Last Updated on July 17, 2025

By Bake with Paws

Close-up of fluffy sourdough cinnamon roll with gooey cinnamon center

My Cinnamon Roll Journey

I’ve always loved cinnamon rolls – the comforting aroma, the gooey swirls, and the soft, pillowy texture. But I wanted to take it a step further by creating a sourdough version that’s not just tangy, but also exceptionally fluffy and tender. After many tests, I found the perfect combination: using Sweet Stiff Starter and the Yudane Method. These rolls are now a favorite in my family – soft, lightly sweet, and absolutely bakery-worthy.

What Makes These Rolls So Special?

No sour taste! The Sweet Stiff Starter gives gentle fermentation and mild flavor.
Extra pillowy texture from the Yudane method, where flour is gelatinized with boiling water.
Perfect for beginners, thanks to detailed shaping, proofing, and baking guidance.
Adaptable recipe that works year-round—just swap spices or fillings.

Freshly baked sourdough cinnamon rolls, golden and swirl-filled

Please watch HERE for shaping video ⬆

What is Sweet Stiff Starter?

A Sweet Stiff Starter is a firm sourdough starter that’s fed with a higher ratio of flour to water (typically 50% hydration) and includes a small amount of sugar. Unlike a regular liquid starter, a stiff starter ferments more slowly and produces a milder flavor—making it ideal for soft, enriched breads like brioche or cinnamon rolls.

In this recipe, I use a sweet stiff starter to:

Minimize tanginess in the final bread
Enhance oven spring
Support structure for fluffy rolls
Shorten proofing time in warm climates (29°C–30°C)

If you'd like to learn how to prepare it, check out my guide HERE.

What is the Yudane Method?

The Yudane Method is a Japanese technique where a portion of flour is mixed with boiling water to form a gel-like paste. This process pre-gelatinizes the starches, helping the dough retain more moisture and softness even after baking.

Why I use Yudane:

Improves moisture retention
Creates a tender, fluffy texture
Keeps bread soft for longer
Adds a slightly chewy, mochi-like quality to the crumb

The Yudane is prepared ahead of time and added to the dough during mixing. It's simple but highly effective in elevating soft sourdough breads and rolls.

How To Make Soft & Fluffy Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients (Yields: 8 Rolls)

Sweet Stiff Starter (SST):

70g sourdough starter (100% Hydration), use at its peak

215g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)

90g water / 108g milk

35g sugar (I used organic brown sugar)

Yudane Dough:

80g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)

80g boiling water

Main Dough:

70g bread flour (I used Japan High Gluten Flour)

All sweet stiff starter (above)

All yudane dough

15g brown sugar (I used organic brown sugar)

1 1/8 tsp (6g) salt

20g milk powder (omit if SST is fed with milk)

50g cold egg, whisked (from 1 egg), balance use for egg wash

10g water or 12g milk, cold

30g butter, room temperature

Filling:

45g sugar (I used brown sugar)

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

55g butter, room temprature

55g raisin

Egg Wash: (Optional)
1 egg + 1 tbsp water

Syrup:

10g brown sugar

5g hot water

10 honey

Pinch of ground cinnamon

Pinch of salt

Utensil:

Chefmade 8 cup Non-Stick Petite Loaf Pan (8.4 X 5.1 cm each)

Step-By-Step Instruction

Yudane:

Add bread flour in a bowl, pour the boiling water and mix well with spatula or spoon until no dry flour.
Cling film and leave on the counter for at least 4 hours or overnight in the fridge. I prepared the night before.
Use directly from the fridge.

Sweet Stiff Starter

In a bowl of stand mixer, dilute starter with water, stir in sugar and add in bread flour. Mix with paddle attachment until well mixed and all come together. It can be done by hand mixing too.
Cover and let it ferment until tripled. I prepared a night before and leave it in aircond room (approximately 24 - 25C room temperature) overnight until tripled. It took about 8 - 9 hours depending on your starter. It should take around 4 - 6 hours to get triple at room temperature at 28C - 30C. The starter should look smooth and round dome. It shouldn't collapse.

Main Dough:

Put all ingredients (except butter) into a bowl of stand mixer. I usually torn the stiff starter into pieces first.
Slightly combine the mixture by hand with the paddle attachment before turning on the machine so that the flour will not splash out. Using the paddle attachment, mix for 2 minutes or until all incorporated. This step is critical to prevent an uneven mixed dough as the stiff starter is rather hard and a dough hook may not be able to mix it well enough.
Change to hook attachment and knead for another 3 minutes or until the dough comes together. Add in butter and continue knead for 10 - 12 minutes or until the dough is silky and smooth and until reach window pane stage. The whole kneading process, I stopped few times to scrape down the dough from the hook to be sure it is evenly kneaded and also to prevent the motor from overheating.

1st Proofing/Resting:

Round up the dough and let it rest for 15 minutes in the same bowl.

Filling:

Bring butter to room temperature. Simply remove it from the fridge, leave it out at room temperature (28C- 29C) for about 30 minutes or more.
Combine cinnamon powder, brown sugar and butter in a small bowl. Set aside.
Blanch the raisins with hot water, drain and dry with paper kitchen towel.

Shaping:

Transfer the dough to a clean floured surface then divide into 8 equal portions.
Form each portion into a ball. Rest for 10 mins to relax the dough.
Flatten with rolling pin. Work one dough at a time.
Spread the butter, sugar and cinnamon mixture and raisins evenly on the dough.
Roll the dough up tightly from one of the shorter sides like a swiss roll.
Cut it in half lengthwise with a sharp knife. Then twist the two dough together with filling layers are facing upwards.
Place each twisted dough dough in each petite pan.

Final Proofing :

Let it proof at warm place until the dough double in size. This one took approximately 2 hours at room temperature of 28C - 29C. The duration of proofing depends on your ambient temperature and starter.

Syrup:

Dilute sugar with hot water in a small bowl. Add in honey, pinch of ground cinnamon and salt then stir until well combined. Keep aside.

Baking:

Preheat oven at 190C (top & bottom heat) for 10 - 15 minutes.
Brush with egg wash and bake in a preheated oven for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown.
Remove cinnamon rolls from oven and brush with sugar and honey syrup immediately. Let them cool on rack.

Yudane Dough

Sweet Stiff Starter

Main Dough

Shaping

How to Nail These Rolls Every Time

Sourdough Starter:

A healthy starter is essential for successful bread baking. To ensure your bread rises well, it's important to feed your starter regularly and use it (the levain) at its peak. A consistently fed starter will be more active and reliable. If the mother starter isn’t strong, the dough may still struggle to rise properly, even if the levain is used at its peak. For more information, click the links: "How To Make Sourdough Starter" and "Sourdough Maintenance".

Gluten Development:

Essential for soft, airy bread, gluten is created when flour hydrates. To develop it, use techniques like autolyse or kneading. The windowpane test checks readiness—dough should stretch thin without tearing. From my experience, high hydration dough with high percentage of fat will be easy to stretch and achieve a paper thin windowpane stage.

Kneading:

Please regard the timing provided as an indication only. It is only meant as a guide. Times vary by flour and mixer type. For higher fat dough, knead longer (18–20 minutes).

Flour & Hydration:

Use high-gluten flour for optimal texture. Always reserve some liquid to adjust dough consistency for best results. If dough is too dry, add the reserve liquid one tablespoon at a time until the right consistency.

Dough Temperature:

Maintaining the right dough temperature during kneading is crucial for a fine crumb. If the dough becomes too warm, the crumb will become too big and uneven. To prevent this, use cold water, milk, or eggs, and chill your mixing bowl or hook attachment in the freezer. Knead at low speeds, and if your kitchen is warm, rest the dough in a cooler spot. Proper dough temperature ensures a soft, fluffy bread with a fine, even crumb.

Proofing:

Proofing time depends on your environment. Use the finger poke test to gauge readiness. To check dough readiness, lightly press the side with your finger:

If it bounces back instantly, it’s under-proofed and needs more time.
If the indentation stays, it’s over-proofed.
If the indentation slowly bounces back, it’s ready to bake.
There’s also a final rise called oven spring when the dough bakes, which adds to the bread’s height.

Wrinkle Top or Shrinking:

If your bread collapses or develops wrinkles on top after baking, it might be over-proofed during the second rise. Aim for the dough to rise to 80-90% of its final size or just below the rim of the pan to prevent this. Over-proofing leads to weaker structure, causing the bread to lose shape.

Baking & Oven Temperarate:

Do also note that the baking temperature and timing provided are what works for my oven and should also be regarded as a guide only. Every oven behaves a little differently, so please adjust accordingly for your oven.

Ingredient Substitutions and Variations

Filling: Swap cinnamon with cardamom or add crushed nuts for a twist.

Glaze: Use cream cheese glaze instead of a simple sugar glaze for richness.

Milk: Dairy-free? Use oat milk or soy milk.

Egg-free: Replace eggs with 3 tbsp of Greek yogurt per egg for a slightly denser but still soft roll.

Troubleshooting Guide

Q: My dough is too sticky.

→ Add a little flour, one tablespoon at a time. Don’t overdo it—it should be soft, not dry.

Q: My rolls didn’t rise.

→ Your starter may be weak. Always feed it well and ensure it’s active before using.

Q: My rolls are dry the next day.

→ Make sure not to overbake and store them in an airtight container once cooled.

Serving Suggestions and Storage

These sourdough cinnamon rolls are perfect warm, fresh out of the oven.

To serve:

Pair with coffee or chai for a comforting breakfast.

Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a dessert version.

Storage:

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 1–2 days.

For longer storage, freeze individually wrapped rolls. Thaw and reheat before serving.

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Have a Question or Tried This Recipe?

I’d love to hear from you!

Leave a comment below or tag me on Instagram @bakewithpaws and use the hashtag #bakewithpaws.

Whether it’s your first time baking or you're a sourdough pro, I’m happy to help with questions!

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Comments

Ann-Gee Wilson25 May 2021 at 22:31
Can instant dry yeast be in place of the sourdough starter? If yes, how should the recipe be tweaked please? I look forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you.
Unknown5 June 2021 at 20:34
Please do not publish my comments w my contacts. Thanks
Michaela19 April 2022 at 04:26
Hello, please help as I cannot find the your video for shaping the rolls and it its not evident to me how do you do that after cutting them in 18 sections. Many thanks!
Anonymous15 July 2023 at 04:22
Hi May I know what is the yield for water to yudane dough pls as I see 0g at the recipe above 🥹
Anonymous19 July 2023 at 04:26
Hi… I love the mini loaves… can you post the link on where to buy or the size maybe of the mini loaf thanks

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Ultimate Soft & Fluffy Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls