Sourdough Discard Makes Better-Than-Bakery Cinnamon Rolls

Homemade cinnamon rolls are one of life's greatest pleasures. While you can visit any number of bakeries to get your hands on a tasty roll (or even crack open a can of your favorite store-bought canned cinnamon rolls), there is something very homey about swirling the dough, preparing the filling, and baking your batch until they're soft, pillowy, and practically begging to be smothered with either cream cheese frosting or a classic vanilla one.

Most cinnamon roll recipes rely on conventional yeast to get their rise, though Samantha Merritt, creator of Sugar Spun Run, recommends adding another bubbly supplement to your cinnamon rolls: sourdough discard. "Using sourdough discard can result in more deeply flavored, softer, more tender rolls," she says. "Complementary flavor pairings with sourdough cinnamon rolls include brown butter, maple, vanilla bean, cream cheese frosting or classic cinnamon roll icing, toasted nuts (walnuts or pecans especially) and even apple."

Despite what its name implies, sourdough discard is incredibly useful, as it's what is removed from the sourdough starter when you feed it. Sourdough discard isn't as active and bubbly, so Merritt doesn't rely on it to be the only source of yeast in this recipe. Pairing the discard with commercial yeast will give you the proper rise and the tangy flavor your crave.

You'll find no shortage of sourdough cinnamon roll recipes. The benefit of using them is that they already accommodate for the added moisture of the discard. That being said, it is possible to tweak a recipe so that you can add sourdough discard to it without worrying about changing its texture. "Remember that sourdough discard is typically, by weight, half water and half flour," Merritt explains. "When adding to a recipe, you'll want to reduce both the flour and water (or other liquid) accordingly." She recommends that between ½ and ¾ cup of discard will work fine for most recipes.

If you are using commercial yeast, you'll want to follow all of the directions for rising and proofing your dough to ensure you get the right texture. As your cinnamon rolls rest, the flavor of the sourdough will intensity as the discard feeds on the available flour, moisture, and enriching ingredients in the rest of the dough. Not shortening the rest will help you achieve a workable, flavorful dough that will make you wonder why you hadn't tried making your favorite cinnamon roll recipe with sourdough before.