Buttery, soft dough and a warm gooey filling, these Sourdough Orange Cinnamon Rolls have the perfect amount of sweetness with a hint of tartness. The whipped orange cream cheese glaze is naturally sweetened with maple syrup and pairs perfectly with these tangy but sweet rolls.
a little history on our tradition of homemade cinnamon rolls…
Before my husband and I were engaged, we went to visit his parents in Virginia for Christmas. This was the first time I met them and they had to make sure I was an okay fit for their son. 🙂 We had the best time got along so well, which was a huge relief since we already basically knew we wanted to get married!
While we were visiting, we had spent a lot of time cooking and baking for our Christmas celebration. This is when I got to experience one of his childhood traditions of making homemade cinnamon rolls from scratch. His mom made them and they were sooo good! I could see why he looked forward to that tradition every year, and as we were entering the start of our life together, I decided that was a tradition I wanted to carry into our family as well!
He proposed to me that February and then we were married in July of 2015. Each year since we’ve been married I have attempted this cinnamon roll making tradition at least once or twice a year. This was before I had my sourdough starter so I used active dry yeast. Sometimes they turned out okay, other times they left something to be desired. But I was determined!
Since having birthed my sourdough starter…
a few months after my middle daughter was born in 2020, I have used my starter to make sourdough cinnamon rolls. Let me just say, using the starter has been a game changer for my homemade cinnamon rolls! I mean seriously. Once you have sourdough cinnamon rolls, it’s going to be hard to eat anything else.
Once I knew the goodness of sourdough cinni’s, I really wanted to create the perfect dough. Since it’s winter and we have a lot of oranges that need to be used, I decided to play around with making sourdough orange cinnamon rolls. That is how I came up with this delicious recipe! And oh man. It is so good, I honestly think I nailed it y’all.
The dough, the filling, the glaze. Oh my. I love these because the dough is buttery, flaky and light. The filling uses brown sugar which has more depth of flavor in my opinion. Not overly sweet, but just sweet enough. The orange zest adds the perfect citrusy contrast to the sweet, gooey filling. The orange cream cheese truly just brings it all together.
Tools you may need for sourdough orange cinnamon rolls:
- Stand mixer or dough whisk
- measuring cups and spoons
- mixing bowls
- rolling pin
- parchment paper
- Kitchen Scale
- 9″ Springform pan or round Cake pan
- hand mixer
- Citrus Zester
- Citrus juicer
Baker’s Schedule for overnight Sourdough Orange Cinnamon Rolls
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 120 grams of starter, so to be precise, you can scoop out 40 grams of sourdough starter into a clean jar. Feed it 40 grams of flour and 40 grams of filtered water which will leave you with 120 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.
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 egg. 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.
After 15 minutes has passed mix together with the dough hook for one minute. If mixing by hand perform a series of 4 stretch and folds. Cover and let rest another 15 minutes.
Repeat every 15 minutes 4-6 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.
These images are after around 3 sets of stretch and folds so you can see that the dough was beginning to hold its shape better.
*note: this does not need to be completely precise. I have gotten distracted and missed a 15 minute mark so I just did it at 30 minutes instead. The goal is to build up the gluten in the dough and by the time you are done with the 4th stretch and fold, the dough should be holding its shape instead of a remaining a lumpy wet blob of dough.
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 cinnamon rolls!
Mix up the filling by combining softened/room temperature butter (unsalted or salted is fine), brown sugar, orange zest, and cinnamon.
Scoop the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a rectangle about 12″ x 16″.
Spread the cinnamon-butter-sugar mix onto the flattened dough. Add your nuts on top now if you are choosing to use them. Then begin to roll the dough from the 12″ side all the way till it forms a tight log. Pinch the ends together as you roll the dough.
Using a knife or bench scraper, mark the dough to create 8 equal sections in the log. Use some unflavored dental floss or kitchen string to cut the rolls. Slide the string under the dough, bring it up, criss-cross the string together and pull to slice the dough clean. Place in a parchment paper lined cake or springform pan.
You can also bake these in an oiled cast-iron skillet, but I prefer the parchment paper lined springform pan as I think they bake more evenly.
