Sourdough Brioche Cinnamon Rolls (Naturally Leavened, Overnight Recipe)
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These overnight sourdough brioche cinnamon rolls are naturally fermented (no added yeast here!). They are fluffy, packed with flavor, and seriously, the best cinnamon rolls I have ever had. I don’t say that lightly. Top with a lovely cream cheese frosting, and you’ve got yourself a nice little weekend breakfast!
These cinnamon rolls dang near brought a tear to my eye when I tasted them. They turned out so beautifully! I use the same dough recipe I created for my sourdough chocolate babka, which is a brioche dough.
If you’re not familiar with brioche, it is an enriched dough (made with butter, eggs, and milk). The high egg and butter content relative to the flour makes it a rich, soft, fluffy dough, absolutely perfect for cinnamon rolls.
The best part of this recipe is that you can mix the dough at night before bed, cover the dough to let it rise, then prep the rolls in the morning to bake!
Looking for more sourdough recipes? Check these out:
- sourdough pizza crust
- sourdough discard raspberry white chocolate cookies
- sourdough millionaire’s shortbread
- sourdough French bread
Naturally Fermented Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Unlike my sourdough discard cinnamon rolls (that combine inactive sourdough starter and active dry yeast), these brioche sourdough cinnamon rolls are long-fermented and naturally rise from the active, bubbly sourdough starter. There is no active-dry yeast added to this recipe.
How to Make Sourdough Brioche Cinnamon Rolls
I like to make the dough for these cinnamon rolls right before I head to bed for the evening. That way, I can prep them and let them rise for a couple of hours before baking the next morning.
If you can’t bake them the next day, you can assemble the rolls, cover them, and refrigerate them until you’re ready for the second rise and baking.
Add the sourdough starter, milk, flour, eggs, salt, sugar, and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
Mix on low to medium speed until a shaggy dough forms.
With the mixer running, add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed.
Increase speed to medium and knead until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
*Alternatively, you can knead by hand and gradually incorporate the butter.
Cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature until risen 30–50% (8–12 hours, depending on temperature).
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a 12 x 18–inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.
Spread the softened butter evenly over the dough.
Sprinkle with brown sugar, followed by ground cinnamon.
Use a pizza cutter or pastry wheel to cut the dough into 12 even strips (about 1½ inches wide). I do this by first slicing the rectangle in half, then cutting each half in half, and finally dividing each section into thirds.
Place the rolls into a greased baking dish, spacing evenly.
Cover and let the rolls rise for 1-2 hours or until they are puffy and lightly touching.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour heavy cream evenly over the rolls.
Bake until golden, and the internal temperature reaches 190°F.
While the cinnamon rolls are cooling, cream together the butter and cream cheese. Then add the vanilla extract and powdered sugar. Mix until smooth and creamy.
Spread over the rolls and enjoy!
Helpful Tips to Make These the BEST Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
- Use an active, bubbly starter or levain. A strong starter ensures a proper rise, especially with enriched brioche dough.
- Be patient with the first rise. Brioche dough rises slowly due to the butter, eggs, and sugar—8–12 hours is completely normal.
- Add butter gradually. Adding the butter one tablespoon at a time helps it fully incorporate and creates a smooth, elastic dough.
- Roll the dough evenly. Keeping the dough an even thickness helps the cinnamon rolls bake uniformly. I like to cut each strip every 1 1/2 inches.
- Pour heavy cream before baking. Slowly pour 1/4 cup heavy cream over the risen rolls just before baking for extra-soft, fluffy cinnamon rolls.
- Check doneness with a thermometer. The rolls are fully baked when the internal temperature reaches 190°F.
- Frost while warm. Spreading the frosting over warm rolls helps it melt slightly and soak into the swirls.
Equipment Needed
- Stand mixer with dough hook
- Mixing bowl
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Kitchen scale
- Silicone spatula
- Rolling pin
- Pizza cutter or pastry wheel
- 9×13-inch baking dish
- Plastic wrap or clean kitchen towel
- Instant-read thermometer
- Offset spatula or butter knife (for frosting)
Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
Store leftover baked cinnamon rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days. You can also refrigerate them for up to 5 days.
Assemble the rolls the day ahead of baking: Assemble the cinnamon rolls the day before you plan to bake them. Cover the pan tightly and refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove the rolls from the fridge and let them sit at room temperature until they’re puffy and touching, then bake as directed.
Freeze: You can also freeze the assembled, unbaked rolls. Place them in an airtight container and freeze for up to one month. When you’re ready to bake, thaw them at room temperature until they’ve fully thawed and risen, then bake as instructed.
Looking for more sourdough recipes? Check these out!
- sourdough apple carrot muffins
- sourdough garlic and herb knots
- pumpkin cheesecake with sourdough graham cracker crust
- sourdough graham crackers
- sourdough white chocolate raspberry cookies
Sourdough Brioche Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Levain
- 30 grams sourdough starter
- 60 grams flour
- 60 grams filtered water
For the Brioche Dough
- 2/3 cup active sourdough starter 150g
- 1/2 cup whole milk warm (100-110℉) (122g)
- 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 390g
- 2 large eggs room temperature (105g)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt 2g
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar 53g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5g
- 8 tablespoons salted butter softened (113g)
For the Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- 1/3 cup salted butter softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
To Pour Over Cinnamon Roll Dough
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 tablespoons salted butter softened
- 4 oz cream cheese softened
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Make the Levain
- In a small bowl or jar, combine the active sourdough starter, flour, and water.Mix until fully combined and no dry flour remains.Cover loosely and let rest at room temperature for 6–10 hours, or until doubled, bubbly, and at peak activity.Use 150g levain in your recipe once it has risen and just begins to dome or slightly recede in the center.
Make the Brioche Dough
- Add the sourdough starter, milk, flour, eggs, salt, sugar, and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook.
- Mix on low to medium speed until a shaggy dough forms.
- With the mixer running, add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Increase the speed to medium and knead for 7–10 minutes, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and clings to the dough hook. *Brioche dough is known for being a wet dough. You're going to want to add more flour, and I urge you not to!
- Cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature for 8–12 hours, until risen about 30–50%.
- Note: Brioche dough rises slowly. In a cooler home (around 68°F), this can take closer to 12 hours.
Assemble the Cinnamon Rolls
- Once risen, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
- Roll the dough into a 12 x 18–inch rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.
- Spread the softened butter evenly over the surface.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the butter, followed by the ground cinnamon.
- Use a pizza cutter or pastry wheel to cut the dough into 12 even strips (about 1½ inches wide). I do this by first slicing the rectangle in half, then cutting each half in half, and finally dividing each section into thirds.
- Place the rolls into a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
Second Rise
- Cover and let the rolls rise at room temperature for 1–2 hours, until puffy and lightly touching.
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Pour the 1/4 cup of heavy cream evenly over the rolls.
- Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until lightly golden and baked through (looking for an internal temperature of 190 degrees Fahrenheit).
Make the Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a medium bowl, beat together the softened butter and cream cheese until smooth.
- Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract.
- Mix until creamy and spreadable.
- Spread frosting over warm (or slightly cooled) cinnamon rolls and serve.
Obsessed with these!!! They were so good. Our new weekend breakfast recipe!!
So glad you enjoyed them!!!
These are seriously the best cinnamon rolls I have EVER had! If you make them, let me know your thoughts!