Best Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls Ever (Better Than Cinnabon!)

🥖 Sourdough Cinnamon Buns – The Fluffiest Ever

These cinnamon buns are soft, puffy, and stay fresh for days. Follow this easy, relaxed sourdough recipe and fill your kitchen with the warm scent of autumn spices.

🌱 Starter (begin night before)

5 g active sourdough starter

100 g Canadian wheat flour (14 % protein)

100 g water

Feed at 8 pm (22 °C) and let it ferment overnight. By 10 am next morning it should be bubbly and ready.

🍞 Dough

180 g warm milk (28–29 °C)

120 g water (28–29 °C)

12 g salt

100 g sugar

1 large egg

200 g ripe starter (from above)

500 g high-quality flour (≈13 % protein)

100 g softened butter

🍯 Filling

90 g softened butter (softened)

150 g muscovado sugar (rich caramel flavour)

2 Tbsp ground cinnamon

🍧 Frosting

90 g softened butter

150 g icing sugar

100 g cream cheese

🥐 Method

Mix & Autolyse
Combine milk, water, salt, sugar, egg, and ripe starter. Add flour and mix (this is a wet dough—don’t add more flour).
Cover and rest 30 min (autolyse).

Add Butter & Knead
Knead 8–12 min, adding butter gradually until fully incorporated, smooth and shiny.

Bulk Fermentation
Proof at 26 °C for about 3 h, covered.
Optional: after the first 90 min, perform 1–2 gentle stretch-and-folds to strengthen the dough.

Shape
Lightly oil your work surface and rolling pin. Roll dough to a 40 × 30 cm rectangle.
Spread butter, sprinkle muscovado sugar and cinnamon evenly. Roll into a tight log and cut into 12 pieces.

Final Proof
Arrange buns in a pan, cover, and proof 4 h at 26 °C (place a tray of water inside for moisture).

Bake
Preheat oven to 190 °C. Bake 25 min, until golden and puffy.

Frost
Beat butter, then whip in icing sugar and cream cheese. Spread over warm (not hot) buns for the perfect creamy glaze.

💡 Tip: Use strong, high-protein flour for the best gluten development and lasting softness.

Enjoy the fluffiest sourdough cinnamon buns—rich, spiced, and irresistibly soft. Perfect for cozy mornings or festive afternoons.

There’s nothing like the smell of sourdough cinnamon buns recipe magic coming to life in your kitchen. These sourdough cinnamon rolls rise slowly overnight, creating the softest sourdough buns you’ve ever tasted. Each soft cinnamon bun is made completely from scratch, proving that homemade cinnamon rolls really can be the best cinnamon rolls recipe you’ll ever try. With this method, cinnamon buns from scratch transform into a beautifully enriched sourdough sweet dough, the kind of overnight sourdough recipe that rewards patience with unmatched flavor. The result is an enriched sourdough dough that bakes into artisan cinnamon buns worthy of any bakery window. These are true bakery style cinnamon rolls, yet the process stays approachable—an easy cinnamon rolls method anyone can master. Follow along and create a soft cinnamon roll recipe that brings warmth, comfort, and a touch of artisan baking to your home.