This sourdough brioche cinnamon heart bread is buttery and soft with the perfect amount of sweetness. It makes the perfect sourdough treat to make for Valentine’s Day or any other special day!
Now that my oldest is 3.5 years old, he is really starting to get into the different holidays more than he had in the past. On our walk the other morning he asked me if it was Christmas again yet! (: “No, Bubs, we’ve got a while till it’s Christmas again. But it is Valentine’s Day next week!” He got so excited for Valentine’s Day and can’t wait to celebrate! We’ve been doing fun little heart crafts and pointing out heart decorations when we see them in the stores.
It’s so fun to see him get excited for holidays and it motivates me to try to make them just a little extra special! A few days ago when I was making my weekly Rustic Sourdough Bread Loaf, I scored a heart into the top and it made the loaf feel a little more festive.
After baking that loaf, I started thinking about what other sweet treat I could make to celebrate February. I have loved trying out different sourdough bread recipes since my sourdough starter is nearing two years. I am feeling a bit more confident experimenting with sourdough, so I decided to try a spin off of my Orange Cinnamon Roll Recipe and make Cinnamon heart-shaped sourdough brioche!
For this recipe, I tweaked the dough recipe a little bit to make it more of a brioche dough by adding more eggs. I left out the orange zest and opted for a simple butter, cinnamon-brown sugar filling. I also covered the top with an egg wash before baking to give it an extra gorgeous golden-baked color.
Tools you will need to make Cinnamon Sourdough Brioche:
- Stand mixer or dough whisk
- Kitchen Scale
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Mixing bowls
- Rolling pin
- Parchment paper or Silicone Baking Mat
- Baking Sheet
- Basting Brush
- Whisk
Baker’s Schedule for overnight Cinnamon Heart-Shaped Sourdough Brioche
The morning before
Feed your sourdough starter so that it is active and bubbly.
I have come to the point where I can eyeball my feedings and look for a thick pancake batter type consistency. But when I want to be precise, I weigh the starter and then feed it equal parts flour and water in the weight of grams.
For this recipe, you will need 135 grams of starter, so to be precise, you can scoop out 45 grams of sourdough starter into a clean jar. Feed it 45 grams of flour and 45 grams of filtered water which will leave you with 135 grams of sourdough starter. Mix it together and use a rubber band to mark where the top of the starter is. Wait for the starter to double and get bubbly (usually around 4-6 hours depending on the temperature of your house) and then you may use it to begin your dough.
You can always try the “float test” before baking with it to make sure it is ready. Drop a small amount of starter in a bowl of water. If it floats on the top, it is ready to bake with. If it sinks it needs more time or possibly another feeding.
The Afternoon before
Using your kitchen scale, zero out a mixing bowl and add the sourdough starter, room temp softened butter, honey, and warm whole milk. Whisk that together. Then, add in the flour, salt and eggs. Mix till combined with a dough whisk or your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. If using a dough whisk, finish combining by using your hands to bring it all together.
The dough will be pretty sticky. Cover the bowl with a moist tea towel or plastic wrap and let rest 15 minutes.
If using a stand mixer: After 15 minutes has passed mix together with the dough hook for one minute. Repeat every 15 minutes, 4 times total.
If mixing by hand: perform a series of 4 stretch and folds. Cover and let rest another 15 minutes. Repeat every 15 minutes 4 times total.
How to stretch and fold dough
Stretch and fold is a simple process, meant to build the gluten in the dough that will help bind it together. Start with your wet and shaggy dough. Wet your hands a bit and then grab from under one of the sides of the dough. Pull a small layer of the dough up to stretch it up and then fold it back down over the rest of the dough. Turn the bowl and repeat 3 more times. That’s it! Cover the dough, let it rest 15 minutes, and then repeat that process.
Once done with stretch and folds/stand mixer paddle mixing, cover and let rest overnight for its bulk rise.
Use a damp towel or plastic wrap to cover the bowl so the dough does not get dry on the top. If your dough does dry a bit and forms a crust on the top, simply mist the dough with some water the next day before shaping your rolls.
Bulk Rise
The bulk rise time will vary based on the temperature of your home and the climate where you live. The warmer your home is, the quicker this bulk rise will be. The cooler your home, the slower the bulk rise. If you want to speed this up, place your bowl of dough in a warm spot. Not too warm though because you don’t want to overproof your dough!
Bulk rise 12-16 hours till the dough has doubled and is looking light and airy.
The next day, shape your dough…
After the dough has doubled in size, you are ready to shape your sourdough brioche!
Mix up the filling by combining softened/room temperature butter (unsalted or salted is fine), brown sugar and cinnamon.
Scoop the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a long rectangle about 10″ wide x 24″ long.
Spread the cinnamon-butter-sugar mix onto the rolled out dough. Next, fold one third of the dough lengthwise onto itself, and then the next top third over those two layers. The dough will have three layers. (see photos for details) Roll out the dough again to about 10″ wide x 18″ long.
Cut in half lengthwise with a sharp knife. For each half, cut into three strips, leaving about an inch in tact at the top. Braid the three strips of dough and then carefully place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to form half of the heart. (Now I’m singing “half of my heart” by John Mayer, you know the one with T Swift in it?) Repeat for the other half of the dough.
