Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls

A quicker way to use sourdough for baking, these sourdough discard cinnamon rolls use a mix of standard yeast and discard for soft, fluffy, and sweet rolls. Unlike our sourdough cinnamon rolls, these are ready within a few hours and don't need an overnight rise.

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Ingredients You'll Need and Why

This recipe uses all the standard brioche cinnamon roll ingredients, plus sourdough discard, either as a way to use it up or to add a subtle sourdough flavour. These are my notes from recipe testing and you can find the full recipe card below with complete measurements and instructions.

• Flour: these have only been tested with plain all-purpose flour, not bread flour. We don't recommend trying to use pastry flour for this recipe but if you want something a little chewier you could use part or all bread flour in place of all-purpose white flour.
• Discard: or active starter - be sure to weigh the ingredients - depending on the method you use. I usually make a levain and feed my starter specifically to make recipes like these. Week-old discard is fine but for sweet recipes it's best to avoid sourdough discard that's been in the back of the fridge for a month or longer.
• Yeast: use traditional, active, or fresh yeast. If using instant yeast add it with the dry ingredients and keep an eye on the dough as it rises, as it'll probably be a little faster than outlined.
• Cornstarch: replacing a little bit of the flour with starch makes for softer, more tender rolls with a finer crumb.
• Sugar: plain white sugar. Cane sugar is good too.
• Brown sugar: use light or dark brown sugar with no changes needed. It's for the filling. Muscovado sugar is a good alternative.
• Milk: use whole (around 3.25% milk fat) for the best results. The milk will be warmed so it doesn't matter that it's cold when you start.
• Eggs: not only adding fat and flavour, eggs also add additional structure to the cinnamon rolls thanks to added protein. You can make egg-free enriched dough but this recipe hasn't been tested without.
• Butter: salted or unsalted won't make too much of a difference here. If using unsalted, add an extra pinch of salt to the dough to make up for it.
• Make it dairy-free: use a high-quality vegan butter alternative that comes in stick or block form (not tubs) and unsweetened non-dairy milk. Soya is best for use in bread dough. We have tested this with non-dairy alternatives and it works very well, but the dough will be a little bit softer.

Use the JUMP TO RECIPE button at the top, or scroll to the bottom of the post to see the printable recipe card with full ingredient measurements and complete instructions.

How to Make Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls

These take the same amount of time as any yeast cinnamon roll recipe (if you want a yeast-free recipe, try our quick cinnamon rolls), a little over 3 hours from start to finish. Most of that time is spent waiting for the dough to rise and there's not much active time needed unless you're kneading by hand.

Step 1: warm the milk, then check the temperature. Make sure it's not too hot then add it to the bowl of a standing mixer (or a large mixing bowl) and sprinkle the yeast over it. Set aside to bloom for 10 minutes. If the yeast doesn't foam up, you need new yeast.

Step 2: whisk in the eggs and discard, mixing well to combine. The discard will take a little longer to incorporate at this point.

Step 3: add the flour, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Mix into a shaggy dough. The dough will seem dry at this point for cinnamon rolls because the butter hasn't been added yet.

Step 4: mix with the kneading attachment, adding the butter in small pieces until incorporated. Once all of the butter is added the dough will be much softer.

Step 5: knead the dough until soft, smooth, and elastic, about 10 minutes on low speed with the kneading attachment. If kneading by hand, it'll take about 15 minutes. The dough is ready when it's elastic and no longer sticky.

Step 6: set aside to rise, covered, until doubled in size or a little larger, about 2 hours at room temperature. I cover with a tea towel and a large plate over that rather than using plastic wrap.

Step 7: turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle about 30x40cm (12x16 in.). Make sure the dough isn't sticking to the counter before you add any filling, and if it is, add a bit more flour (it shouldn't be sticky at this point, but it's better to check before the filling is in the mix).

Step 8: brush the melted butter over the dough and then top with the brown sugar cinnamon mixture. We prefer melted butter for this for ease of spreading, so that there's a much lower risk of the dough tearing.

Step 9: roll the dough from the long edge and make sure the seam is facing up so that the rolls don't fall open when cut. Use a sharp knife or unflavoured dental floss to cut into 12 approximately equally sized rolls.

Step 10: place the rolls into a buttered or greased casserole dish (pictured is about 30x20cm (9x13 in.) but slightly larger or smaller is fine).

Step 11: cover well and set aside to rise at room temperature for 1 hour, until doubled in size again. If your home is very warm, be sure to check them after 45 minutes. I usually use a damp tea towel for this step and place them in the oven with the light on - I've never had a tea towel stick to the top of these particular rolls.

Step 12: optionally brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter before baking, then bake for about half an hour, covering the top loosely with tin foil or parchment paper if they seem to be browning too quickly. Brush with more butter while still hot to keep the rolls very soft. Serve warm or cool fully first.

Expert Tips for the Best Cinnamon Rolls

• Don't rush the rise: enriched dough takes about double the amount of time to rise compared to non-enriched dough (that's just flour and water, no butter or eggs) so be sure to set aside a long enough window for the dough to prove properly.
• Brush with butter: brushing the tops of the rolls with a little butter both before and after baking will make them softer and richer. You can skip the step before baking, but we highly recommend brushing with a little butter right after baking for the softest cinnamon rolls.
• Two ways to frost: if you want a thick, creamy frosting for your cinnamon rolls, wait for them to cool fully before adding any frosting. If you like a gooey centre and for the frosting or icing to soak in a bit, frost about half an hour after baking while the rolls are still warm instead.
• Don't reduce the sugar: these are cinnamon rolls, and they should have sugar in them. Reducing it in the dough will make the bread dry, dense, and chewy. Reducing it in the filling will also make the rolls dry.

More Sourdough Discard Recipes

If you make this Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls recipe or any other sourdough recipes on the Baked Collective, please take a moment to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. It’s such a help to others who want to try the recipe. For more baking, follow along on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube.