Since starting to make Sourdough Bread Recipes, I've experimented with moving on to make desserts. These Sourdough Cinnamon Buns with Cream Cheese Icing turned out delicious the first time I made them.
Buttermilk Sourdough Cinnamon Buns
Most of the bakes I make use Sourdough Discard recipes. I've made rustic sourdough bread, Jalapeno Bread, Sandwich Bread, Sourdough English Muffins, Pancakes, Sourdough Pizza Dough and Sourdough Apple Cake.
I'd been looking for a good, easy Cinnamon Bun recipe and found this one from Ultimate Food Geek Ben Starr YouTube channel.
In his food video, he also gives excellent tips for using, making and maintaining Buttermilk, which is used in this Cinnamon Bun recipe. That's the secret ingredient for rich-tasting Sourdough Cinnamon Buns!
One reason I like this Cinnamon Bun recipe is it's a no-knead recipe. I wait for the dough to rise, stretch it out and spread the buttery cinnamon mixture. It uses a lot of butter, but comes together easily with a fork.
Cream cheese icing or frosting has always been a favorite of my family on Carrot Cake, so I loved the idea on Cinnamon Buns!
Now I don't have to get store-bought buns that are loaded with chemicals and preservatives I can't pronounce. Sourdough is also gut healthy.
If you're ready to try your hand at making Sourdough recipes but don't know where to begin, check out Ben Starr. I've also joined a few great Sourdough Facebook Groups, but Ben Starr is really a great no-nonsense chef. There's so much disinformation on some of those groups, you just have to scroll by and sort out what makes sense and works for you.
I like to share my bakes with my family and friends!
Easy kitchen clean-up with Handmade Cotton Dish Cloths from Moomettes Crochet Shop!
Buttermilk Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Buns
In a large bowl, combine:
8oz / 227g sourdough starter (at 100% hydration...ideally unfed, straight from the fridge)
6oz / 170g buttermilk (any type)
2oz / 57 g (half a stick) unsalted butter, melted
2oz / 57g brown sugar (light or dark)
1 egg
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
Stir/whisk until smooth. Then add:
1 pound / 454g all purpose flour (or bread flour)
Stir with a fork, then finish mixing with your hand until you have a cohesive smooth dough. (A few seconds is generally sufficient.) Grease the bowl, cover tightly, and rise at least 12 hours, up to 24 hours...only longer if it takes that long for your starter to double the dough.
Soften 3 sticks (12 oz) unsalted butter and 8oz cream cheese.
In a bowl, for filling combine:
8oz / 227g (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
8oz / 227g brown sugar (light or dark)
1 tsp coarse or kosher salt (or 1/2 tsp fine or table salt)
2 Tablespoons cinnamon
Mash with a fork until well blended.
Generously flour the work surface, hands, and rolling pin. Remove the dough to the work surface, gently stretch into a rectangle shape, and gently roll out to 16-18" long and 12" wide (40-46cm x 20cm). Distribute globs of the cinnamon/butter/sugar mixture across the dough, and spread the mixture evenly across the rectangle, leaving a 1" border around the bottom and sides, but spreading the mixture almost to the edge of the top. Roll from the top edge down, carefully, ensuring a tight roll. Moisten the bottom edge of the dough, lift it up to meet the roll, and pinch to seal it well.
Using dental floss, fine kitchen twine, or a bread knife, cut an inch or two off each end of the log to even it, then divide the log into as many rolls as you wish to make. (12 is ideal, but it can be divided into fewer rolls for taller rolls, or more rolls for shorter rolls.)
Place the rolls into a greased heavy pan (pyrex, ceramic, cast iron are ideal, and I use a 10.5" x 14.5" pyrex). Rise 1 hour.
(If refrigerating overnight, after cutting, cover and immediately place rolls in refrigerator. Transfer them straight to the preheated oven to bake.)
Bake on the center rack of a preheated 325F / 160C oven for 35 minutes, rotating after 20 minutes. Gently brush with a small amount of frosting or soft/melted butter immediately after removing from oven. Let cool at least 15 minutes before final frosting, and serve.
If baked in advance, warm cinnamon rolls in a 300 degree oven for 10 minutes before serving.
Frost with icing of your choice
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