About the Recipe
Let's talk about cinnamon buns. Is there any pastry more beloved, more irresistible? I believe not!
With their soft, pillowy dough swirled with a sweet and spicy filling, topped with a creamy glaze, cinnamon buns are the epitome of comfort food.
They're not just a treat; they're a warm hug on a plate, a taste of home, and a reason to gather around the kitchen table with loved ones.
I definitely use the excuse of any holiday to make them. From Thanksgiving to Easter, Cinnamon Buns are a must have on my brunch table.
My favorite part of a cinnamon bun is the center most swirl. Where all the gooey goodness gets concentrated and lathered in that heavenly cinnamon sugar syrup that collects on the bottom.
I most often used regular bakers yeast for this kind of bake, but not since I have entered the world of sourdough. Now I am in recent making of any recipe that can be made with discard, beacuse who wants to let that glorious yeasty goodness go to waste? Not after all the hard work of feeding and maintaing it!
In the realm of baking, sourdough discard often gets overlooked or tossed aside, but I am here to show you why it deserves its moment in the spotlight.
So let's get started and jump into this magnificent recipe together!
Ingredients
Dough:
1 cup sourdough discard
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Filling:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Preparation
In a bowl, combine sourdough discard, milk, melted butter, sugar, and vanilla extract.
Mix well.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the sourdough mixture, stirring until a dough forms.
Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead for a few minutes until smooth. Roll it into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.
Spread the softened butter over the dough, leaving a border around the edges. Mix brown sugar and cinnamon, then sprinkle it evenly over the butter.
Roll the dough tightly from the long side, then slice into rolls about 1 inch thick.
Place the rolls in a greased baking dish, leaving space between each.
Allow them to rise for 1-2 hours, or until doubled in size.
Tip: use some thread or dental floss to cut your swirls. This will prevent you from squishing down the dough and will give you nice straight cuts through. Just make sure that if you are using floss that it is not flavored as this may leave a trace on your buns.
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and bake the cinnamon rolls for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
While the rolls are baking, mix powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract to make the icing.
Once the cinnamon rolls are out of the oven, drizzle the icing over them while still warm.
Enjoy your sourdough discard cinnamon buns!
