Christmas Morning Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls

Recipes · Bread & Baking · Sourdough

Use that jar of sourdough discard to make a pan of homemade cinnamon rolls with a classic brown-sugar cinnamon filling and cream-cheese frosting.

There is something especially useful about a sourdough recipe that does not require planning your whole day around a perfectly active starter.

These sourdough discard cinnamon rolls use unfed discard along with instant yeast. The discard brings some of the flavor and character of sourdough, while the yeast provides the dependable rise.

That means you can use the discard already waiting in the refrigerator without feeding it first or turning breakfast into an overnight project.

If you have been keeping a starter and wondering what else to make with the discard besides pancakes or crackers, cinnamon rolls are a very good next step.

Prep About 25 minutes Rise About 60–90 minutes Bake About 25–30 minutes Makes 12 cinnamon rolls

A quick sourdough note: This recipe assumes a typical sourdough starter maintained at approximately equal weights flour and water. Very stiff or unusually liquid starters may change how much flour the dough needs.

Food safety: Use discard from a healthy, established sourdough starter. Discard the starter if you see mold, pink or orange discoloration, or other signs of spoilage. Flour and eggs are raw ingredients, so do not taste the dough before it is fully baked.

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Why Use Sourdough Discard in Cinnamon Rolls?

Sourdough discard is the portion of starter removed before feeding.

It may not be active enough to reliably raise a rich cinnamon-roll dough on its own, but that does not mean it needs to go to waste.

In this recipe, the discard and yeast have different jobs.

The sourdough discard contributes flour, water and fermented flavor.

The instant yeast provides the dependable lift needed for a same-day enriched dough.

That gives you a practical way to use a substantial amount of discard without waiting for the long fermentation required by naturally leavened cinnamon rolls.

If you are still learning how sourdough starter works, the ABMH Beginner Sourdough Bread guide walks through starter activity, fermentation cues and the basics of working with sourdough.

What You’ll Need

For the Cinnamon Roll Dough

• 1 cup (240 g) whole milk, warmed to about 100–110°F
• 200 g sourdough discard, preferably brought closer to room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 g) instant yeast
• 4 cups (480 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons (about 8 g) fine salt

For the Cinnamon Filling

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• Small pinch of salt

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Small pinch of salt
• 1–2 tablespoons milk, as needed

Equipment

You do not need specialized sourdough equipment for this recipe.

A large mixing bowl or stand mixer, rolling pin, 9×13-inch baking dish and a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss are enough.

A kitchen scale is especially useful when measuring sourdough discard because its volume can vary depending on its consistency and how much air is in the starter.

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How to Make Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls

1. Mix the wet ingredients.

Add the warm milk, sourdough discard, egg, granulated sugar, melted butter and instant yeast to a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer.

Mix until the discard is distributed through the liquid.

The milk should feel comfortably warm rather than hot. Excessively hot liquid can damage the yeast.

2. Add the flour and salt.

Add the all-purpose flour and salt.

Mix until a shaggy dough forms, then knead until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.

With a stand mixer and dough hook, this will generally take about 8–10 minutes. You can also knead the dough by hand.

The finished dough should feel soft and slightly tacky without behaving like a wet batter.

Avoid adding a large amount of extra flour immediately. Sourdough discard varies slightly from starter to starter, and the dough often becomes easier to handle as the gluten develops.

If the dough is still excessively sticky after thorough kneading, add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time.

3. Let the dough rest briefly.

Cover the dough and let it rest for about 10 minutes.

This short rest gives the gluten a chance to relax and makes the dough easier to roll without adding a full first rise.

4. Roll out the dough.

Lightly flour the work surface.

Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 12×18 inches.

It does not need to be perfectly square at every corner. Aim for reasonably even thickness so the finished rolls bake at a similar rate.

5. Add the cinnamon filling.

Spread the softened butter evenly across the dough, leaving a narrow border along one long edge.

In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and a small pinch of salt.

Sprinkle the cinnamon-sugar mixture evenly over the butter and press it gently into the surface.

6. Roll and cut the cinnamon rolls.

Beginning with one long side, roll the dough into a snug log.

Pinch the final edge lightly against the log to help hold it together.

Cut the log into 12 pieces using a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss.

