Here's an idea for that discard sourdough starter... sourdough cinnamon roll twist bread! It's soft and fluffy, buttery, and packed with layers of cinnamon sugar. AND it's really easy to make. Although you will need to plan it out in advance to let the dough rise overnight, but that just makes it the perfect recipe to prep the night before and bake them fresh for breakfast or brunch the next day.
What is Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Twist Bread?
This bread is basically a giant cinnamon roll that's been cut, braided, and twisted into a wreath. It is commonly also known as an Estonian Kringle in eastern European countries, or as Babka bread, in the Jewish community. Unlike other recipes, we are of course using our sourdough starter instead of commercial yeast to get that rise.
Ingredients in Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Twist Bread
- sourdough starter
- all-purpose flour
- plain Greek yogurt
- egg
- butter
- sugar
- salt
- cinnamon roll filling - butter, brown sugar, cinnamon
- topping - confectioner's sugar or cream cheese icing for that classic cinnamon roll feel.
Need a sourdough starter? Start one today with my complete sourdough starter recipe and guide with frequently asked questions. You can start baking with your fully mature starter in just 7 days.
How to Make Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Twist Bread
Here is a summary of how to make this cinnamon roll bread. For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card.
Prepare the Starter and Dough
- Prepare the starter. If your sourdough starter if not ready to go, and is stored in the fridge, take it out and feed it 12 hours in advance. Let it rise for 4-8 hours or until doubled in size. Do a float test to check if it is ready.
- Prepare the dough. In a large mixing bowl, add sourdough starter, water, yogurt, egg, and sugar, and whisk to combine. Add all-purpose flour, and whisk to combine. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for one hour. Add salt and melted butter and fold into the dough for a few seconds to combine.
- Stretch and fold the dough. Apply some water or oil on your hands and stretch and fold the dough in the bowl by folding the edges over to the centre, one edge at a time. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Repeat this step two more times. After the final 30-minute rest, the dough should almost double in size. At this point, the dough should feel quite soft and less sticky since it slowly builds gluten strength and becomes airy from rising.
- Proof the dough overnight. Transfer the dough into a lightly greased container and cover with a lid. Leave it in the refrigerator overnight for 8 to 12 hours.
Make the Cinnamon Roll Twist Bread
- Prepare the filling. Mix together butter, brown sugar and cinnamon and whisk into a paste (reserving one tablespoon of the paste).
- Shape the cinnamon roll twist bread. Transfer dough to a floured surface and roll into a rectangular measuring approximately 20 x 12-inches. Gently spread filling evenly on top, leaving ½-inch from each edge. Roll up the dough into a log and pinch the end edges to seal. Cut the log in half lengthwise using a knife, leaving 1-inch on one end intact. Braid the two halves by twisting them together while keeping the cut sides with cinnamon filling exposed facing upwards. Pinch the ends together to form a coiled rope. Pull it together to form a circle it and tuck two ends together in the middle.
- Bake the bread. Transfer to a parchment lined baking tray and brush the remaining spoonful of cinnamon paste on top. You can apply a little bit of egg wash on the top to help enhance the golden colour of the crust when baking. Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C), and bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
- Serve. Serve with a sprinkle of icing sugar on top, or with a drizzle of cream cheese icing.
More Sourdough Recipes
- Small Batch Sourdough Bread
- Savoury Chive Pancakes with Sourdough Starter
- How to Make Sourdough Starter
- Artisan Green Olive Sourdough Bread
- Seeded Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread
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Recipe
Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Twist Bread
- Total Time: 11 hours
- Yield: 12 servings
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Soft and fluffy sourdough cinnamon roll twist bread is buttery and layered with cinnamon sugar. Prep it the night before and freshly bake it for breakfast.
Ingredients
For the dough:
- 100 grams sourdough starter
- 80 grams water
- 100 grams plain Greek yogurt
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 350 grams all-purpose flour
- 40 grams butter, melted (approximately 3 tablespoons)
- ½ teaspoon salt
For the filling:
- 50 grams butter, softened at room temperature (approximately ¼ cup)
- 4 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 teaspoons cinnamon powder
To serve:
- confectioner's sugar
- cream cheese frosting (see recipe in notes below)
Instructions
Prepare the Starter (approximately 6 hours rise time):
- If your sourdough starter is not ready to go, and is stored in the fridge, take it out and feed it 12 hours in advance. Discard half of the old starter and add 50 grams all-purpose flour and 50 grams water. Let it rise for 4-8 hours or until doubled in size.
- Take out a spoonful of new starter and drop it into a glass of room-temperature water. If it floats, the starter is ready. If it sinks, you either need to let the starter sit longer to develop more bubbles, or feed it again and let it sit until it passes the float test (usually 6–12 hours).
Prepare the Dough (1 hour rise time):
- In a large mixing bowl, add sourdough starter, water, yogurt, egg, and sugar, and whisk to combine. Add in all-purpose flour, and whisk to combine, scraping down the sides of the bowl (there should be no dry flour particles visible). Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for one hour. The technique is called autolyse.
