Sourdough Amish Cinnamon Rolls
Just when I thought cinnamon rolls couldn’t get any better, I converted our favorite Amish recipe into these incredible Sourdough Amish Cinnamon Rolls.
Amish cinnamon rolls have always been a family favorite. Growing up, they were customary on Christmas morn, right alongside the orange sweet rolls…(all this took place AFTER the gift giving mayhem, of course!)
But we do things differently these days. Christmas morning is relished, not rushed. We take it slow, and savor the moments with memories etched into our minds that will, hopefully, last a lifetime. We sip our coffee, watch the kiddos play with the train under the tree, and simply enjoy “being” with the ones we love.
All this is creates the perfect setting for an upgraded tradition of Amish inspired, Sourdough Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls. OH MY!
Follow along with us over on our Facebook page!
Sourdough Sweet Potato Cinnamon Rolls
These cinnamon rolls are a labor of love, and take a bit of planning ahead. But I think, after that first bite, you’ll agree they’re worth it, especially for those memory-creating special occasions.
And don’t let the sweet potato throw you off. Traditionally prepared Amish rolls use mashed white potatoes to keep the texture light and fluffy, so the substitution for sweet potatoes maintains that fluffy texture while adding a hint of sweetness and a beautiful orange color to the rolls.
Sourdough Amish Cinnamon Rolls
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 2/3 cup butter melted
- 2/3 cup organic sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup sweet potato mashed
- 1 cup sourdough starter
- 4 cups + 2 cups organic unbleached white flour divided
- 1/4-1/2 cup milk raw, if possible
For the Filling
- 1/2 cup butter melted
- 1 cup organic brown sugar or 1 cup sugar + 1 Tablespoon molasses
- 1 Tablespoon cinnamon ground
For the Frosting
- 1/3 cup butter softened
- 2 cups organic powdered sugar or 1 cup organic sugar, blended
- 1 cup organic sour cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- dash sea salt
Instructions
- DOUGH - In the bowl of your stand mixer, add melted butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt and mashed sweet potato and mix until well incorporated.
- Add sourdough starter and mix until incorporated.
- Add 4 cups flour, one cup at a time, and mix until a smooth dough forms.
- Add 1/4 cup milk and the remaining 2 cups flour, 1/2 cup at a time and mix until a smooth dough forms. Add remaining milk, if needed (you're looking for a slightly sticky dough).
- Place dough in a bowl and let rise, covered, until doubled in size (about 1-2 hours).
- Punch down dough and roll out onto well floured surface.
- Using a rolling pin, roll dough out into a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick.
- FILLING - Brush melted butter all over the dough.
- In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkle sugar mixture over melted butter and spread evenly with fingers.
- Roll the dough, lengthwise into a tight log roll.
- Cut dough into 12-16 equally sized rolls and place into cast iron skillet (sheet tray, pyrex pan or other cooking pan) leaving about 1/2-1 inch between each roll.
- Cover with a tea towel and allow to rise until doubled in size (about 1-2 hours).
- Preaheat oven to 350 degrees F and bake rolls, uncovered for 25-30 minutes, or until no longer doughy in the center.
- FROSTING - In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk together softened butter and powdered sugar. Add in sour cream, vanilla and sea salt and whisk until smooth and creamy.
- Once cinnamon rolls are done baking, drizzle frosting over hot rolls for a thick glaze, or allow cinnamon rolls to cool and frost for a thin frosting.
Notes
- Be sure you're using "active" sourdough starter that has been fed within 4-12 hours and is nice and bubbly.
- If you don't have a sourdough starter, read this post for an easy sourdough starter recipe.
- Peel, cube and boil sweet potatoes. Drain liquid and mash ahead of time so they're able to cool before using.
- It's better to have your dough a bit on the "sticky" side before the first rise. Dough will get less sticky as it rises. If your dough is too stiff, your cinnamon rolls won't turn out as fluffy and light.
Nutrition
If you love easy-to-follow sourdough recipes (including Gluten-Free options), be sure to grab our Sourdough eBook: Everyday Sourdough.
Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls Tips:
- Be sure you’re using “active” sourdough starter that has been fed within 4-12 hours and is nice and bubbly.
- If you don’t have a sourdough starter, read this post for an easy sourdough starter recipe.
- Peel, cube and boil sweet potatoes. Drain liquid and mash ahead of time so they’re able to cool before using.
- It’s better to have your dough a bit on the “sticky” side before the first rise. Dough will get less sticky as it rises. If your dough is too stiff, your cinnamon rolls won’t turn out as fluffy and light.
Do you think pureed kuri squash or pumpkin would work instead of sweet potato
Hi Pat, I’m really not sure about swapping out the squash. My concerns are that squash tend to have more liquid than potatoes with less starch, which I think is what helps lend to the soft texture of the cinnamon rolls. You could certainly give it a try! You may need to adjust the amount of flour/liquid. Let us know if you do try it out!
I made this reciep a few times and it is always a great success!
Thank you for sharing the recipe with all the valuable details <3
Thanks Codrutsa! We’re so glad you like them… they’re a favorite here, too! If you’re looking for more sourdough recipes, check out our sourdough eBook, Everyday Sourdough. It’s filled with more great sourdough recipes!
Do you kneed the dough for the first rising or before rolling? I did not because you did not say to in recipe but it looks like you did it in the video before rolling it out. My dough did not rise, sadly.
I used a 10th day starter. It was fed in the morning and I baked with it in the evening.
Hi Cheryl, sorry for the late response! Bummer your dough didn’t rise! The only kneading this dough has is the initial kneading done in the stand mixer. It’s a VERY dense dough and really gives my machine a workout! After it has risen, all I do is punch it down before rolling it out and it’s nice and smooth at that point.
The 10th-day starter is probably not active enough to bake with. You’ll want to allow your starter to get more mature, feeding twice daily, for a minimum of 14 days. Then, you can take some of your starter and do a float test to see if it’s ready for baking. (Take a tablespoon of starter and place it in one cup of water, if it floats it’s ready to bake!)
Just to be clear, the 10th-day starter may float as well, however, it just doesn’t have enough microorganisms built up to give proper rise for bread baking (or cinnamon rolls), but is PERFECT to use in something like pancakes!
Let me know if you have any other questions! Happy to help!
Hi!! Do you think these would be ok to get to the point you put them in the skillet and then put them In the fridge until the next morning? Just want to have them cooked fresh in the morning 🙂 thank you! I can’t wait to make them!
Great question Jess…you’ll want to make sure you’ve let them do their final rise before refrigerating…then they’d work perfectly to pop in the fridge until morning! They’re likely to get a little extra sour, but this recipe has enough sugar they’re still plenty sweet! Enjoy!