Second Rise & Bake Sourdough Orange Cinnamon Rolls
Cover the rolls and let rest in a warm spot for 1-2 hours for the second rise. Bake in a 350℉ oven for 40-50 minutes. Check the rolls for doneness around 35-40 minute mark. They should be golden on the top. Take out of the oven and let cool slightly before adding the orange cream cheese glaze.
*If you are making these ahead, let the rolls rise for one hour and then place it in fridge overnight or up to a day until you are ready to bake them. Take the rolls out about an hour before you are ready to bake so they can come back to room temperature before baking.
Make the Orange Cream Cheese Glaze
While the rolls are baking, make your orange cream cheese glaze. It is important to use room temperature cream cheese and butter for this glaze, otherwise it will be clumpy. Using a hand mixer or whisk, whip the cream cheese. Next mix together the cream cheese, butter, fresh squeezed orange juice, orange zest and maple syrup until combined. The glaze should be able to smoothly drip off a spoon, but not super runny and liquidy.
Enjoy your Sourdough Orange Cinnamon Rolls warm!
These sourdough orange cinnamon rolls are best enjoyed warm and on the same day they are baked. Top with the orange cream cheese glaze and taste the sweet and zesty roll you made!
Other Sourdough Recipes to try:
- Sourdough Apple Coffee Cake
- Pumpkin Sourdough Waffles
- Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
- Pumpkin Sourdough Bagels with pumpkin cream cheese
- Sourdough Sandwich Bread
- Pumpkin Sourdough Pancakes
- Cinnamon Crunch Sourdough Bagels
- Sourdough Cinnamon Swirl Bread
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If you try this recipe and love it, I would love to know! Come back and leave a review! Tag me on Instagram @oursimplegraces
The Best Sourdough Orange Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Buttery, soft dough and a warm gooey filling, these Sourdough Orange Cinnamon Rolls have the perfect amount of sweetness with a hint of tartness. The whipped orange cream cheese glaze is naturally sweetened with maple syrup and pairs perfectly with these tangy but sweet rolls.
Ingredients
Sourdough Dough Ingredients
- 120 grams fed Sourdough Starter, active and bubbly
- 180 grams whole milk, warm
- 120 grams butter, softened (8 TBS)
- 1 egg
- 28 grams honey (2 TBS)
- 350 grams organic all purpose flour
- 8 grams sea salt
Filling
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 TBS cinnamon
- 1 TBS orange zest
- optional, 1 cup chopped walnuts and pecans
Orange Cream Cheese Glaze
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened room temperature
- 2 TBS butter, softened
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 2 TBS fresh squeezed orange juice
- 1 Tbs orange zest
Instructions
The Morning Before
- Feed your sourdough starter so that it is active and bubbly. *see note
The Afternoon before
- Using your kitchen scale, zero out a mixing bowl and add the sourdough starter, room temperature softened butter, honey, and warm whole milk. Whisk that together.
- Add in the flour, salt and egg. Mix till combined with a dough whisk or your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. If using a dough whisk, use your hands to bring it all together at the end. The dough will be pretty sticky.
- Cover the bowl with a moist tea towel or plastic wrap and let rest 15 minutes.
- After 15 minutes has passed, either use the dough hook on your stand mixer to mix together another minute. If mixing by hand perform a series of 4 stretch and folds. Cover and rest another 15 minutes.
- You will repeat this process every 15 minutes 4-6 times. ** see note
- Once done with stretch and folds or stand mixer dough hook mixing, cover and let rest overnight for its bulk rise.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel so the dough does not get dry on the top. *** see note
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 for 12-16 hours.
Mix Filling and Shape Dough
- After the dough has doubled in size, you are ready to shape your cinnamon rolls!
- Mix up the filling by combining softened/room temperature butter (unsalted or salted is fine), brown sugar, orange zest, and cinnamon.
- Scoop the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll it out with a rolling pin into a rectangle about 12" x 16".
- Spread the cinnamon-butter-sugar mix onto the flattened dough. Add your nuts on top now if you are choosing to use them.
- Roll the dough from the 12" side all the way till it forms a tight log. Pinch the ends together as you roll the dough.
- Using a knife or bench scraper, mark the dough to create 8 equal sections in the log. Use some unflavored dental floss or kitchen string to cut the rolls. Slide the string under the dough, bring it up, criss-cross the string together and pull to slice the dough clean. Place rolls in a parchment paper lined cake or springform pan.
