Hi, friend! Potato flake sourdough cinnamon rolls are a delicious way to use your potato flake sourdough starter for more than just bread. This recipe is simple and will walk you through the entire process, from mixing your dough to enjoying soft, homemade cinnamon rolls with your family!
These potato flake sourdough cinnamon rolls are soft, fluffy, buttery, and packed with cinnamon sugar flavor. Made with an active potato flake sourdough starter and a few simple baking ingredients, your family is in for a treat. The main recipe uses all purpose flour and I’ve included a whole grain option too.
If you’ve ever been intimidated by homemade cinnamon rolls, you don’t have to worry about that here. I’ll share my tips and tricks to keep the process simple and doable without spending hours in the kitchen. Trust me, I’ve had my fair share of cinnamon roll rolling nightmares and can now honestly say with this simple process, I don’t dread making them!
Ready? Let’s dive in!
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Why You’ll Love These Potato Flake Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Your family will love these potato flake sourdough cinnamon rolls because they’re soft, fluffy, delicious, and simple to prep!
Here’s what you can expect from Potato Flake Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls:
- Soft and fluffy and delicious
- Made with potato flake sourdough starter
- Homemade from scratch with real food ingredients
- Make dough in the evening; roll & bake in the morning
- Both all purpose flour & whole grain options to fit your preference
Ingredients for Potato Flake Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
There are just a few steps for making cinnamon rolls and they don’t all have to be done at once. When it’s broken up into simple steps, it won’t feel like you’ve spent all morning in the kitchen for something your family is going to inhale. First, let’s gather your ingredients.
Here’s What You’ll Need For the Dough
- 6 cups all purpose flour (or whole grain flour to sub)
- 1 tsp sea salt (or your salt of choice)
- Granulated sugar
- Active potato flake sourdough starter (has been fed within the last 4-8 hours)
- Milk
- Real butter
- Eggs
- Vanilla extract
Here’s What You’ll Need For the Cinnamon Topping
- Real butter
- Cinnamon
- Brown sugar
Here’s What You’ll Need For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- Cream cheese
- Honey
- Vanilla extract (or other inclusions like strawberries, etc.)
Whole Grain Variation
If you want to make these cinnamon rolls with whole grain flour, the swap is simple. Psst…the only thing you’ll change is the butter amount. For the whole grain version, you’ll use a little more butter in the dough because it can be a little on the dry side. That’s it! Now, let’s get baking!
How to Make Potato Flake Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
Step #1: Feed Your Potato Flake Sourdough Starter
To make these potato flake sourdough cinnamon rolls, you will need an active starter. When your starter is active, it has what your dough needs to rise naturally and be fluffy with commercial yeast or leavening agents.
To get active starter, just feed it around 4-8 hours before you make your cinnamon roll dough. If you’re following my recipe exactly, this would mean you’d be mixing dough in the evening so you’d feed in the morning or afternoon before.
You’ll know your starter is active if it bubbles and seems like things are happening inside the jar. It’ll look something like this.
If you need a little more info on this part, you can read these posts!
How to Make a Potato Flake Sourdough Starter
Complete Guide to Maintaining a Potato Flake Starter
Step #2: Make the Cinnamon Roll Dough
The evening before you want to have these homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast, make your dough. First toss 6 cups flour, 1 tsp salt, and ⅔ cup granulated sugar in a large mixing bowl.
Add in 1 cup of milk, 1 cup of active sourdough starter, and 6 tbsp of softened butter (½ cup or 8 tbsp for the whole grain variation), 2 eggs, and 1 tbsp of vanilla extract.
Now mix it all well until a dough forms. You can mix by hand or with a stand mixer, but you don’t have to really knead it very long like you do bread. Just mix it until the dough forms like so:
Just a note that this image is of whole grain cinnamon roll dough and the all purpose flour one will be even smoother! Either way, all you’re doing is making a cohesive dough at this point.
