Bread Machine Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Bread machine sourdough cinnamon rolls turn sourdough discard into soft, gooey cinnamon rolls without all the work of kneading by hand. They’re an easy budget-friendly breakfast or brunch treat that lets the bread maker do all the hard work. You get to just shape and bake in the oven with a few minutes of hands-on time.
Nothing makes your house smell better than a pan of fresh baked cinnamon rolls.
This easy sourdough version uses sourdough starter discard to add tang and a delicious chewy texture to the soft, pillowy dough.
With a classic brown sugar and cinnamon filling and a gorgeous vanilla glaze on top, this is an essential breakfast pastry recipe to keep in your files.
Once you see how easy they are to bake by using a bread maker to prep the dough, you’ll be planning these for holiday brunches all year long!
Why This is the Best Recipe
- Easy Bread Machine Recipe: This is a great first recipe if you want to test out the Dough program on your bread maker.
- Delicious Sourdough Recipe: If you’re new to baking with sourdough discard, you’re going to love the added tang and amazing texture of these rolls.
- Perfect for Sharing: One pan is perfect for a special treat on the weekend but you can prep them ahead for a sweet holiday breakfast to save time.
Ingredients
- Sourdough Starter Discard: You don’t need to worry about the sourdough starter being active or not, the yeast in the recipe helps with the rise.
- All Purpose Flour
- Active Dry Yeast: You do not need a yeast marked specifically for bread machines, regular active dry yeast will be fine.
- Milk: I used 2%. You could use whole milk if you prefer but I do not recommend fat-free milk for baking.
- Butter
- Sugar
- Brown Sugar
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
- Cinnamon
- Kosher Salt
Make the Dough in the Bread Maker
Place the bread machine pan on a food scale. This is the most accurate way to measure the sourdough starter discard.
Weigh the sourdough starter and then add the remaining liquid ingredients on top.
Then press the TARE button to zero-out your scale. Weigh the flour directly on top of the wet ingredients.
Add the sugar, salt, and yeast.
Place the pan in the bread maker and select the DOUGH program. Press START.
Watch as the dough comes together. It will be a little shaggy but it should not be overly sticky. If it is sticking to the walls of the pan, you may need to add a tablespoon or two of flour. Just add it slowly and stop as soon as the dough stops sticking.
The program takes about 90 minutes to finish the dough.
Prep the Cinnamon Filling
In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar, melted butter, and cinnamon.
Shape the Rolls
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface. Roll it out into a rectangle shape, about 12 x 15 inches in size.
Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the top.
Roll the dough into a log from wide edge to wide edge.
Use a pastry cutter to cut the log into thirds.
Cut each third in half.
Then cut each half in half again to form 12 equal pieces of dough.
Second Rise
Grease a 9×13-inch baking dish with softened butter and arrange the cinnamon rolls cut side up in 4 rows of 3.
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and let the dough rise for another 20 minutes or until the rolls have puffed up and are starting to touch each other.
Baking Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Remove the plastic wrap and bake the rolls for 15 minutes. They will be nice and puffy and golden brown on top.
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Make the Icing
While the rolls are baking, prep the vanilla icing.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and milk. The glaze should be able to cling but run off from your fork.
Spread it evenly over the still-warm rolls.
Make Ahead Tips
If you’d like to prepare the rolls in advance, I recommend assembling them and covering with plastic wrap but then placing them in the fridge before they’ve started their second rise.
They can sit in the fridge overnight and then be baked fresh in the morning. This is a perfect way to have fresh-baked pastries for a special party or holiday.
You could also freeze them at this stage. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight and then bake in the morning.
To bake them in the morning, let them rest on the countertop and come to room temperature and rise before placing in the oven.
Serving Suggestions
These sourdough cinnamon rolls have been our Christmas morning breakfast for a couple years now. They are just that delicious.
I serve them with steaming mugs of hot cocoa, some fresh fruit, and if I have the energy, a batch of breakfast sausages.
Honestly? There delicious all by themselves with a cup of tea or mug of coffee at just about any time of day.
More Sourdough Recipes
Looking for more ways to use your sourdough starter in delicious homebaked treats? Here are a few of my favorites:
Bread Machine Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Dough:
- 1/2 cup (120 g) sourdough starter discard
- 1 cup (230 g) milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 3 tablespoons butter softened and cut into pieces
- 3 cups (411 g) all-purpose flour may need 1 – 2 tablespoons more if the dough is sticky
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons yeast
For the Filling:
- 3 tablespoons butter melted
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cinnamon
For the Icing:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon butter melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 tablespoons milk
Instructions Start Cooking
- Place the bread pan fitted with the paddle attachment on a food scale. Measure the sourdough starter into it. Add the milk, vanilla, and butter.1/2 cup (120 g) sourdough starter discard, 1 cup (230 g) milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 3 tablespoons butter
- Set the scale to 0 by hitting the TARE button. Weigh the flour into the pan. Add the sugar and kosher salt. Dig a shallow well in the center of the flour and add the yeast there.3 cups (411 g) all-purpose flour, 3 tablespoons sugar, 1 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, 2 teaspoons yeast
- Place the bread pan in the bread machine and select the DOUGH program. Press Start. Watch as the dough mixes, you may need up to 1 – 2 tablespoons more of flour if your sourdough starter causes the dough to be extra sticky. The dough program takes about an hour and a half to complete.
- Transfer the finished dough to a lightly floured work surface. As it rests, grease a 9×13 inch baking pan with softened butter and prepare the cinnamon filling. In a small bowl, mix together the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon with a fork until well combined. Set aside.3 tablespoons butter, 1/2 cup packed brown sugar, 1 tablespoon cinnamon
- Roll the dough out to a rectangle shape, about 12 x 15 inches in size. Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the top.
- Roll the dough up from wide edge to wide edge to form a log. Use a pastry cutter to slice it into 12 equal pieces. It is often easiest to slice it first into thirds, each third in half, and then each half in half again.
- Place each portion of dough cut side up in the prepared baking dish. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise 20 minutes or until they are nice and puff and the sides of each roll are touching one another.
- While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake them for 15 minutes or until they are golden brown.
- While the rolls are baking, prepare the glaze for the top. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla, and milk. The glaze should be thick enough to run slowly off a fork. Spread it evenly over the freshly baked rolls while they are still warm so it melts and glazes the tops evenly.1 cup powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 tablespoons milk
Recipe Notes
Make Ahead Tips:
You can prep the cinnamon rolls the night before and place the covered baking dish directly in the oven before they’ve done their second rise. Let them come to room temperature on the counter in the morning so they get nice and puffy before baking.Save This Recipe to Your Recipe Box
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