Sourdough Cinnamon Twists
If you want a fun twist (yes, I did that on purpose) on classic cinnamon rolls then you have to try these Sourdough Cinnamon Twists! The dough is unbelievably soft thanks to tangzhong and a sweet levain giving you that fluffy cloud-like texture. Dunk them in cream cheese glaze and suddenly one twist will turn into three! They're perfect for crowds and dangerously easy to snack on.
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.
- Whisk - for stirring tangzhong.
- Long ruler or measuring tape (optional) - - to measure twists for evenness. I love this long straight edge ruler linked here.
- Rolling Pin - to roll dough out.
- 2 Baking sheets - for baking the twists.
- Parchment paper or silicone mats - to avoid the twists sticking to the baking sheets. I love these silicone baking mats linked here.
- Spatula - for spreading the filling.
- Pizza wheel or pastry wheel - - to cut twists into even strips.
- Digital scale - recommended for accurate measurements.
- Kitchen thermometer (optional)- - helpful for tangzhong and checking internal temperatures. This is my go-to kitchen thermometer linked here.
- hand beaters - to beat cream cheese glaze.
Ingredients
Sweet Levain:
- 1 (25g) Tbsp sourdough starter (100% hydration)
- ¾ (100g) cup all-purpose flour
- ½ (80g) cup water
- 1 (25g) Tbsp white sugar
Tangzhong:
- 2 (20g) Tbsp all-purpose flour
- ⅓ (100g) cup whole milk
Dough:
- All tangzhong
- ¾ (200g) cup sweet levain
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ⅓ (80g) cup whole milk
- ¼ (50g) cup white sugar
- 3 3/4 (475g) cups all-purpose flour
- 1¾ (10g) tsp sea salt
- 10 (142g) Tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
Cinnamon Filling Paste:
- 4 (57g) Tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1/3 (67g) cup brown sugar
- 2 (30g) Tbsps white sugar
- 1 Tbsp cinnamon
- 2 (16g) Tbsp all-purpose flour
Cream Cheese Glaze:
- 2 (56g) oz full-fat cream cheese softened
- 2 (28g) Tbsp unsalted butter softened
- 1 (120g) cup powdered sugar
- 6-8 Tbsp whole milk or half and half
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or paste
- 1/8 tsp sea salt
Instructions
Step 1: Make the Sweet Levain (Night Before)
- Baker's Schedule: 8:00 PM- 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 twist dough.1 (25g) Tbsp sourdough starter (100% hydration), ¾ (100g) cup all-purpose flour, ½ (80g) cup water, 1 (25g) Tbsp white sugar
Step 2: Make the Tangzhong
- Baker's Schedule: 8:00 AM- Day 1
- Before you get started on mixing your dough, you'll make your tangzhong. Whisk milk and flour together in a small saucepan.2 (20g) Tbsp all-purpose flour, ⅓ (100g) cup whole milk
- 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
- Baker's Schedule: 8:30 AM- Day 1
- 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.All tangzhong, ¾ (200g) cup sweet levain, 2 large eggs, ⅓ (80g) cup whole milk, ¼ (50g) cup white sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract or paste
- Add your flour and salt into your wet ingredients.3 3/4 (475g) cups all-purpose flour, 1¾ (10g) tsp sea salt
- 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.10 (142g) Tbsp 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.
- Let 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 twists. I do find it to be easier to shape the twists when the dough has been refrigerated but it isn't necessary.
Step 5: Prepare the Cinnamon SUgar Filling
- In a microwave safe bowl, melt your butter. Add the brown sugar, white sugar, cinnamon, and flour to the melted butter and mix all of the ingredients until it forms a smooth paste. Set aside for later.4 (57g) Tbsp unsalted butter, 1/3 (67g) cup brown sugar, 2 (30g) Tbsps white sugar, 1 Tbsp cinnamon, 2 (16g) Tbsp all-purpose flour
Step 6: Shape the Cinnamon Twists
- 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.
- On a well floured surface, roll dough into a 12x16-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 cinnamon sugar mixture over half of the rectangle, leaving a 1/2 inch border at the bottom.
- Fold the top half of the rectangle of dough over the half with the cinnamon mixture. Seal the bottom edge of the dough with your thumb.
- Measure the rectangle into 12 1-inch strips, and cut them using a sharp knife or pizza wheel.
- Grabbing each end of each strip, twist the strip a few times to form the twist. Transfer the twist to the baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat with the ends flat.
- Lay 6 twists with about an inch apart on each baking sheet to proof, and cover each sheet with plastic or a damp towel.
- Optional Shape Ahead Instructions: As long as you made your dough the same day, you can shape your twists and place on the pan and cover with plastic then refrigerate overnight to save yourself an additional step the next morning. Do not allow twists 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 your twists.
Step 7: 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 8: Bake the Twists
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).
- Transfer the twists to the preheated oven, and bake 20-22 minutes until the internal temperature has reached 190°F, and the twists are golden.
- Remove from the oven immediately once done baking, and if you have any cinnamon sugar that leaked used a spoon to pull it away from the twists while warm.
- Transfer the warm twists to a cooling rack while you prepare the cream cheese icing.
Step 9: Make the Cream Cheese Icing
- While the twists cool, prepare the cream cheese glaze.
- Place the cream cheese and softened butter to a bowl, and beat on high with hand mixers until smooth.2 (56g) oz full-fat cream cheese, 2 (28g) Tbsp unsalted butter
- Add the vanilla, powdered sugar, and salt to the bowl, and beat into the icing.1 (120g) cup powdered sugar, 2 tsp vanilla extract or paste, 1/8 tsp sea salt
- Beat milk 1 Tablespoon at at time in to the glaze, until the consistency is runny and can easily drizzle on top of the twists. If the icing is really thick and you need a more thin consistency, you can also warm in the microwave for 15 seconds and beat again for a thinner texture.6-8 Tbsp whole milk
- Drizzle glaze over the warm twists, and serve with extra glaze on the side for dipping.
- Yields 24 sourdough cinnamon twists
Notes
How to Store:
Room Temperature- Store glazed twists in an airtight container up to 1 day. Refrigerator- Twists: Keep up to 4 days in refrigerator covered or in an air tight container, gently rewarming before serving in microwave for 10 seconds. Cream Cheese Glaze: Store the glaze in an airtight container up to 1 week. Gently heat for 1-15 seconds in the microwave and stir until the desired consistency, and serve. Freezer- Freeze unfrosted twists, tightly wrapped, for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in fridge, warm, then glaze with fresh icing. Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!