- Add salt and melted butter, and fold the dough for a few seconds to combine. Butter and salt slows down yeast growth in the fermentation process, so it is recommended to incorporate it after allowing the dough to rise for an hour first.
Stretch and Fold the Dough (1 hour 30 minutes rise time):
- Apply some water or oil on your hands and stretch and fold the dough in the bowl by folding the edges over to the centre, one edge at a time. Wet hands makes it easier to work with the dough and it should take you less than a minute to fold all 4 sides. Cover with plastic wrap and let the dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Stretch and fold the dough again, cover, and let dough rest for another 30 minutes. Repeat this step one final time -- stretch and fold the dough, cover, and let it rest for 30 minutes, until it almost doubles in size. At this point, the dough should feel quite soft and less sticky since it slowly builds gluten strength and becomes airy from rising.
Proof Overnight (8-12 hours):
- Transfer the dough into a lightly greased container and cover with a lid. Leave it in the refrigerator overnight for 8 to 12 hours.
Shape and Braid the Cinnamon Roll Twist Bread:
- In a medium bowl, mix together softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon and whisk into a paste.
- Transfer the dough onto a floured surface and use a rolling pin to roll it into a rectangle measuring approximately 20 x 12-inches. Scoop the cinnamon paste onto the dough (reserving one tablespoon of paste) and gently spread it evenly over the rolled dough, only leaving ½-inch from each edge.
- Roll up the dough into a log and pinch the end edges to seal. Cut the log in half lengthwise using a knife, leaving 1-inch on one end intact.
- Braid the two halves by twisting them together while keeping the cut sides with cinnamon filling exposed facing upwards. Pinch the ends together to form a coiled rope. Pull it together to form a circle and and tuck two ends together in the middle like a wreath.
Bake the Bread:
- Preheat the oven to 400 F (200 C).
- Transfer shaped dough to a parchment lined baking tray and brush the remaining spoonful of cinnamon paste on top. You can apply a little bit of egg wash (beaten egg) on the top to help enhance the golden colour of the crust when baking. Let the dough sit aside until oven has preheated.
- Bake for 20 minutes until golden brown.
- Serve with some confectioner's sugar on top, or with a drizzle of cream cheese icing.
Notes
How to make cream cheese icing: In a medium bowl, whisk together 4 ounces softened cream cheese, 1 cup confectioner's sugar, 3 tablespoons milk and ½ teaspoon vanilla extract, until creamy and smooth. If the consistency is too thick, add a little milk. If it is too thin for your liking, add some more sugar.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes (+at least 10.5 hours rise time)
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Bread
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
Crystelle Bodycomb says
I have made cinnamon rolls many times and they were always a flop and never tasted like anything. I made this recipe hoping to have success… boy this recipe did not disappoint. Both my husband and I loved it. So tasty. I double the cinnamon sugar paste after reading the comments and glad I did. Will definitely made this again and can’t wait to share at family and church gatherings. Thank you!
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you so much for sharing Crystelle. So happy the recipe was a success!
Jen says
Absolutely fabulous! Especially appreciate the clear and easy to follow instructions. I read an earlier comment about doubling the filling and I will probably do that next time. My filling did not look as dense as Sam’s in the photos. More of an aesthetic issue and not with taste! Just wonderful! Thank you for such a yummy recipe!
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you so much for sharing! So happy you liked the recipe.
Laura Katzensteiner says
Is your sourdough 100% hydration? I just started the autolyse and.ky.dough feels very dry. My starter is 80%.
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Yes, my starter is 100% hydration. If you are using an 80% it shouldn't make a huge difference. The cinnamon twist roll is not a wet dough, it's close to 65% hydration, so it's okay that it feels dry. Your cinnamon roll bread might be a little more dense but still delicious.
Chiemi Karasawa says
I added chopped walnuts to the top before I baked, which were a great addition. Although it looked beautiful, I could hardly taste the cinnamon. If I were to make it again, I would double the cinnamon paste amount and definitely drizzle cream cheese icing over the top!
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you for sharing Chiemi! I'm sorry the flavour wasn't strong enough for you, I hadn't heard that yet about the cinnamon paste amount. I agree with you about the icing on top, it's soo good!
Aileen Tiras says
Hi Sam. I was wondering if you've made this with ueast instead of sourdough? I love the recipe, but wasn't sure how to convert for a faster turn out time with yeast:). Still my favorite cinnamon baked good recipe:).
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you Aileen! You can use 1 teaspoon of yeast instead of starter, and add 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water. If using instant yeast, you can follow the recipe as is using yeast instead of starter. If using active dry yeast, dissolve it in the water first to activate and the combine with the other ingredients.
Judy in WA says
Thank you for asking the question. It was my first thought. I do not keep a sourdough starter. I would love to, but too much work for a single aging lady with disability. Great guideline for using yeast. Thanks again. Can't wait to try this recipe this holiday season...Will probably ad nuts and extra cinnamon and a dash of cardamom.
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Thank you Judy! Let me know how it turns out!
Laura A Williams says
Has anyone tried using a chocolate instead of cinnamon?
PS says
Trying it tomorrow 😁
Sam Hu | Ahead of Thyme says
Yay! Let me know how it goes!