When placed to form the heart, pinch the dough together where they meet in the middle and the bottom of the heart. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rise for 2-4 hours (again this will depend on the temperature of your home). Careful not to place it in too warm of a spot because the butter will start to melt out or you could over-proof your dough.
Once the dough has puffed up a bit, whisk an egg and spread it on top of the dough with a basting brush. Bake in the oven set to 385℉ for 30-35 minutes until the top is looking golden and the dough is baked through.
Pin this Cinnamon Sourdough Brioche Recipe for Later or Share with a friend!
More Sourdough Recipes to try!
- Sourdough Orange Cinnamon Rolls
- Artisan Rustic Sourdough Bread
- Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Bagels
- Pumpkin Sourdough Pancakes
If you try this recipe and love it, I would love to know! Come back and leave a review! Tag me on Instagram @oursimplegraces
Cinnamon Heart-Shaped Sourdough Brioche
This sourdough brioche cinnamon heart bread is buttery and soft with the perfect amount of sweetness. It makes the perfect sourdough treat to make for Valentine's Day or any other special day!
Ingredients
Sourdough Brioche Dough
- 135 grams Active Sourdough Starter, fed in the past 4-6 hours
- 125 grams warm whole milk (1 Cup)
- 45 grams honey (about 3 TBS)
- 550 grams all-purpose flour, unbleached
- 180 grams unsalted butter, room temperature (about 12 TBS)
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 13 grams sea salt
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- 8 TBS salted butter, softened
- 3/4 C brown sugar
- 1 TBS cinnamon
- 1 Egg for egg wash
Instructions
Baker's Schedule for overnight Cinnamon Heart-Shaped Sourdough Brioche
The morning before
- Feed your sourdough starter so that it is active and bubbly.
The Afternoon before
- Using your kitchen scale, zero out a mixing bowl and add the sourdough starter, room temp softened butter, honey, and warm whole milk. Whisk that together.
- Add in the flour, salt and eggs. Mix till combined with a dough whisk or your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. If using a dough whisk, finish combining by using your hands to bring it all together. The dough will be pretty sticky.
- Cover the bowl with a moist tea towel or plastic wrap and let rest 15 minutes.
- If using a stand mixer: After 15 minutes has passed mix together with the dough hook for one minute. Repeat every 15 minutes, 4 times total.
- If mixing by hand: perform a series of 4 stretch and folds**. Cover and let rest another 15 minutes. Repeat every 15 minutes 4 times total.
- Once done with stretch and folds/stand mixer paddle mixing, cover and let rest overnight for its bulk rise.
- Use a damp towel or plastic wrap to cover the bowl so the dough does not get dry on the top.
Bulk Rise
Bulk rise 12-16 hours till the dough has doubled and is looking light and airy.
The next day, shape your dough...
- Mix up the filling by combining softened/room temperature butter, brown sugar and cinnamon.
- Scoop the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a long rectangle about 10" wide x 24" long.
- Spread the cinnamon-butter-sugar mix onto the rolled out dough.
- Fold one third of the dough lengthwise onto itself, and then the top third over those two layers. The dough will have three layers. (see photos for details)
- Roll out the dough again to about 10" wide x 18" long.
- Cut in half lengthwise with a sharp knife.
- For each half, cut into three strips, leaving about an inch in tact at the top.
- Braid the three strips of dough and then carefully place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat to form half of the heart. Repeat for the other half of the dough.
- When placed on the baking sheet to form the heart, pinch the dough together where they meet in the middle and the bottom of the heart. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let rise for 2-4 hours (the time will depend on the temperature of your home). Careful not to place it in too warm of a spot because the butter will start to melt out or you could over-proof your dough.
- Once the dough has puffed up a bit, whisk an egg and spread it on top of the dough with a basting brush.
- Bake in the oven set to 385℉ for 30-35 minutes until the top is looking golden and the dough is baked through.
Notes
* For this recipe, you will need 135 grams of starter, so to be precise, you can scoop out 45 grams of sourdough starter into a clean jar. Feed it 45 grams of flour and 45 grams of filtered water which will leave you with 135 grams of sourdough starter. Mix it together and use a rubber band to mark where the top of the starter is. Wait for the starter to double (usually around 4-6 hours depending on the temperature of your house) and then you may use it to begin your dough.
**Stretch and fold is a simple process, meant to build the gluten in the dough that will help bind it together. Start with your wet and shaggy dough. Wet your hands a bit and then grab from under one of the sides of the dough. Pull a small layer of the dough up to stretch it up and then fold it back down over the rest of the dough. Turn the bowl and repeat 3 more times. That's it! Cover the dough, let it rest 15 minutes, and then repeat that process.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 459Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 147mgSodium: 527mgCarbohydrates: 54gFiber: 2gSugar: 15gProtein: 9g
Kimberly
This looks so delicious! Can’t wait to try it!
Our Simple Graces
Thank you, Kimberly! I hope you love it! 🙂
Anja
I mean, how can you not love something that combines brioche with sourdough and creates a heart??? Awesome recipe!
Our Simple Graces
My thoughts, exactly! 😉 Thank you, Anja!
Rachel
I saw your reel for this on Instagram and could smell it through the screen. I cant wait to try this.
Our Simple Graces
Ahh! If only you could taste and smell through the screen haha! I hope you enjoy the recipe!