How To Make The Softest Sourdough Cinnamon Buns

Nothing quite beats a homemade cinnamon bun and these are the softest sourdough cinnamon buns you will ever have! Easy to make, buttery soft and insanely delicious.

I think we can all agree that the inside bite of a cinnamon bun is ALWAYS the best one, so surely, the whole bun should taste like it. That is why I created the softest sourdough cinnamon buns you will ever have. From outside to inside, every single bite is just as soft as the next. True heaven!!!

These Sourdough Cinnamon Buns start with a buttery dough that is lightly sweetened and high in hydration. This makes a slightly stickier dough, but is what keeps these buns so incredible soft. You let that dough do a bulk rise, then roll it out with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Slice the dough into big buns then let them rise again before baking. You can enjoy the cinnamon buns as is, or top them with my extra thick cream cheese frosting which I highly recommend!

I love to make these cinnamon buns nice and big, but you can make them into more smaller buns if you prefer. This dough can be doubled as well, just making sure to allow for a bit of extra rise time. They freeze really well, and are the perfect treat to enjoy warm with a cup of coffee or glass of milk. The whole family will be begging for more.

Tips for Making The Softest Sourdough Cinnamon Buns

1. Make sure you are using a strong and active sourdough starter that was fed a 1:4:4 ratio about 8-10 hours before you make your dough. This ensure you will get a nice rise in your dough to get it soft, and fluffy.
2. When you are mixing your dough, whether it be by hand or with a mixer, you want to knead it for a good 6-8 minutes. You will notice once the dough comes together that it is extremely sticky. Kneading it will help build structure in the dough and get it nice and smooth without being too sticky.
3. For the bulk rise, you want to ensure you give it enough time to double in size! This amount of time will vary depending on the temperature of your home, so refer to the photos below in the post so that you can know when your dough has risen enough.

Sourdough Cinnamon Bun Ingredients

Sourdough Starter– As mentioned above, you want to use a strong and active starter that was fed a 1:4:4 ratio.

Milk– This is used as the liquid in this buns, giving them extra flavor and keeping them tender. I like whole milk best but 2% or 1% work too.

Flour– Whichever flour you use to make sourdough bread is what you want to use. Bread flour or unbleached all purpose flour.

Butter– Using melted butter in this recipe is key to keeping the dough extremely soft. I like salted, but you can use unsalted.

Egg- You just need one egg in this recipe.

Sugar– The dough is lightly sweetened with granulated sugar. Just enough without the dough being super sweet.

Brown Sugar- This can be dark brown sugar, or golden sugar. Dark brown with give you the deepest flavor which I love.

Cinnamon– Don’t be alarmed by using a couple tbsps of cinnamon. I promise it is just enough.

Cream Cheese– You want to use brick style cream cheese to get the thickest frosting.

Powdered Sugar– This is needed to get a nice fluffy and smooth cream cheese frosting.

Salt– Any fine salt will work.

The Steps

Make the Dough

1. Start by stirring together the sourdough starter, milk, melted butter, egg and sugar with a dough whisk or wooden spoon.
2. Then add in the flour and salt and stir until combined. You can do this by hand or with an electric mixer and the dough hook attachment.
3. Once the dough is combined, you are going to keep kneading it for 7-8 minutes. This will take a bit longer if you are doing it by hand. You want the dough to get super smooth, and it will become less sticky.
4. Gently form the dough in a ball, place it in the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a damp towel to rest in a warm spot on the counter for about 6 hours. See photos to know when your dough is done rising.

Roll & Shape the Buns

1. After the dough has doubled in size, dump it onto a clean, dry counter. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out into a large rectangle roughly 15inch wide or so.
2. Then, take all of the filling ingredients and stir them together in a small bowl until smooth. Spread this mixture evenly over the rolled out dough.
3. Next, starting at the bottom of the dough, closest to you, roll the dough away from you into a tight log.
4. Using a sharp knife, cut the log into 8-10 even sized pieces. I do 8 so they are really big cinnamon buns, but you can do 10 if you want them more “normal” size.
5. Place the rolls into a baking dish of your choosing. I use a 9×13 rectangle but you can use just about anything that is big enough to give the buns some space to rise.
6. Cover the dish of buns with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge over night or for up to 24 hours.

Rise & Bake

1. A few hours before you want to bake the buns, remove them from the fridge and let them rise in a warm place for about 3-4 more hours. They will get nice and puffy.
2. Finally, bake the buns at 350F for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown on top.
3. While the buns cool for a few minutes, make the icing by beating the butter with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. About 7-8 minutes.
4. Then, add in the powdered sugar and mix until smooth. Follow that with adding in the cream cheese and beating just until the icing is smooth with no cream cheese chunks.
5. Spoon the frosting onto the slightly cooled buns, and enjoy!

If you give this recipe a try, leave a comment or recipe review below!

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