Now that you have two mother dough recipes to play with, homemade sourdough cinnamon rolls are just a couple of steps away. Rich sourdough brioche and sweet sourdough crescent dough both taste delicious when rolled with cinnamon and sugar. The tangy sourdough base comes through the other flavors. (If you need still sourdough starter, request it in the Sharing fermented starters Facebook group.) A buttermilk glaze enhances that tanginess, especially if yet another starter culture was used to sour the milk.
Sourdough cinnamon rolls won’t adapt to every dough. For my first attempt, I used pizza dough, which failed to produce the buttery, flaky layers I expect in these breakfast buns. So choose between the brioche or the crescent dough for the best results.
Opinions differ on when to glaze cinnamon rolls. Some people like the icing to work its way into the hot roll swirls and pool around their base. Others prefer a stiffer topping and let the rolls cool before glazing.
Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls with Buttermilk Glaze
Makes 12 rolls
1 ball Sourdough Brioche Roll dough or 2 balls Sourdough Crescent Roll dough
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
3 tablespoons toasted walnuts or pecans, chopped (optional)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
For the glaze:
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional)
2 tablespoons cultured buttermilk
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 12-by-21 inch rectangle; let it rest as needed, so that the gluten relaxes, before rolling it out completely. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon and chopped nuts, if desired. Brush the dough rectangle with the melted butter and then sprinkle it with the cinnamon mixture, leaving a small, bare margin along one of the long edges.
From the opposite long edge, fold up a small portion of the dough, starting at one corner and working to the other end of that edge. Repeat the process, one tight revolution at a time, to roll the dough into a snug log. Press the bare margin enough to seal the outside edge. Using a sharp knife, cut the log into 12 slices about 1-3/4 inches long.
Butter a 9-by-13 inch baking pan and space out the slices in it, cinnamon swirls facing up. Cover the pan with a damp towel and let the dough rest at room temperature for 2-1/2 hours, until the rolls relax and begin to puff up.
During the last 30 minutes of proofing time, preheat the oven to 350°F. Cover the pan with foil to trap steam and bake for 20 minutes. Remove the foil, rotate the pan and then bake for another 15 minutes, until lightly brown on top. Let the rolls cool slightly or to room temperature.
In a small bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar. Add the vanilla, if desired, and buttermilk; beat until smooth, thickening with sugar or thinning with buttermilk as needed. Spread or drizzle the glaze on the cinnamon rolls.
Julie Laing is a Bigfork-based cookbook author and food blogger at TwiceAsTasty.com.