This recipe has always turned out perfectly for me but, be aware that humidity levels and where you live can affect sourdough. So if you’re having a hard time mixing the dough because it’s too stiff, add a half a cup extra of milk. If it seems way too runny and sticky, add half a cup of flour. You should be able to touch the dough with a fingertip and it not stick.
You’ll want your dough stiff enough to roll out tomorrow, but still wet enough to be formable and get you that soft dough you’re after.
Step #3: Let the Dough Rise
Now, you’ll cover your dough with plastic wrap and set out a stick of butter and a package of cream cheese to soften overnight. Now walk away for the night. Go to sleep and don’t worry about a thing! This is the easiest part where you literally do nothing 🙂
Check your dough first thing in the morning. It should have risen and look something like this:
Now if your dough didn’t rise at all, first I’m sorry. I know how disappointing that can be. There can be a few contributing factors, but the most common one is your starter wasn’t active. You can read this post for troubleshooting and come back to this recipe soon!
Why Your Potato Flake Sourdough Isn’t Rising And How To Fix It
Step #4: Roll Out the Dough
Now, spread a little flour on a clean kitchen surface and dump your dough out. Pat a little flour on top of the dough and roll out into a large rectangle about a half inch thick. Just eyeball it. Roll it out from a circle to a rectangle.
Step #5: Add the Butter and Cinnamon Sugar Filling
Now you’ll spread ½ cup of butter evenly on top. Make sure it’s softened. You can microwave it if you forgot to set it out last night, but beware not to get it too melted. Trust me, it’ll be a mess. Ask me how I know 🙂
After the butter is evenly spread, sprinkle brown sugar and cinnamon on top until everything is covered. I don’t actually measure this part because I’m more focused on them being evenly distributed than a measurement. So eyeball this too, but here’s what it should look like:
Step #6: Cut the Cinnamon Rolls
Now, for the fun part that I promise you don’t have to dread. It’s time to roll them into cinnamon rolls! I have tried a lot of methods until I found a genius one that does not require any headache…my favorite kind.
Grab your pizza cutter and cut the dough into long strips and just get them as even as you can. If they aren’t even, it really doesn’t even matter because they’ll all cook the same. If things start to get sticky at any point, just roll your pizza cutter in some extra flour and it’ll help.
Then roll each strip into a roll and place on your greased baking sheet (or you can use parchment paper too for less clean up later!). Give each roll a little space to rise on the pan and cover them with a clean kitchen towel.
Step #7: The Second Rise
These rolls just need a little time to bounce back, so cover them with a towel and place them in your oven on the proof setting for 30 minutes to an hour. If your oven doesn’t have that setting, turn it as low as it’ll go. Preferably in the 100s so it doesn’t actually cook them yet.
If your oven will not go that low, just cover them and put them in the warmest room in your house. Sometimes it’s the laundry room near the dryer that’s running or in the kitchen next to a sunny window.
Step #8: Bake the Cinnamon Rolls
You’re almost there! It’s bake time! Your rolls should have risen a little and it’s ok if they aren’t up to size yet. They will still rise in the oven while baking.
Remove the towel, preheat your oven, and bake them at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. For the whole grain option, bake for another 5-10 minutes, so 30-35 minutes.
While they’re baking, make the cream cheese sauce. The way my family likes this is a little more saucy than frosting. It’s so yummy and not too sweet first thing in the morning.
So just mix 1 block of room temp cream cheese with 1/4 cup room temp butter, ⅓ cup of honey and 1 tsp of vanilla extract. That’s it! You can also add your favorite flavors like strawberry puree or pumpkin puree.
Step #9: Add the Cream Cheese Sauce & Enjoy!
Now, the part you’ve been waiting for! Time to wake everybody up and dig in. These are so tasty, your family will ask for them again! Tell them they just have to remind you to make the dough before bed or else it’s not your fault ha.
Serve with bacon, sausage or your protein of choice for a more complete breakfast. The strawberry cream cheese sauce is a favorite in our house!
