Cinnamon rolls will always and forever be my special breakfast of choice. I love everything about them, from the mixing and shaping to the frosting and devouring. This is a very slightly adapted version of the sourdough cinnamon rolls in my book, Baked to Order. I’ve been tinkering with this recipe for a few years now, and I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to see photos of them in your kitchens.

My favorite feature of Baked to Order is the multiple suggested variations for each recipe. This dough is a prime example. It’s been the base for both sweet and savory loaves, wreaths, swirls, buns, you name it. If something works, find a way to make it work even harder for you, I say! I love trying out different sweeteners, liquids, fillings, and frostings — so many possibilities!

I’m always looking for ways to use up our annual carton of eggnog, so for this variation I’ve snuck eggnog into both the dough and glaze. Dark brown sugar, a touch of molasses, and a punchy spice mix add to the festivities. Eggnog for me is all about the nutmeg (I love love love freshly grated nutmeg; fresh really does make a difference here); so if you’re a nutmeg junkie like me, grate a little extra over the top of the glazed rolls for maximum holiday vibes. Or be like my kids and go the sprinkle route. 🙂

Wishing you a safe, healthy, and joyful holiday season!

A few notes:

• If you want to have these rolls ready for Christmas morning, I suggest the building your stiff levain the evening of December 23rd, mixing the dough and doing the 2-hour room temp proof on the morning of December 24th and shaping the rolls right before going to sleep that night. Leave them out on the counter to proof overnight. Then preheat the oven and bake first thing when you get up Christmas morning. Note that you need a ripe, active 100% hydration starter to build the levain, so make sure your starter is nice and happy by giving it a feeding or two beforehand.
• If you don’t have einkorn/spelt/whole wheat flour, you can omit it and increase both the bread and all-purpose flours to 142g (284g total) in the final dough ingredients.
• If you don’t have eggnog, replace it with 100g whole milk and use milk (or cream or coffee….mmmm) for the glaze. I’ve also included my go-to cream cheese frosting for these buns if you prefer that route!
• If you’re new to enriched sourdough breads, please read my tips here before starting! Cliff’s notes: make sure to knead your dough until it’s very strong and smooth (this will take awhile with a stand mixer) and not to rush the proofing — this will give you the softest, fluffiest, “shreddiest” rolls!
• If you don’t plan to eat all the rolls right away, store unglazed/unfrosted rolls in a sealed plastic bag. They keep well for several days — just heat individually for about 15-20 seconds in the microwave to refresh.

Spiced Eggnog Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Makes 9 rolls | Adapted from Baked to Order

Ingredients:

For the stiff levain:

• 18g ripe sourdough starter (100% hydration)
• 31g milk
• 57g bread flour

For the final dough:

• 125 g bread flour
• 125 g all-purpose flour
• 34 g einkorn, spelt, or whole wheat flour
• 35g dark brown sugar
• 21g milk powder
• 1 large egg, cold
• 20g molasses (not blackstrap)
• 100g eggnog, cold
• 80g heavy cream, cold
• All the levain
• 7g kosher salt
• 45g unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the spiced filling:

• 57 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 100g dark brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/8 tsp ground cloves
• 1/8 tsp ground allspice
• Pinch of kosher salt

For the spiced eggnog glaze:

• 90g icing sugar, sifted
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• ~1 Tbsp eggnog

For the cream cheese frosting:

• 90g cream cheese, at room temperature
• 56g unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 68 g icing sugar

Method:

1. Make the levain: In a medium bowl, mix the starter, milk, and flour together to form a stiff dough. Cover the bowl and ferment the levain at warm room temperature until more than doubled in volume, puffy, and domed, about 8 to 12 hours.
2. Autolyse and mix the final dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix together flours, sugar, milk powder, egg, molasses, eggnog, cream, and levain until just combined. Cover and autolyse (rest) for 45 minutes.
3. Add the salt and knead on medium-low speed until the gluten is moderately developed, about 5 minutes. The dough will start out sticky and rough but should gradually come together and feel quite smooth and stretchy. Turn the mixer to low and add the butter about 1 tbsp at a time, incorporating each batch before adding the next. Turn the speed back up to medium-low and continue kneading until the gluten is very well developed and the dough passes the windowpane test, about 10 to 15 minutes. The dough should be smooth and supple. Shape the dough into a smooth ball and transfer to a lightly oiled container.
4. Bulk fermentation: Cover and let rise at room temperature for 2 hours. The dough will be noticeably expanded, but not doubled. Stretch and fold the dough, cover, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, and up to 24 hours.
5. Shape and proof the rolls: When ready to shape, in a small bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, spices, and salt to form a spreadable paste. Lightly grease a 9 x 9–inch (23 x 23–cm) baking pan or a 9- or 10-inch (23- or 25-cm) round cake pan (preferably aluminum).
6. Take the dough out of the fridge and transfer to a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 14-inch (36-cm) square, doing your best to maintain an even thickness.
7. Spread the filling mixture evenly over the dough, going all the way to the edges. Roll the dough up like a jelly roll, pinching to seal. Turn the roll so the seam side is down.
8. Cut into nine even pieces using a sharp knife or unflavored dental floss (my preferred method).
9. Transfer the rolls, cut side up, to the prepared pan, leaving space between each (they will grow into each other during proofing).
10. Cover the rolls with a piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap. Proof at room temperature, about 74-76F, until the dough is very puffy and roughly doubled, about 8 hours or overnight.
11. Preheat the oven and bake the rolls: About 45 minutes before you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400F with a rack in the middle. Bake until the rolls are lightly golden and register 195 – 200F in the center, about 20 minutes. (Tent with foil partway through baking if browning too quickly.) Transfer to a wire rack to cool while you prepare the glaze or frosting.
12. Prepare the spiced eggnog glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the icing sugar, salt, and spices. Whisk in the eggnog a teaspoon time until you get a thick glaze that drizzles easily off the whisk (I used the full 1 Tbsp). Drizzle glaze over the rolls and serve immediately.
13. Prepare the cream cheese frosting: While the rolls are baking, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and salt in a medium bowl and beat on medium speed until smooth. Add half of the icing sugar and beat to combine. Add the remaining icing sugar and beat for 1 to 2 minutes, or until fluffy. Allow the rolls to cool on a wire rack before spreading with frosting (or for an extra gooey situation, spread a thin layer on while they’re still quite warm then spread more on after they’ve cooled down). Serve immediately.