This recipe for sourdough cinnamon rolls is easy with a flexible schedule and the best part, these cinnamon rolls are soft, fluffy and delicious with a delightful cream cheese glaze.
Mix the Dough: Combine the dry ingredients--flour, sugar, salt--in a bowl of a stand mixer. In a separate bowl lightly whisk the milk, egg and starter before adding to the dry ingredients. Using the paddle attachment of your stand mixer, mix on low speed (setting #2) until no dry patches are visible (three to four minutes).
Knead the Dough: Switch to the dough hook attachment, increase the speed to #4 and knead the dough until smooth, incorporating one chunk of butter at a time, waiting until mostly or fully incorporating until adding the next piece. You may want to stop the mixer to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times. Knead until the dough is soft and very smooth. This could take seven to ten minutes.
Bulk Fermentation/Stretch and Folds: Transfer the dough to another bowl to continue bulk fermentation. It will be wet and sticky (this is okay) so I recommend using a bowl scraper for a cleaner transfer. Cover with plastic wrap. Perform three to four stretch and fold sessions over this stage. You want the dough to rise 50-70%, depending on the temperature. If your dough is on the cooler side (70ºF or below) this could take several hours and less if warmer.
Overnight Cold Retard: After bulk fermentation, store the dough in the refrigerator overnight. It may rise more and this is okay.
Prepare the Cinnamon-Sugar Filling: Stir together all filling ingredients until well-combined. Set Aside.
Roll Out the Dough and Add Filling: Dust your work surface and rolling pin with flour. Take your cold dough and roll out until you have roughly a 12 by 15 inch rectangle. From the refrigerator your dough will be firm but this should make it easier to roll out. Feel free to dust the dough or your work surface with more flour if it starts to stick. Spread the filling all over the surface using an offset spatula but leave a half-inch border on the far, long side. The filling
Divide: Starting from the long edge closest to you start to roll the dough carefully and as tightly as you can without pulling on the dough or stretching it too much. Moisten the long edge with a little water and pinch against the log to seal. Tidy up the log to make it as uniform as possible. Trim the ends. Use a knife, bench scraper or dental floss to divide the log and transfer cut side up to a parchment-lined baking pan. For the cinnamon rolls pictured in this post I got eight pieces that are about 1 3/4 inches tall. You can divide to get nine pieces or ten, depending on the size of your baking pan. I like a thicker roll and use an 8x8 inch square pan. Make sure you use a baking pan large enough to give the rolls room to expand. Tip: The parchment paper makes it easier to transfer the baked cinnamon rolls into the pan.
Final Proof: Cover the rolls with plastic wrap or a towel and allow to proof until they've risen another 60-80%. The time will depend on temperature. Tip: This stage is also flexible. If you need step out, you can refrigerate the rolls and continue the final proof later. Or you can allow to rise then refrigerate until you're ready to bake.
Bake: Preheat your oven to 375ºF. Bake the cinnamon rolls until they're just starting to turn a lightly golden at the edges, about 25-28 minutes . You don't want to over-bake them but the rolls should expand quite a bit during baking.
Prepare Glaze and Spread Over Cinnamon Rolls: Allow the baked cinnamon rolls to cool for a few minutes before adding the glaze. To prepare, whisk or stir together all the glaze ingredients until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding more milk if you want a little thinner or runnier glaze. Spread over the tops of the cinnamon rolls and serve warm. Tip: The glazed rolls will keep in the refrigerator for a few days. I heat them up in the microwave for 10-15 seconds and they are just fine.
Bulk Fermentation Tip: If your schedule is tight, you can stretch this process over two days. Refrigerate the dough sooner and continue bulk fermentation the next day. I've done this with no adverse results.
COPYRIGHT © 2010 - 2018 LEMONS + ANCHOVIES. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.