For reasonably even rolls, first mark the center of the log, divide each half into thirds and then divide each section in half.

7. Arrange and let rise.

Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.

Arrange the 12 rolls cut-side up in the pan.

Cover and place the pan in a comfortably warm, draft-free area until the rolls look noticeably puffy and have expanded toward one another.

Expect roughly 60–90 minutes in many kitchens, but let the dough tell you when it is ready rather than depending only on the clock.

A cold kitchen or cold sourdough discard can make the rise take longer.

8. Bake.

Toward the end of the rise, preheat the oven to 350°F.

Bake the cinnamon rolls for about 25–30 minutes, until the tops are lightly golden and the centers are baked through.

If using an instant-read thermometer as an additional check, enriched cinnamon rolls are typically baked through when the center is around 188–190°F.

Remove the pan from the oven and let the rolls cool for about 10 minutes before frosting.

9. Make the cream cheese frosting.

Beat the softened cream cheese and butter together until smooth.

Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and a small pinch of salt.

Mix until creamy.

Add milk 1 tablespoon at a time only if needed to reach a soft, spreadable consistency.

10. Frost the cinnamon rolls.

Spread the cream-cheese frosting over the warm cinnamon rolls.

Frosting them while they are still slightly warm allows some of the frosting to soften over the tops without disappearing completely into the rolls.

Serve warm.

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How to Know When the Rolls Have Risen Enough

Rise time is one of the places where bread recipes can become frustrating if the clock is treated as more important than the dough.

Look at the rolls instead.

Before rising, there should be noticeable room between them in the baking dish.

When they are ready to bake, they should look fuller and puffy, with much of that open space disappearing.

If your kitchen is cool, give them more time.

If the discard came directly from the refrigerator, the dough may also need longer because those cold ingredients lower the overall dough temperature.

The yeast is doing the primary leavening in this recipe, so there is no need to wait for the sourdough discard itself to become active.

Do I Need to Feed the Sourdough Discard First?

No.

This recipe is specifically intended for unfed sourdough discard.

You are not depending on the discard to raise the cinnamon rolls. Commercial yeast handles that part of the recipe.

That makes this a useful option when you have discard available but do not have an active starter ready for a traditional sourdough bake.

Can I Use Active Sourdough Starter Instead?

Yes, an active starter maintained at the same hydration can replace the same weight of discard while leaving the rest of this same-day recipe unchanged.

Keep the commercial yeast in the recipe if you want to preserve the same basic same-day method.

Removing the commercial yeast turns it into a different naturally leavened cinnamon-roll recipe with substantially different fermentation times.

Can I Use Sourdough Discard Straight From the Refrigerator?

You can, but colder ingredients generally mean a slower rise.

For a more predictable same-day schedule, let the measured discard lose some of its refrigerator chill while you gather the other ingredients.

Do not leave egg- or dairy-containing dough sitting at room temperature unnecessarily simply to force a faster rise.

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Tips for Better Cinnamon Rolls

• Weigh the discard if you can. Sourdough starter can settle, aerate and change consistency, so grams are more dependable than measuring it by volume.
• Give the dough enough kneading time before deciding it needs more flour. A properly developed dough becomes smoother and easier to handle.
• Use softened butter for the filling rather than completely melted butter. It is easier to keep the filling where it belongs while rolling and cutting the dough.
• Do not pack additional flour into the dough simply because it feels a little tacky. Too much flour can make enriched breads heavier.
• Watch the rise rather than the minute hand. Room temperature, ingredient temperature and yeast activity all affect proofing.
• Cut the rolls as evenly as practical. They do not need to look factory-made, but similarly sized rolls will bake more evenly.

Troubleshooting

Why is my dough very sticky?

First make sure it has been thoroughly kneaded. The dough should become smoother as gluten develops.

If it remains too sticky to work with after kneading, add flour a tablespoon at a time rather than adding another large scoop.

Sourdough starters do not all have exactly the same consistency, so a small adjustment may occasionally be necessary.

Why are my cinnamon rolls taking longer to rise?

The dough may simply be cool.

Cold discard, cool milk or a cool kitchen can significantly slow yeast activity.

