day. Let it rise throughout the day and roll the cinnamon rolls at 5 PM. I have a hot kitchen so it works. I place the cinnamon rolls in the prepared baking dish, cover them with plastic wrap, and placed them in the refrigerator. The next morning, I removed the rolls from the refrigerator while I preheated my oven. Once my oven is at temperature I bake my cinnamon rolls. They turn out the same way.
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Delicious Variations to Try
Once you master this basic sourdough starter cinnamon rolls recipe, have fun with these tasty twists:
Apple Cinnamon: Add diced apples to your filling for a fall-inspired treat.
Orange Rolls: Replace cinnamon with orange zest and make an orange glaze instead.
Nutty Delight: Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts over the filling before rolling.
Extra Spicy: Add a pinch of nutmeg or cardamom to your cinnamon filling.
Mini Rolls: Cut smaller pieces for bite-sized treats perfect for parties.
Storage Tips That Actually Work
These rolls taste best fresh from the oven, but life happens! Here’s how to keep them delicious:
Room Temperature: Store covered for 2-3 days. They’ll stay soft and yummy.
Refrigerator: Keep for up to 6 days in an airtight container.
Reheating: Pop them in the air fryer at 330°F for 2-3 minutes, or microwave for 15-20 seconds.
Make-Ahead Tip: After cutting the rolls, you can cover and refrigerate them overnight. Just let them come to room temperature while your oven preheats, then bake as usual!
Best Ways to Serve These Beauties
While these rolls are amazing on their own, they also make a delicious and filling breakfast when served with our ground Sausage and Potatoes, or a lighter Mango Kiwi Smoothie.
Recipes You’ll Love Too
If you’re loving these sourdough cinnamon rolls, you’ll definitely want to try these other breakfast favorites:
- Sourdough Pancakes (perfect for using sourdough discard!)
- Classic Sourdough Bread – Most popular overnight recipe.
- Sourdough Waffles with Fresh Berries
- French Toast Casserole – Perfect for stale bread
- Homemade Yogurt Parfait with Granola – A great addition to your morning cinnamon roll.
Ready to Bake Some Magic?
There’s nothing quite like homemade cinnamon rolls, and this overnight sourdough cinnamon rolls recipe makes it so easy to treat your family to something special. The tangy sourdough flavor, the warm cinnamon filling, and that sweet glaze create the perfect comfort food that everyone will remember.
Don’t forget to take a picture of your beautiful rolls before they disappear! We’d love to see how yours turned out. Drop a comment below and rate this recipe 5 stars if you loved it as much as we do. Your feedback helps other home bakers discover these amazing sourdough cinnamon rolls too!
Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls Recipe (with Starter)
Equipment
- 9-inch Springform Pan or baking dish
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS:
- ⅔ cups warm milk
- ½ cup butter melted
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ cup sourdough starter active
- 1 egg
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
Cinnamon filling
- ⅓ cup butter not melted but softened at room temperature
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 tsp ground cinnamon
Glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
Instructions
Day 1: Late afternoon or evening make the dough
- In a large mixing bowl, add the milk, melted butter, and brown sugar. Mix well.
- Add the active starter and egg. Mix to combine.
- Add the flour in 2 or 3 increments. Mix well in between each increment.
- Add the salt with the last flour addition.
- Mix until all ingredients are combined. You don’t see any more dry flour.
- Transfer to a lightly floured working surface and knead for 4 to 5 minutes. The dough will be soft and tacky but not sticky.
- Place the dough back into a bowl and cover for 30 minutes.
- Stretch the dough like you will do for sourdough bread. At 12 o’clock pull and fold back in the middle. Repeat at 3,6, and 9.
- Rest the dough for 30 minutes and repeat the stretching.
- Cover the dough and let it rise for 8 hours or overnight at room temperature. If you have a hot kitchen make sure you are closer to 8 hours.
- In the morning get the filling ready
- In a mixing bowl, mix butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon to create a paste. Set aside.
Make the cinnamon rolls
- Roll the dough in a 17 x 12-inch approximately rectangle.
- Spread the filling on the dough to approximately ½ inch from the side.
- Tightly roll the dough into a log. Leaving the seam down.
- Use a knife or dental floss to cut into 8 equal pieces. Approximately 2 inches each. You may need to cut the tips to make the rolls more even.
- Place in the prepared 9-inch baking dish. I used a springform pan for ease of serving. But you can use a pie dish or cake dish. Cover the baking dish with a towel.
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F.
- Bake the cinnamon rolls in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes. The cinnamon rolls are done when the dough is 190 °F and golden.
- Cool the cinnamon rolls for 10-15 minutes.
Make the glaze
- Mix powdered sugar and milk in a mixing bowl.
- Pour over the cinnamon rolls.
Video
Notes
- BAKING PAN OPTIONS
- If you are using a spring-form pan, place a baking sheet under the pan (lower rack in the oven) or wrap the pan in aluminum foil to avoid possible leakage.
- STORAGE
- Storage: Once they are cooled off, place in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days or refrigerator for 5-6 days.
- Re-warm: Place in the air fryer at 330 degrees F for 2-3 minutes.
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
This recipe was calculated using the exact brands and measurements I used to make this recipe. If you are following a strict diet please note changing anything will cause the nutritional info to change. My calculations are intended as a guide only.
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