Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Rolls

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Nothing says autumn quite like apple pie, unless you swirl it into a cinnamon roll! These Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Rolls combine the best of both worlds. Each pillowy soft sourdough roll is filled with gooey cinnamon sugar and homemade apple pie filling, then topped with silky cream cheese frosting and a buttery crumble topping. This is one of those recipes you make once and keep getting requests for!

Tools You’ll Need:

1. Stand mixer with dough hook (or strong hands!) – for mixing dough.
2. Mixing bowls- for combining apple pie filling, mixing crumble, and cream cheese icing.
3. Saucepan or small pot- for mixing tangzhong.
4. Whisk- for stirring tangzhong.
5. Veggie or apple peeler- to peel apples.
6. Cutting board and knife- to chop apples.
7. Large saucepan- to cook apple pie filling.
8. Long ruler or measuring tape (optional) – to measure dough for even rolls.
9. Rolling pin– to roll dough out.
10. 9×13-inch baking dish- for baking buns. I love this pan from USA 9×13 baking pan.
11. Offset spatula or frosting knife- for spreading cinnamon paste and frosting.
12. Pizza wheel or pastry wheel – to cut rolls into even strips.
13. Digital food scale– recommended for accurate measurements.
14. Kitchen thermometer (optional)- helpful for tangzhong and checking internal temperatures. This is my go-to kitchen thermometer linked here.
15. Hand beaters- to beat cream cheese icing.

Gather Your Ingredients:

1. All-purpose flour- I recommend using all-purpose flour for a softer roll, but you can substitute for bread flour. Make sure to avoid using flours that are enriched, and for best results select a high protein flour. You’ll also use flour in your pie filling and crumble.
2. Whole milk – milk works in the tangzgong and the dough to create a tender crumb.
3. Sourdough starter- (flat or past peak, can be cold or room temperature). You’ll use your starter to feed your sweet levain used in the dough. If you wish, you can skip the sweet levain and use equal weight sourdough starter instead; just make sure it has been fed and is at peak when you use your starter. Be aware this may make for a more “sour” cinnamon roll.
4. Unsalted Butter – butter makes your dough rich and soft. You’ll also need it for your apple pie filling and in the crumble frosting. I prefer using unsalted butter and then adding salt so I can control the amount being added. If you use salted, reduce the salt you’re using.
5. Eggs – provide richness and works to bind the dough.
6. White sugar– Boosts sweetness and supports the rise and golden color of the rolls. You’ll also use white sugar to feed your sweet levain, sweeten your apple pie filling, and crumble.
7. Salt – balances sweetness and enhances overall flavors. I prefer a high quality sea salt.
8. Brown sugar– Used to sweeten the apple pie filling and give it that “caramel” taste. You’ll also use this in your cinnamon sugar paste.
9. Vanilla extract– Enhances the flavor and brings warmth.
10. Cinnamon and Cardamom- Rounds out the apple flavor and brings that classic apple pie warmth. You can skip the cardamom if you don’t have it, but I think it’s the secret to my apple pie filling. Shhh, don’t tell anyone!
11. Granny Smith Apples– These are my favorite apples for apple pie filling. While you can use other varieties of apples, granny smith offer a distinct tart crisp flavor and don’t get mushy after long periods of baking. If you don’t have Granny Smith, Honeycrisp or Braeburn are fine options.
12. Lemon juice- balances out the apple pie filling and helps to preserve the apples.
13. Cream – this is key to creating a rich caramelized apple pie filling. You’ll also use it to thin out your cream cheese icing if needed.
14. Cream cheese – gives icing that tangy classic taste.
15. Powdered Sugar (or confectioner’s) – used in the cream cheese icing to sweeten and thicken the glaze. Do not substitute this sugar for granulated sugar, or your frosting will be gritty.

Now let’s bake!

Instructions

Step 1: Make the Sweet Levain (Night Before)

To start your dough, you’ll want to mix a sweet levain the night before. If this sounds intimidating, it’s not! It’s literally just adding sugar to your starter. This curbs the tang of the sourdough for the perfect cinnamon roll.

