Quick Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

These quick sourdough cinnamon rolls are the answer to two questions every sourdough baker has: “What do I do with this discard?" and “Can I have cinnamon rolls in 45 minutes instead of 3 hours?" Yes and yes.

The trick is leavening with baking powder and baking soda instead of the natural yeast in the sourdough starter. Wild yeast takes hours to do its work, but chemical leaveners pop the dough up almost immediately in the heat. You still get the tangy lactic-acid funk from the starter, just minus the long fermentation.

Flipping the pan upside-down onto a sheet pan right out of the oven is the bakery-style move that makes these special. The brown sugar and butter topping melts down through the rolls during baking and pools at the bottom of the pan. Inverting puts that caramel on top, where it should be, where it can drip down the sides and into every spiral.

Brown sugar is doing serious work here. Its molasses content turns the topping into a sticky, toffee-like glaze instead of just sweet syrup. Don’t substitute white sugar or you’ll lose all the depth.

Serve warm, when the caramel is still glossy and the cinnamon swirl is gooey. They lose magic as they cool, so eat them with someone who appreciates a sticky chin.

Pro Tips

• Use sourdough discard, not active fed starter. Discard has more flavor and less rising power, which is what this quick-bake recipe wants.
• Don’t overknead. The dough should just come together. Tough dough makes tough rolls.
• Cut the rolls with unflavored dental floss or thread instead of a knife. Cleaner cuts, prettier spirals.
• Flip immediately when they come out of the oven. Let them sit and the caramel hardens to the pan.

Variations

• Add a half cup of raisins or dried cranberries to the filling for fruity bursts.
• Swap nuts for chopped pecans and add a splash of bourbon to the topping for Southern flair.
• Drizzle with a cream cheese glaze after flipping for a more traditional cinnamon-roll finish.