Sourdough cinnamon rolls are life-changing. I’ll never make another cinnamon roll recipe again. I am a huge fan of pumpkin and even though it snowed all day today (yes, it is October 19th), I am still holding onto fall, pumpkins, spice, and everything nice that winter can’t offer because fall is the best season in the world and I am sad it has been cut so short. Thanks, Minnesota.
If you, like me, are suffering an unseasonably cold fall season (or even if you’re not), these rolls are for you. They are the incredibly pillowy, soft, and lightly spiced with warm ginger and nutmeg.
sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls
Dough
- 227 grams ripe (fed) sourdough starter
- 120 grams pumpkin puree
- 50 grams almond milk (plus 10-30g extra milk to add as needed)
- 1 egg
- 57 grams butter, softened
- 383 grams all purpose flour
- 50 grams granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
Filling
- 40 grams butter, room temperature
- 100 grams brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- a pinch of cardamom
Maple cream cheese frosting
- cream cheese
- maple syrup
- powdered sugar
To make the dough
- Mix together all the dough ingredients except the salt until the flour is evenly moistened and the dough has formed a cohesive, sticky mass.
- Sprinkle the salt on top of the dough (without mixing it in), then cover and let the dough autolyse for 20 minutes.
- After the autolyse, mix in the salt until fully incorporated, about 1 minute on low speed. Turn the mixer up one speed and knead the dough until it’s smooth and supple though still soft and tacky, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Cover the dough and let it rest in a warm (75°F) place for 4 hours. To develop strength in the dough, stretch and fold it in the bowl three to four times during the rest. You can be flexible in the timing of these folds. This will strengthen the gluten in the dough and yield softer, fluffier buns.
To make the filling
- Meanwhile, combine the brown sugar and spices into a bowl and mix. The texture will be somewhat like wet sand.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly greased or floured work surface and gently deflate it, patting or rolling it into a 12” x 18” rectangle.
- Spread the softened butter evenly over the surface of the dough (an offset spatula is great for this). Then sprinkle the brown sugar filling evenly over the surface of the dough and gently press the sugar into the butter with your fingers.
- Starting with the short edge, roll the dough into a log. As you roll, the log will lengthen.
- Cut the log into twelve 1 1/2” slices and place them in a lightly greased 9” x 13” or 12” x 12” pan. You can either cover the pan and let the buns rise until they’re puffy, 2 to 3 hours, or place the pan in the refrigerator overnight and bake the buns the next day.
- To bake the same day: Bake the buns in a preheated 400°F oven for 18 to 22 minutes, until golden. A digital thermometer inserted into the center of a middle bun should read 190°F.
- To make the icing: While the buns are baking, stir together all the ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth.
- Remove the buns from the oven and cool for 5 to 10 minutes before icing.
- To bake after being refrigerated overnight: Remove the pan from the refrigerator and let the buns rise for 2-4 hours. Close to the end of the rise time, preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Bake the buns for 18-22 minutes, until golden. A digital thermometer inserted into the center of a middle bun should read 190°F. Remove the buns from the oven and cool for 5 to 10 minutes before icing.