These Are the Cinnamon Buns I Give Two Days Of My Life To
Sourdough cinnamon buns, yum. It's a two-day process, but so worth it. Also, can we bring back 2012 Instagram where a grainy picture would've been enough?
Sometimes the best things in life simply cannot be rushed, and these sourdough cinnamon rolls are proof of that. Dedicating two full days to letting the dough naturally ferment and rise creates a pillowy, rich texture and subtle depth of flavor that quick yeast recipes just cannot match. Rolling out the soft dough, filling it generously with organic coconut sugar, butter, and Ceylon cinnamon, and tucking the rolls tightly into a warm cast iron pan makes the whole house smell like comfort. Sharing these warm rolls with my family gives us all a sweet reminder of why slow, intentional baking is always worth the wait.
A quick note before you start: the flour matters more than you'd think here. I use Better Basics Milling's organic bread flour, it's stone milled from organic hard red spring wheat, nothing added, nothing enriched, nothing fortified, and it makes a real difference in how the dough behaves and tastes. Code ANCESTRALFERTILITY will save you a little somethin' at checkout if you want to give it a try.
What do you need for the dough?
120g active starter
325g water
25g honey (I use Mob Honey's wild raw honey for this, it's become one of those pantry staples I just always have on hand at this point)
20g avocado oil
500g organic bread flour
10g salt + 1 tsp water
What do you need for the filling?
1/2 cup grass-fed butter, melted
1/2 cup organic coconut sugar
2 tbsp organic Ceylon cinnamon
How do you make them on Day One?
Combine the starter, water, honey, oil, and flour until a shaggy dough forms.
Let it rest on the counter for an hour, this is the autolyse.
Add in the salt and water mixture, then knead until fully incorporated.
Begin your stretch and folds, 4 sets total, resting the dough for 30 minutes between each.
Bulk rise: let the dough rest at room temperature for another hour.
Cold proof: cover and place in the fridge for 12 to 24 hours.
How do you finish them on Day Two?
Combine the coconut sugar and cinnamon, and melt the butter.
Stretch the dough out on an unfloured surface until it forms a 12x18 inch rectangle, no rolling pin needed.
Pour the melted butter over the dough, then sprinkle with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Roll gently, using a bench scraper to help lift the dough as you go.
Cut into 8 rolls and place in a buttered cast iron pan. Place a second cast iron pan on top as a cover.
Let the buns rest for one more hour for the final rise.
Bake at 400°F for 40 minutes, then uncover and bake for another 10 minutes.
A tip worth knowing: place a pan on the oven rack below the buns to catch any drips, so it doesn't smoke out your kitchen. The internal temperature should read around 200°F when done.
Any other tips before you start?
Top with homemade cream cheese frosting, a pat of good butter, or enjoy them plain, all are great. The cold proof overnight is what develops a lot of the flavor here, don't rush that step. This is a great one for a slow weekend baking project, the two-day timeline makes it easy to spread the work out.
If slow, from-scratch baking is your thing, I've also written about the sourdough recipe I never measure precisely, another one built around patience over precision.
Thanks for being here, friends!