How To Make Overnight Potato Flake Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
One of my favorite things about these potato flake sourdough cinnamon rolls is that you can do most of the work the night before. The dough gets its long, overnight rise while you sleep, so you can wake up and finish the cinnamon rolls in the morning, eliminating the bulk of the process.
I know there are plenty of sourdough cinnamon roll recipes that have you shape the rolls, refrigerate them overnight, and bake them the next morning. I’ve tried that method with these potato flake sourdough cinnamon rolls, and honestly, I haven’t gotten the best results. When I leave the shaped rolls out overnight, they tend to overproof, and when I refrigerate them overnight, I don’t find that they have the same soft, fluffy texture I love.
So instead, I recommend letting the dough ferment overnight and waiting until the morning to roll, fill, and cut the cinnamon rolls. It adds a little work to your morning, but I think the soft, fluffy result is worth it!
The Night Before You Want to Eat Cinnamon Rolls
Mix your dough according to the recipe and allow it to rise overnight at room temperature. Your dough should be noticeably risen by morning, but the exact timing will depend on the temperature of your kitchen and the strength of your starter.
The Next Morning You Will Bake & Eat the Cinnamon Rolls
Once your dough has finished its overnight fermentation, roll it out, add the cinnamon sugar filling, shape and cut your rolls, and allow them to rise again before baking. This method gives you the convenience of overnight sourdough cinnamon rolls while still giving you the fresh, soft, fluffy texture we’re looking for.
How to Make Whole Grain Potato Flake Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
For those of you who want to bake with whole grain flour or freshly milled flour, this section is for you. You don’t have to change anything about the recipe except add a little extra butter to the dough since whole grain flour can be a little drier. You will also cook them about 5-10 minutes longer since whole grains need a little extra bake time.
I want to give you a few tips on making these potato flake cinnamon rolls with whole grain flour.
Whole Grain Potato Flake Cinnamon Roll Baking Tips
- Tip #1: he type of flour does matter. I prefer to use a grain that has great gluten building properties for the best rise. So reach for spelt, hard white, or hard red for this recipe.
- Tip #2: Always when baking with freshly milled flour you’ll want to sift the flour to fluff it and remove any clumps.
- Tip #3: If you’re going for gluten free because the potato flake sourdough starter is naturally gluten free itself, you’ll want to use your favorite gluten free flour blend for this. (King Arthur Flour has a good option for this!)
I bake these pretty regularly as whole grain sourdough cinnamon rolls and they are just as tasty! The whole grain variation actually gives off those little debbie pinwheels vibe which is a millennial childhood throwback swap for ya!
Tips for Making Soft & Fluffy Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls
This section is dedicated to my best tips and tricks for making potato flake sourdough cinnamon rolls. During the process of coming up with this recipe and method, I have made some flops for sure, so I’ll share tips here so you can avoid those flops.
Tip #1: Use an Active Starter
The best advice I can give you to make sure you make soft and fluffy sourdough cinnamon rolls is to make sure you’re using an active potato flake starter. If you have questions, you can read more on what makes a starter active and why it matters in this post A Beginner’s Guide to Baking with Potato Flake Sourdough.
The super quick version is that an active starter it’s a sourdough starter that has been carefully fed daily if left out on the counter or fed weekly if stored in the fridge in between feeds. You’ll know it’s active if it bubbles when you feed it!
Tip #2: Don’t Add Too Much Flour
It may be tempting to add extra flour so the dough is easier to work with and roll out, but too much flour will affect your rise and that light and fluffy texture. You want to get it dry enough to roll, but still keep it moist. And when rolling them out, use just enough flour to keep them from sticking. A sprinkling of flour is usually sufficient.
Tip #3: Don’t Overbake
Overbaking cinnamon rolls can cause them to dry out, so be sure to take them out of the oven when the tops just start to brown. If you’re not sure, flip one over and check for a soggy bottom. If it’s not, you’re good to go!
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely you can. A potato flake starter can be used for more than just bread! Potato flake sourdough cinnamon rolls are delicious and can be made with your flour of choice all while giving you that gut healthy fermentation we want from sourdough.
Yep. You’ll make the dough in the evening using an active sourdough starter, cover and let it ferment overnight. In the morning, you’ll roll them out and let rise for 30 minutes to an hour then bake!
Yes. If you want to use whole grain flour, you’ll just add 2 tbsp of extra butter to the recipe!
You’ll know they’re ready to bake when they’ve gotten a little bigger. Keep in mind they don’t really need to double in size because they’ll still do some rising in the oven.
I haven’t had great luck with freezing or refrigerating the dough before use. The rise just isn’t quite the same as it would have been otherwise.
If your cinnamon rolls aren’t rising, the most likely culprits are that your starter is brand new or just wasn’t active enough. A starter will get stronger over time with consistent feedings. The best time to make a sourdough recipe is when you’ve fed your starter 4-8 hours before using it. It could also be that your house temp is too cold. Sourdough needs to be at least 70-75 degrees to be able to rise properly. If your house is colder, try letting it rise in the oven with the light on, in the laundry room with the dryer on, or next to a sunny window. And then sometimes you just get a bad batch of flour or potato flakes.
Yes you do. In order for your dough to rise, you need an active starter so those natural yeasts can do their thing. Your starter needs to be fed daily if left out on the counter and weekly if you store it in the fridge in between feeds.
Here’s the Recipe card for Potato Flake Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls!
Potato Flake Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
For the cinnamon rolls:
- 6 cups all purpose flour (or flour of choice)
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 cup active potato flake sourdough starter
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup butter room temp
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
For the filling:
- 1/2 cup butter room temp
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup cinnamon
For the cream cheese sauce:
- 1 block cream cheese room temp
- 1/4 cup butter room temp
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup honey
Instructions
- The night before you want cinnamon rolls, make your dough. Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl: flour, sugar, salt.
- Add active sourdough starter, milk, butter, eggs, vanilla and mix well. You can use a stand mixer or mix by hand, but mix just until the dough ball forms and doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl.
- Cover your dough with plastic wrap and let sit out on the kitchen counter overnight to ferment and rise. Set 1 1/2 cups butter and 1 block of cream cheese out so it'll be room temp in the morning.
- In the morning, roll your dough into a large rectangle on a floured surface. Top with 1/2 cup butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and brown sugar. Use a spoon the evenly distribute the filling.
- Using a pizza cutter, cut dough into long strips. Roll each strip into a cinnamon roll and place on a greased or parchment paper lined baking sheet. Repeat for each roll, leaving a little space in between each roll.
- Now your cinnamon rolls need about 30 minutes to an hour to rest and rise a little more. Cover them with a clean kitchen towel and place in the oven on the proof setting or a warm place in your house.
- While the rolls are resting, make the cream cheese sauce by mixing the cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, honey, and vanilla. You can also add extra inclusions like strawberry or pumpkin puree.
- Remove the kitchen towel and the cinnamon rolls from the oven and pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. Once the oven is ready, bake them for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Serve topped with the cream cheese sauce and your protein of choice for a more well rounded breakfast. Enjoy!
More Potato Flake Sourdough Recipes
If you enjoyed this sourdough recipe, you may also want to check out these or save for later!
- The Best Homemade Bread with Potato Flake Sourdough
- Potato Flake Sourdough Pizza Recipe
- English Muffins with Potato Flake Sourdough
- Potato Flake Sourdough Tortillas
And if you’re brand new to potato flake sourdough, start here →
How to Make a Potato Flake Sourdough Starter
Learn to Sourdough: The Simple Art of Homemade Bread
That’s it for today, my friend! If you make these cinnamon rolls, please let me know how your family liked them! Have a question? Leave a comment and I’ll get back to you soon. Happy baking!
