Frosted Gingerbread Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
There's nothing better frosted gingerbread sourdough cinnamon rolls on Christmas morning! This is an easy overnight recipe that is so delicious!
Equipment
- Electric Mixer with Dough attachment
Ingredients
Sourdough Starter
- 1/4 Cup Sourdough Starter (not activated)
- 1 Cup All-Purpose Flour or more if needed
- 1 Cup Filtered Water (colder for a slower process, warmer for quicker) *see notes
Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls Dough
- 1 1/3 Cup Whole Milk
- 1/2 Cup Melted (unsalted) Butter 1 stick
- 200 Grams Active Sourdough Starter
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1/4 Cup Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Molasses
- 620 Grams Bread Flour
- 2 Tsps Sea Salt
- 3 Tsps Ground Cinnamon heaping scoops
- 1 Tsps Ground Ginger
- 1 Tsp Allspice
- 1/2 Tsp Cloves
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- 5 Tbsps Melted (unsalted) Butter
- 3 Tbsps Molasses
- 2 1/2 Cups Brown Sugar heaping cups
- 1 Cup Sugar
- 1/4 Tsp Sea Salt
- 5 Tbsps Ground Cinnamon heaping tbsps
- 2 Tsps Ground Ginger
- 1 Tsp Allspice
- 1/2 Tsp Cloves
- 1 Tbsp Flour (bread or all-purpose) sprinkled on top after spreading over the dough
Vanilla Buttercream Icing
- 1 Cup Unsalted Room Temperature Butter
- 4-5 Cups Powdered Sugar more if needed
- 4-5 Tbsps Milk more if needed - or try eggnog!
- 2 Tsps Vanilla
Instructions
Activate Sourdough Starter
- In the Morning (for an Overnight Timeline): At 8 AM, Prepare the sourdough starter by combining unactivated sourdough starter, all-purpose flour, and filtered water in a jar. Adjust the consistency as needed: If it's too runny, add a few extra tablespoons of flour; if it's too thick, stir in a tablespoon of filtered water. Watch the video for help.To control the activation process:If you'll be out all day, use cold water to slow the activation, or lukewarm water to speed up the process.
Sourdough Gingerbread Cinnamon Rolls Dough
- In the Evening: At 7 PM, Once the starter is activated, begin preparing the sourdough cinnamon roll dough.Melt the butter, then mix it with cold milk until the butter has cooled. Set this mixture aside for later use.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs, sugar, molasses, and activated sourdough starter. Once fully mixed, add the butter and milk mixture, stirring until well combined.Next, fold in the bread flour, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, cloves and sea salt, mixing thoroughly. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rest for 35 minutes—it will have a flaky texture at this stage.
- Attach the dough hook to your electric mixer and knead the dough on low speed for 6 minutes. If the dough sticks to the sides, add a tablespoon of flour as needed. *It will be a softer dough, less tough, but shouldn't be sticky.Once kneaded, cover the dough with a towel and let it rest for another 45 -minutes.After the resting period, stretch and fold the dough. Cover it again and leave it on the counter overnight. By morning, the dough should have doubled in size.
- In the Morning: At 6 AM, Place the dough onto a floured surface and roll it out with a rolling pin into a rectangular shape.
Gingerbread Cinnamon Roll Filling
- Melt butter, and combine with molasses, heaping cups of brown sugar, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves.
- Spread the gingerbread cinnamon sugar filling as evenly as you can over the dough. Make sure the filling is extra thick at the very bottom of the rolled-out dough (where the center will be). Sprinkle flour and sea salt evenly over the filling.
- Roll the dough into a long, tight log. Evenly slice the log into 10 individual cinnamon rolls. Gently press each roll down to ensure the filling and dough remain tightly packed (you can see how I did this in the video).
- Place the cinnamon rolls in the prepared baking dish. Use a glass baking pan coated in butter and sprinkled with flour for the best results. This combination helps absorb any excess cinnamon sugar filling, transforming it into a delicious sugar paste (instead of burning) that enhances the flavor of the rolls when they come out of the oven.
- Cover the cinnamon rolls, and let them rise for 2 to 3 hours.
- Bake the cinnamon rolls at 350°F for 45-50 minutes, or until golden brown and fully risen.Place them on the middle rack to prevent burning on the top or bottom. If you’re baking multiple pans, alternate their positions in the oven every 20 minutes for even cooking.
- As soon as the cinnamon rolls come out, drizzle the pan's extra filling over them. Let the rolls cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before applying the buttercream icing.
Vanilla Buttercream Icing
- Melt the butter and mix in the powdered sugar. Then, add the milk and vanilla, combining everything until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add more milk; if it’s too runny, incorporate more powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency.Evenly coat the cinnamon rolls with the icing!
- Add gingerbread men or sprinkles to the top to decorate!
Notes
Freezing Instructions:
- You can freeze unbaked rolls after shaping. Freeze them individually on a baking sheet, then transfer them to a freezer-safe bag or container. When ready to bake, let them rise until doubled, then bake as directed.
- Baked cinnamon rolls can also be frozen. Just wrap them tightly and reheat in the oven when you’re ready to enjoy them.
- These cinnamon rolls are best enjoyed fresh but can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days at room temperature. Store in freezer and heat in microwave for fresher results.
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