Second Rise & Bake
- Cover the rolls and let rest in a warm spot for 1-2 hours for the second rise. Bake in a 350℉ oven for 40-50 minutes. Check the rolls for doneness around 35-40 minute mark. They should be golden on the top. Take out of the oven and let cool slightly before adding the cream cheese glaze.
Make the Orange Cream Cheese Glaze
While the rolls are baking, make your orange cream cheese glaze. It is important to use room temperature cream cheese and butter for this glaze, otherwise it will be clumpy. Using a hand mixer or whisk, whip the cream cheese. Next mix together the cream cheese, butter, fresh squeezed orange juice, orange zest and maple syrup until combined. The glaze should be able to smoothly drip off a spoon, but not super runny and liquidy.
Enjoy your Sourdough Orange Cinnamon Rolls warm!
These sourdough orange cinnamon rolls are best enjoyed warm and on the same day they are baked. Top with the orange cream cheese glaze and taste the sweet and zesty roll you made!
Notes
* For this recipe, you will need 120 grams of starter, so to be precise, you can scoop out 40 grams of sourdough starter into a clean jar. Feed it 40 grams of flour and 40 grams of filtered water which will leave you with 120 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.
** this does not need to be completely precise. I have gotten distracted and missed a 15 minute mark so I just did it at 30 minutes instead. The goal is to build up the gluten in the dough and by the time you are done with the 4th stretch and fold, the dough should be holding its shape instead of a remaining a lumpy wet blob of dough.
*** 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.
**** If you are making these ahead, let the rolls rise for one hour and then place it in fridge overnight or up to a day until you are ready to bake them. Take the rolls out about an hour before you are ready to bake so they can come back to room temperature before baking.
I’m in the process of making a starter as we speak! Can’t wait to try these!!
So exciting!! You’ll have to let me know how it turns out if you try them 🙂 Thanks, Meggie!
Oh….my…….
Yumyumyumyum!
Hahaha thank youuuu!! 🙂
These look amazing! I’ve only made them a few times with less than desirable results. Pinning too
I love how you call them sourdough cinni’s 😂 that is adorable! Orange is my FAVOURITE, totally trying this!
Haha!! Thanks 🙂 I hope you love them!
Thank you, Barbra-Sue! I hope these work for you! 🙂
When I made these when I was finished combining all the ingredients using a scale it was more like cake batter than dough what did I do wrong
Hi Peggy! Thank you for trying out the recipe! I’m so sorry the dough was off, I have made these multiple times and the dough is definitely a wet dough, but after the stretch and folds and rests, it does firm up before the bulk rise. Did you notice it firming up after the rest periods/stretches? Otherwise, all I can think of is somehow the measurements could have been off maybe or the starter was not at the peak of it’s activity?
I haven’t made cinnamon rolls in YEARS. But I’ve had them on my mind lately. Love the addition of the orange flavor. Thanks so much for sharing 😉
Thank you, Diane! Let me know if you give them a try! 🙂
Cinnamon rolls are my favorite dessert. Never thought of adding orange which really does elevate this recipe. It’s delicious and not overly complicated to make. Great great recipe!
I think the orange adds a bit more interest than just the traditional sweet cinnamon roll! Thank you for checking it out!! 🙂
These look and sound amazing!
Thank you, Kimberly!
My mouth is watering! And I really appreciate the “baker’s schedule” you detailed. Can’t wait to try these!
Thank you, Kathy!! I hope you love them!!
Delicious! But I strongly recommend against using a springform pan, as the mess on the bottom of the oven is pretty gnarly from leakage.
Oh yikes! Sorry about that! I will update to either put something under to catch the drips or use a different dish. Thanks for trying it out and I’m glad you enjoyed!
My favourite recipe!! I make it all the time! I’m wondering if you have tried freezing the cinnamon buns raw and baking them another time? Does this work and if so would you let it do the final rise or freeze it before that and then let it thaw for a couple hours?
thanks!
Hi! I’m so glad you have enjoyed this recipe! I have never frozen these because we are always too excited to eat them! But yes, I would say shape them and let them rise for a little bit before placing in the freezer. You could bake either after letting the dough thaw or you could place the frozen dish of rolls in your cool oven, preheat the oven and once it’s come to temp bake for around 40 minutes/till cooked through. Let me know if you try it! I may need to try this out myself now 🙂