In a clean jar, mix your mother starter with the flour, water, and sugar. Give it a good stir, and allow it to rest at room temperature (optimally 73-75 degrees F). I like to mark the volume in my jar with a rubber band so it’s easy to asses the rise the next morning. When the sweet levain has doubled in size, it’s time to mix your cinnamon roll dough.

Step 2: Make the Tangzhong

Before you get started on mixing your dough, you’ll make your tangzhong. Whisk milk and flour together in a small saucepan.

Cook the tangzhong over medium/low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens into a paste that is similar to pudding (about 2–3 minutes). For precision, use your digital thermometer and heat to 148-155 F. Do not overheat, or your mixture will be too thick.

Scrape into a bowl immediately to prevent further cooking, cover, and let cool to room temperature before adding to your dough.

Prepare your dough while tangzhong cools.

Step 3: Mix the Dough

In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook or large mixing bowl, add all of the tangzhong, whole milk, sweet levain, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Whisk ingredients together quickly, it’s okay if it’s lumpy.

Add your flour and salt into your wet ingredients.

Mix on low until a shaggy dough forms, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down bowl if needed. If using your hands, knead until you work dough together. This is a higher hydration dough, so be aware it will be sticky.

Once the dough has come together add softened butter, a tablespoon at a time mixing each tablespoon in until adding the next. Use a dough scraper to scrape the edges of the bowl to make sure everything is getting mixed in.

Continue mixing on medium-low (speed 2–3) for 8–10 minutes, until dough is smooth, elastic, and tacky but not sticky. If mixing by hand, knead dough until butter has fully incorporated and dough is smooth and tacky.

Mixing Notes: If kneading in a mixer or if dough is very wet when mixing by hand, add an additional 25 grams (3 Tablespoons) of flour and mix into dough. Make sure to work flour in completely and assess if you need more flour.

Do not add more than 50 grams of flour at this stage, or you will lose the high hydration of the dough and end up with a dense cinnamon roll. If using a stand mixer, dough can become more warm and sticky and I have found kneading dough with my hand (perform a set of stretch and folds) for a minute after mixing in my stand mixer really helps bring the dough together.

Step 4: Bulk Fermentation

How to perform a stretch and fold: Beginning at the edge of the bowl, lift the dough up without tearing it, and fold it back into the center. Repeat this step around the edge of the bowl until the dough forms a ball. This is one set of stretch and folds. Cover the dough again and return it to a warm environment to rest 30 minutes.

Stand mixer directions: perform one set of stretch and folds after 30 minutes to strengthen your dough.

Hand mixing directions: perform 3 sets of stretch and folds at 30 minute intervals at the beginning of bulk fermentation. After stretch and folds are completed, cover dough and allow to continue proofing.

Let the dough rise at 75–80°F until doubled in size, this takes about 5–6 hours. If your house is very cold, you can put dough in the oven with the light on for a warmer atmosphere.

This proofing time is a general guide, this process may take longer the key is to assess when the dough has nearly doubled that’s when it’s ready.

Overnight Fermentation: Once dough has finished rising, you can cover and transfer to the refrigerator overnight for a longer ferment or you can skip this step and go straight to making your rolls. I do find it to be easier to shape the rolls when the dough has been refrigerated but it isn’t necessary.

Step 5: Make the Apple PIe Filling

Wash your apples and dry them. Peel and chop them into 1/4 inch cubes (this is key to getting the apples properly cooked). Transfer the apples to a large mixing bowl.

Add the lemon juice, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla, salt, cream, and flour to the bowl; toss the apple chunks with filling ingredients until they’re coated.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt your butter. When the butter has melted, add the apple filling. Cook the apples for about 8-10 minutes, until the apples are soft and a caramel sauce has formed.

Make sure to keep stirring the apples off of the bottom of the pan to avoid burning. Transfer the filling to a bowl to cool.

Once the filling has cooled, it should be thick and spoonable. You want the filling fully cooled before you add it to the cinnamon rolls, so the cinnamon butter doesn’t melt. You can refrigerate the apple filling until you’re ready to shape the rolls.

Make Ahead Note: You can make this filling up to 3 days ahead and store in the refrigerator in an airtight container until ready to use.

