Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Few things are more rewarding than pulling these vegan sourdough cinnamon rolls from the oven. They're impossibly soft, packed with cinnamon sugar filling, and topped with a smooth cream cheese glaze.

Course Breads, Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 30

Fermentation Time 18

Total Time 19

Servings cinnamon rolls

Calories 371

Author Jessica Hylton

Ingredients

Dough:

1 cup unsweetened plant milk 240ml
3 tablespoons coconut cream 50g
1/2 cup active sourdough starter 150g
4 tablespoons olive oil 60ml
3 cups plus 3 tablespoons high gluten flour 400g
1/4 cup granulated sugar 50g
1 teaspoon fine sea salt slightly heaped, 7g

Filling:

5 tablespoons vegan butter softened, 70g
1 cup brown sugar 200g
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 5g

Cream Cheese Glaze:

2 ounces vegan cream cheese softened, 55g
3/4 cup powdered sugar 90g
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5ml
2 tablespoons vegan butter softened, 28g

Instructions

Prepare the active sourdough starter:

Mix. In a jar, mix 2 tablespoons sourdough starter (30g) with 1/2 cup all-purpose flour (60g) and 1/4 cup water (60ml). Stir until smooth.
Ferment. Cover loosely and let sit at room temperature for 4-8 hours, until doubled, bubbly, and slightly domed on top.

Make the dough:

Mix the dough. Add the plant milk, coconut cream, active sourdough starter, olive oil, and flour to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes, until a rough shaggy dough forms.
Sweeten. Add the granulated sugar and salt. Mix again on medium speed for 2 more minutes, until the dough looks more cohesive and starts pulling together around the hook.
Rest. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. This rest helps the flour hydrate fully and makes the dough easier to work with later.
Mix. Mix the dough again on medium speed for 2-3 minutes to strengthen it further.
Rest. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 40 minutes.

Stretch and fold:

Stretch and fold. With lightly wet hands, grab one side of the dough, stretch it upward, and fold it over toward the centre. Turn the bowl and repeat on all four sides.
Stretch and fold again. Cover and rest for another 40 minutes, then repeat the stretch and fold one more time. After the second fold, the dough should feel smoother, stronger, and more elastic.

Bulk fermentation:

Rest. Cover the bowl and let the dough sit at room temperature for about 1 1/2 hours. It won’t double, but it should look slightly puffier.
Cold ferment. Transfer the covered dough to the refrigerator and let it cold ferment overnight, about 12-18 hours.
Check the dough the next day. The chilled dough should look puffed and airy. When gently stretched, it should show thin web-like strands and small air pockets. This is a good sign that the gluten has developed and the dough has fermented properly.

Roll, fill, cut, and proof:

Roll. Lightly flour your work surface. Turn the cold dough out onto it and gently press it into a rectangle. Roll the dough into a rectangle about 18x12 inches (45x30cm). Try to keep the thickness even so the rolls bake evenly.
Fill. Spread the softened vegan butter evenly over the surface of the dough, leaving a small border around the edges. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle this mixture evenly over the buttered dough.
Roll. Starting from the long side, roll the dough up tightly into a log. Roll slowly and evenly so the filling stays in place.
Cut the rolls. Cut the log into 12 equal pieces. A sharp knife works, but unflavoured dental floss or thread often gives the cleanest cuts without squishing the rolls.
Final proof. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch (23x33cm) baking pan with a little oil or vegan butter.
Rise. Arrange the rolls in the pan, leaving a little space between them. Cover with a towel and let them rise at room temperature for 2-3 hours, or until noticeably puffy and expanded.

Bake and glaze:

Preheat the oven. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C).
Bake. Bake the cinnamon rolls for about 30 minutes, until golden on top and baked through in the centre. If they brown too quickly, loosely cover the pan with foil for the last part of baking.
Make the glaze. While the rolls cool slightly, add the softened vegan cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and softened vegan butter to a bowl. Whisk until smooth and creamy.
Finish. Let the cinnamon rolls cool for about 10-15 minutes so they are still warm but not piping hot. Spread the glaze over the warm rolls and serve.

Notes

Weigh everything. Weigh all of your ingredients for the best results.
Be patient. For soft, fluffy rolls, give the sourdough starter 12-18 hours to bubble up and activate.
Trust your eyes. Visual signs are more telling than the timer when you're trying to assess whether your dough has risen enough. Look for puffy, soft, airy dough.
Even thickness. When rolling the dough into a rectangle, aim for even thickness for even baking.
Tent. Keep an eye on the rolls. If they start to brown too quickly, tent them with aluminium foil.
Storage. Store any fully cooled leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. You can reheat them in the oven at 350°F for 5-10 minutes (covered) or pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds.

Nutrition

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