Move the covered pan to a warmer, draft-free location and continue watching for visible expansion rather than baking under-risen rolls simply because a certain number of minutes has passed.

Why is the filling leaking into the pan?

Some melted butter and cinnamon sugar may move toward the bottom of the pan as the rolls bake.

Using softened rather than melted butter in the filling and avoiding an excessive amount at the edges helps keep more of the filling inside the spiral.

Why are the tops browning before the centers are finished?

Loosely cover the baking dish with foil for the remaining baking time.

That reduces additional browning while allowing the centers to continue baking.

Storing Leftover Cinnamon Rolls

Because these cinnamon rolls are topped with cream-cheese frosting, cover and refrigerate leftovers rather than leaving the frosted rolls at room temperature for extended storage.

Warm individual rolls gently before serving if you prefer them warm.

For the best texture, avoid repeatedly heating and cooling the entire pan when you only need one or two rolls.

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A Bit More Homemade Recipe

Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls

A same-day cinnamon-roll recipe made with unfed sourdough discard, commercial yeast, a brown-sugar cinnamon filling and cream-cheese frosting.

Prep: About 25 minutes Rise: About 60–90 minutes Bake: About 25–30 minutes Yield: 12 rolls Pan: 9×13-inch baking dish

Ingredients

Dough

• 1 cup (240 g) whole milk, warmed to about 100–110°F
• 200 g sourdough discard
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup (50 g) granulated sugar
• 4 tablespoons (57 g) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 g) instant yeast
• 4 cups (480 g) all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons (about 8 g) fine salt

Cinnamon Filling

• 6 tablespoons (85 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup (150 g) packed brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons (about 12 g) ground cinnamon
• Small pinch of salt

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 4 ounces (113 g) cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Small pinch of salt
• 1–2 tablespoons milk, as needed

Instructions

1. Mix the wet ingredients. Combine the warm milk, sourdough discard, egg, granulated sugar, melted butter and instant yeast. Mix until the discard is distributed through the liquid.
2. Add the flour and salt. Add the flour and salt and mix until a shaggy dough forms. Knead for about 8–10 minutes, until the dough becomes smooth, elastic, soft and slightly tacky. If it remains excessively sticky after thorough kneading, add additional flour 1 tablespoon at a time.
3. Rest the dough. Cover and let the dough rest for about 10 minutes.
4. Roll out the dough. Lightly flour the work surface and roll the dough into an approximately 12×18-inch rectangle.
5. Add the filling. Spread the softened butter over the dough, leaving a narrow border along one long edge. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt, sprinkle evenly over the butter and press gently into the surface.
6. Roll and cut. Beginning with one long side, roll the dough into a snug log. Pinch the final edge lightly to seal and cut into 12 pieces using a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss.
7. Arrange and rise. Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish and arrange the rolls cut-side up. Cover and let rise until noticeably puffy and expanded toward one another, roughly 60–90 minutes depending on temperature.
8. Bake. Toward the end of the rise, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for about 25–30 minutes, until lightly golden and baked through. An instant-read thermometer may be used as an additional check; the center should be around 188–190°F. Cool for about 10 minutes.
9. Make the frosting. Beat the softened cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla and salt. Mix until creamy, adding milk 1 tablespoon at a time only if needed for a spreadable consistency.
10. Frost and serve. Spread the cream-cheese frosting over the warm cinnamon rolls and serve.

Recipe notes:

• This recipe assumes a sourdough starter maintained at approximately equal weights flour and water.
• Room-temperature discard helps keep the proofing schedule more predictable.
• Do not eat or taste raw dough.
• Use the visual rise of the rolls rather than relying entirely on the clock.
• Refrigerate leftovers after adding cream-cheese frosting.

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A Simple Way to Use What You Already Have

Keeping a sourdough starter often means having a little extra starter to deal with.

That does not mean every spoonful of discard needs to become another complicated sourdough project.

Sometimes the useful choice is simply finding a recipe that turns something already sitting in the refrigerator into something your household will actually enjoy.

Today that might be cinnamon rolls.

Another day it might be bread, pancakes, crackers or something completely different.

You do not have to use every bit of discard or make every possible sourdough recipe.

Just start with something useful.

You don’t have to do everything. Just start with something—and make your home a bit more homemade one change at a time.