Jumbo Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
These Jumbo Sourdough Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls with maple brown butter cream cheese frosting start with a ultra-soft, pillowy sourdough base, filled with that cozy fall flavor of pumpkin and spice. Each giant roll bakes up tender, golden, and irresistibly fluffy, then gets smothered in a silky maple brown butter cream cheese glaze that melts into all the nooks and crannies. I promise you this is a recipe you'll be saving as a family favorite!
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook (or strong hands!) - for mixing dough.
- Mixing bowls - for combining cinnamon sugar filling and cream cheese icing.
- Saucepan or small pot - for mixing tangzhong and browning butter.
- Whisk - for stirring tangzhong.
- Long ruler or measuring tape (optional) - - to measure dough for even rolls.
- Rolling Pin - to roll dough out.
- 9x13-inch baking dish - for baking rolls.
- Offset spatula or frosting knife- - for spreading cinnamon paste and frosting.
- Pizza wheel or pastry wheel - - to cut rolls into even strips.
- Digital food scale - recommended for accurate measurements.
- Digital food thermometer (optional) - helpful for tangzhong and checking internal temperatures.
- hand beaters - to beat cream cheese icing.
Ingredients
Sweet Levain (make the night before):
- 2 tbsp (25g) mature sourdough starter
- ¾ cup (100g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100g) room temperature water
- 2 tbsp (25g) granulated sugar
Tangzhong Paste:
- 2 tbsp (20g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100g) whole milk
Main Dough:
- All of the tangzhong
- ¾ cup (200g) sweet levain
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1/3 cup (70g) whole milk
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ tsp (10g) sea salt
- 10 tbsp (142g) unsalted butter softened
- ⅔ cup (150g) pumpkin purée blotted if watery
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp cardamom
Butter for spreading:
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter softened
Cinnamon Spice Brown Sugar Filling:
- ¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar
- 1 ½ tbsp cinnamon
- ½ tsp ginger
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- ⅛ tsp cardamom
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (30g) all-purpose flour
Cream Bath:
- ⅓ cup (80g) heavy cream
Maple Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 4 tbsp (56g) unsalted butter
- 4 oz (112g) cream cheese
- 1 ¾ cups (225g) powdered sugar
- 2 tbsp (30g) pure maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp maple flavoring optional
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
- 1-2 Tablespoons heavy cream as needed
Instructions
Step 1: Make the Sweet Levain (Night Before)
- 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.2 tbsp (25g) mature sourdough starter, ¾ cup (100g) all-purpose flour, ½ cup (100g) room temperature water, 2 tbsp (25g) granulated sugar
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.½ cup (100g) whole milk, 2 tbsp (20g) all-purpose flour
- 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.
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, pumpkin puree, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cardamom. Whisk ingredients together quickly, it's okay if it's lumpy.All of the tangzhong, ¾ cup (200g) sweet levain, 2 large eggs, 1/3 cup (70g) whole milk, ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar, ⅔ cup (150g) pumpkin purée, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 ½ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ginger, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ⅛ tsp cardamom
- 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.4 cups (500g) all-purpose flour, 1 ¾ tsp (10g) sea salt
- 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.10 tbsp (142g) unsalted butter
- 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
- Spray a clean bowl with oil. Shape the dough into a smooth ball and place it in the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap.
- If you used a stand mixer, perform one set of stretch and folds after 30 minutes to strengthen your dough. If you mixed dough by hand, 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.
- To complete a set of stretch and folds simply lift the dough at the edge, and fold it into the center. Repeat this step until you've formed a ball with your dough.
- Let dough rise at 75–80°F until doubled in size, this takes about 6-7 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 simply chill the dough for 1 hour before shaping your rolls. I do find it to be easier to shape the rolls when the dough has been refrigerated for at least an hour due to the pumpkin in the dough.
Step 5: Shape the Cinnamon Rolls
- Note: If refrigerating dough overnight, remove from refrigerator at this time and allow to rest 30 minutes at room temperature to take off the chill.
- Before you shape your rolls, make sure your butter is room temperature for spreading on your dough and mix your cinnamon spice and brown sugar filling.
- In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cardamom, salt and flour for the filling. Set aside for later.¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar, 1 ½ tbsp cinnamon, ½ tsp ginger, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ⅛ tsp cardamom, ⅛ tsp salt, 2 tbsp (30g) all-purpose flour
- On a lightly floured surface, roll dough into a 12x15-inch rectangle with the 12-inch edges being the bottom and top. Use a tape measure or ruler if needed to measure. Trim any excess edges if needed to get a clean line.
- Spread the dough with the softened butter, leaving a 1/2 inch border at the top.1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter
- Spread top of butter with the cinnamon sugar blend you prepared early, making sure it's evenly spread all over the dough to meet the edges leaving a 1/2 inch border at the top.
- Mark the bottom edge (12-in edge) every 2 inches to create 6 strips. Use a knife or pizza wheel to cut 6 clean long strips.
- Starting at the bottom of each strip, roll up each strip to form your cinnamon roll as pictured below.
- Note: The measurements listed are for 6 jumbo rolls. If you'd like to adjust this recipe to make a dozen rolls, use the 15-in edge as the bottom and top edge, with the 12-inch edge being the sides. Cut into 12 (1 1/4 inch wide) strips and form your rolls. Proceed with recipe as listed.
- Place rolls into a greased 9x13-inch pan to proof. Cover with plastic.
- Optional Shape Ahead Instructions: As long as you made your dough the same day, 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 6: Final Proof
- Cover rolls with plastic wrap and let rise at warm room temp (74–78°F) for 2 hours, or until noticeably puffy and nearly doubled as pictured.
Step 7: Bake Rolls
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Right before you bake your rolls, pour the heavy cream over the tops to give them extra moisture.⅓ cup (80g) heavy cream
- Bake rolls for 40 minutes, or until tops are golden and firm. Because these rolls are thicker, 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 200–205°F.
- If rolls are browning too quickly, tent loosely with foil during the last 10–15 minutes.
- While rolls bake, whip up your cream cheese icing.
Step 8: Make Cream Cheese Icing
- In a small pot, add your butter. Cook on medium heat whisking until butter is golden with amber flecks. Remove from heat immediately and transfer to a mixing bowl. Allow butter to come to room temperature before proceeding. You can pop it in the refrigerator for a few minutes if needed.4 tbsp (56g) unsalted butter
- Soften cream cheese. Add the cream cheese to the browned butter. Cream together on high until pale and smooth.4 oz (112g) cream cheese
- Add the maple syrup, maple flavoring if using, vanilla, and salt to the bowl. Beat into the frosting until smooth.2 tbsp (30g) pure maple syrup, 1 tsp vanilla extract, 1 tsp maple flavoring, 1/8 tsp sea salt
- Sift your powdered sugar and add to your frosting, and beat into your icing until its fluffy.1 ¾ cups (225g) powdered sugar
- Add heavy cream if needed to thin icing to the icing and beat until fluffy and light.1-2 Tablespoons heavy cream
- Scoop cream cheese icing evenly on top of the rolls, and spread with a spatula or frosting knife. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.
- Serve warm rolls immediately.