Step 6: Make Crumble Topping and Cinnamon Filling

To give the rolls that apple pie flavor, we are going to make a quick crumble.

Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl, then add the flour, white sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Combine the crumble until its clumpy and crumbly. Set aside for later.

Make sure your butter is completely softened before mixing the cinnamon sugar filling.

Add the butter to a mixing bowl, then add the brown sugar, cinnamon, flour, and salt.

Using a spatula, combine all of the ingredients until you have a smooth spreadable paste. If the butter is really hard to mix, pop it in the microwave for about 10 seconds (not longer) to soften it to make the filling easier to mix. Set aside.

Step 7: Shape the Cinnamon Rolls

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 15×15-inch square. Use a tape measure or ruler if needed to measure. Trim any excess edges if needed to get a clean line.

Spread the cinnamon sugar filling over the top of the rectangle of dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border at the top of the dough.

Next sprinkle the cooled apple pie filling evenly over the top of the cinnamon sugar paste, reserving 1 cup for topping the rolls.

Mark the bottom edge a little wider than an inch to create 12 strips. Use a knife or pizza wheel to cut 12 clean long strips.

Starting at the bottom of each strip, roll up each strip to form your cinnamon roll as pictured below.

Place the rolls into a greased 9×13-inch pan in 3 rows of 4 to proof. Cover with plastic.

Optional Shape Ahead Instructions: At this point you can shape your rolls and place in the pan and cover with plastic then refrigerate overnight to save yourself an additional step the next morning. Do not allow rolls to proof at this point and place directly into refrigerator covered with plastic. Continue with final proof the next morning. This may take longer as your dough will be cold. Do not do this if you have already refrigerated dough overnight, as you will run the risk of over proofing you rolls.

Step 8: Final Proof

Cover the rolls with plastic wrap and let rise at warm room temp (74–78°F) for 1-2 hours, or until noticeably puffy, kissing, and nearly doubled as pictured. This is the time to let them get really nice and puffy for a soft roll!

Step 9: Bake the Rolls

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

Right before you bake your rolls, sprinkle half the crumble mixture over the tops of the rolls reserving half if desired for topping later.

Bake the rolls for 35-40 minutes, or until tops are golden and firm. Because these rolls are thicker with fruit, it’s important to make sure the center portion of the roll has reached the proper temperature to avoid an underbaked roll. Internal temperature of center of roll should read 190-200°F.

Cover a baking sheet with parchment, and pour the remaining crumble on the pan and bake at 350 F for 15 minutes to crisp up to top the rolls later. You can do this as you bake the cinnamon rolls.

If the cinnamon rolls are browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil during the last 10–15 minutes.

Remove the rolls and crumble from the oven and allow to cool.

While the rolls cool, whip up your cream cheese icing.

Step 10: Make the Cream Cheese Icing

In a bowl, add the cream cheese and butter. Cream together until pale and fluffy with hand beaters on high for 2-3 minutes.

Add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt to the bowl. Beat into the frosting until smooth.

If the frosting is too thick to spread, add 1 Tablespoon of heavy cream at a time to reach your desired consistency.

Scoop the cream cheese icing evenly on top of the warm rolls, and spread with a spatula or frosting knife.

Top the rolls with the remaining apple pie filling, and sprinkle the remaining crumble on top of the filling.

Serve warm rolls immediately for the best flavor and texture.

Yields 12 regular sized cinnamon rolls

How to Store:

Room Temperature- Store frosted rolls in an airtight container up to 1 day.

Refrigerator- Keep up to 4 days in refrigerator covered or in an air tight container, gently rewarming before serving in microwave for 10 seconds.

Freezer- Freeze unfrosted rolls, tightly wrapped, for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in fridge, warm, then frost with fresh icing.

FAQ’S

If you loved this recipe, drop a comment and leave a star review and don’t forget to checkout more of my yummy sourdough cinnamon roll recipes!

Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Recipes:

• Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls (Cinnabon Copycat)
• Jumbo Sourdough Cinnabons
• Sourdough Strawberry Rolls
• Sourdough Maple Pecan Sticky Buns