Don’t get me started on my love for my Sourdough Cinnamon Buns. What better thing is there to bake on a slow weekend morning or as a cozy late-night date night activity than a batch of homemade sourdough cinnamon buns? Honestly, I can’t think of one. Ever since I started making cinnamon buns with sourdough, I genuinely can’t imagine going back. The dough is everything you could ever want it to be — light, fluffy, airy, soft, pillowy, and packed with flavour. It has that thick, plush pull-apart texture that makes a truly exceptional cinnamon bun, while still staying incredibly pillowy and plush with every bite.

Layer after layer of buttery cinnamon sugar gets rolled into the dough before being baked until golden and topped with my silky cream cheese icing. The result is the kind of cinnamon bun that makes your kitchen smell incredible and has everyone reaching for a second one before they’ve even finished the first.

When it comes to sweet sourdough baking, these are hands-down one of my favourite things to make. Whether you’re baking them for a holiday morning, a weekend brunch, or simply because you’re craving something cozy, this recipe never disappoints. In my opinion, there simply isn’t a better sourdough cinnamon bun recipe than this one.

What You’ll Need

One of my favourite things about these sourdough cinnamon buns is that they’re made from simple, everyday ingredients that transform into something truly special. Active sourdough starter creates incredible flavour and gives the dough that signature soft texture, while milk, butter, egg, and brown sugar create a rich, sweet & tender dough that bakes up beautifully fluffy. The cinnamon sugar filling melts into every layer, creating those iconic swirls that make cinnamon buns so irresistible. And of course, everything gets finished with a generous layer of cream cheese icing because a cinnamon bun simply isn’t complete without it.

SOURDOUGH CINNAMON BUNS CHECKLIST

Main Dough

Bread flour
Active sourdough starter
Whole milk
Cinnamon
Softened butter
Brown sugar
Egg
Salt

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

Butter
Brown sugar
Cinnamon & salt

Cream Cheese Icing

Cream cheese
Powdered sugar
Vanilla extract & salt
Softened butter

Making the Sourdough Cinnamon Buns

A Quick Note on Timing

One of the beautiful things about sourdough cinnamon buns is that you can work them around your schedule. There isn’t one perfect schedule. The beauty of sourdough is learning how to make it work for your life. Heres the 2 options I rotate on depending on the time I want to serve them:

1. If you want fresh cinnamon buns for an afternoon or evening bake, I recommend feeding your starter in the morning, mixing the dough that evening, allowing the dough to bulk ferment overnight, and then shaping and baking the buns in the afternoon/evening.

2. My personal preference is usually the opposite. I feed my starter the night before, mix the dough first thing in the morning, allow it to bulk ferment throughout the day, shape the buns that evening, and then let the shaped rolls proof overnight. That way they’re ready to bake first thing the next morning.

Feeding the Sourdough Starter

The night or morning before mixing your dough, feed your sourdough starter so it’s active and ready to use the next day or night. For this recipe, I feed:

25g sourdough starter
100g water
100g bread flour

Mix everything together thoroughly, cover loosely, and allow it to rise until it reaches its peak. During the summer months, this usually takes about 6–8 hours. During colder months, it may take closer to 8–12 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen. Your starter should be bubbly, airy, and noticeably expanded before using it in the dough.

Mixing the Dough

When your starter reaches its peak & is ready to use add the warm milk, active sourdough starter, softened butter, brown sugar, egg, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer or mixing bowl is kneading by hand. Give everything a quick stir to combine before adding the bread flour.

Using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. Once the dough starts coming together, increase the speed slightly to medium-low and continue kneading for 6–8 minutes until a smooth, elastic dough ball forms. If you don’t have a stand mixer, simply transfer the dough to a clean work surface and knead by hand for about 8–10 minutes until smooth. The dough should feel soft, supple, and slightly tacky but not overly sticky.

Bulk Fermentation (First Rise)

Transfer the dough back into a lightly greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise until doubled in size. Depending on the strength of your starter and the temperature of your kitchen, this can take anywhere from 4–8 hours. This step requires a little patience, but it’s what creates that beautiful soft texture that makes sourdough cinnamon buns so special. Once the dough has doubled and looks light and airy, you’re ready to move on.

Making the Cinnamon Sugar Filling & Shaping the Rolls

In a small bowl, combine the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Mix until a soft, fluffy cinnamon sugar paste forms.

Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a rectangle measuring approximately 18 x 12 inches. Spread the cinnamon sugar mixture evenly across the dough, making sure to reach all the way to the edges. Rather than rolling the dough into one large log, I prefer cutting the dough into strips and rolling each cinnamon bun individually. I find this creates more consistent rolls and gives a beautiful finished shape. Using scissors or a bench scraper, divide the dough into 9, 2″ long strips and roll each one individually to create your cinnamon buns. Place the rolls into a 9×9 baking dish.

Proofing (Second Rise)

Cover the cinnamon buns and allow them to proof until noticeably puffy and expanded. Depending on your schedule, this can take anywhere from 4–8 hours. If you’re planning to leave them overnight, I recommend allowing them to proof at room temperature for a few hours first and then transferring them to the refrigerator to prevent over-proofing. The goal is soft, fluffy buns that have expanded beautifully but still hold their structure. Once proofed, they’re ready for the oven.

Baking

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Bake the cinnamon buns on the center rack for approximately 35 minutes, or until golden brown on top and baked through the center. Allow them to cool slightly before topping with cream cheese icing. And then comes the best part while they bake we make the icing – the crème de la crème…

Making the Cream Cheese Icing

Add the softened cream cheese and butter to a mixing bowl. Beat together for 2–3 minutes until completely smooth, light, and fluffy with no lumps remaining. Sift in the powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing on low speed between additions. Once incorporated, add the vanilla extract and sea salt. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip for another 1–2 minutes until the icing becomes silky, smooth, and spreadable. If you’d like a thinner glaze-style icing, add 1–2 tablespoons of milk. For a thicker bakery-style frosting, leave it as is. Spread generously over slightly warm cinnamon buns so the icing melts into all the swirls and layers.

Why I like this ratio: A lot of cream cheese frostings end up tasting overwhelmingly like cream cheese. This one still has that tangy cream cheese flavour, but it’s balanced by enough butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar that it tastes like a true cinnamon bun icing rather than cheesecake frosting. It’s rich, silky, not overly sweet, and melts beautifully into the buns — exactly what you want on a warm sourdough cinnamon roll. 🤍

If there is one sourdough recipe I think everyone should make, it’s these cinnamon buns. They’re soft, fluffy, perfectly sweet, and everything a cinnamon roll should be. The long fermentation creates incredible flavour, while the pillowy dough practically melts in your mouth with every bite. Whether you’re making them for a slow weekend morning, a holiday brunch, or simply because you need something cozy baking in the oven, these never disappoint. In fact, I can confidently say I haven’t wanted a regular cinnamon bun since perfecting this recipe.

Fresh from the oven, filled with cinnamon sugar, and covered in cream cheese icing, they’re pretty close to perfection & I can’t wait for you to try them yourself. 😌🥐🤍

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Sourdough Cinnamon Bun Recipe