Spiced Sourdough Rolls with a Meyer Lemon Glaze #AdventuresofDoughbaFett

I'm part of an online Secret Sourdough Society in which we share recipes, ask questions about the sourdough process, and just generally inspire each other. Someone posted a photo of her sourdough cinnamon rolls and her process. Others linked up the recipes they have used. I almost ran into the kitchen to bake my own. I used Chelsea's proportions for the dough, then just sort of improvised the rest since I've made lots of cinnamon rolls in my life. The biggest changes: I added other spices to the mix and skipped the cream cheese frosting, drizzling the entire pan with a Meyer lemon glaze instead.

And, truth be told, I rarely eat the sweets that I bake. I just don't have a sweet tooth. So, I don't know how these tasted, but six were devoured in less than 10 minutes of hitting the table and they rationed the others for the following day's breakfasts and snacks. I'd say that it was a hit.

Adjust the spices for what you have in your cabinet or use all cinnamon. Also note that this is not a quick recipe, so unless you start the first steps the night before, these won't be ready in time for breakfast. If you want to bake this for an early breakfast, complete the steps up to the final rise and put your rolls in the refrigerator. In that case, bring them out on the counter to come to room temperature while the oven preheats.

Ingredients

slightly adapted from Chelsea's version / makes approximately 16 rolls

Dough

• 320 g milk (I used whole milk)
• 113 g butter, cubed (I used salted, so skipped adding more salt)
• 48 g organic granulated sugar
• 200 g sourdough starter (fed recently)
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 600 g all-purpose flour
• Also needed: two 9" baking dishes, parchment paper

Filling

• 3/4 C organic dark brown sugar
• 4 t ground cinnamon
• 1/2 t ground nutmeg
• 1/2 t ground allspice
• 1/2 t ground cardamom
• 1/2 t ground ginger
• 4 T butter, cold and shaved into slivers

Glaze

• 1 C organic powdered sugar
• 1 T whole milk, more as needed
• 1 T freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used a Meyer lemon)
• dash of ground cardamom
• zest from 1 organic lemon for garnish

Procedure

Dough

Melt butter in the milk and pour into a large mixing bowl. Gently stir in the starter and the sugar. Let stand for five minutes. Whisk in the beaten eggs and fold in the flour. Use a wooden spoon to combine until a shaggy dough forms. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and cover with a damp towel. Let dough rest for 30 minutes.

After the dough has rested, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, approximately 5 minutes. Place in a clean, oiled bowl and cover, again with a damp towel. Let rest for another 30 minutes.

After resting for a second time, I used the folding-turning method to incorporate air into the dough. Dip your hands in warm water, then place one hand under one side of the ball and stretch the dough up and over the top.

Rotate the bowl 90 degrees and repeat that stretch. Do it a second and third time so that the bowl is facing the same way it was when you started and you have done four fold-overs total. Cover the bowl with a damp towel. Now let this rise for 1 to 2 hours at room temperature. The dough should be billowy if not doubled in size.

Line two 9-inch baking dishes with parchment paper and set aside. Lightly dust the surface of your dough with flour and then do the same for your rolling pin. Divide the dough in half, then roll each dough ball into a rectangle, about 12" x 16", to yield eight 1-1/2 to 2" rolls per rectangle.

Filling

Mix the sugar and spices together in a bowl until well-mixed. Sprinkle evenly over the top of the rectangles, leaving a 1/2" border around the edges. Place 2 T butter slivers down the center of each rectangle and roll each into a cylinder. You want the log to be somewhat right. Roll the cylinder so the seam is down, then slice the log into 1-1/2 to 2" lengths.

Place the rolls into the prepared pans (I put 8 rolls into each) and let rest until the dough puffs up a bit. This might take 30 minutes to an hour, depending on how warm your kitchen is. If you are baking this the following morning, cover the pans and place in the refrigerator at this point. Bring them out on the counter to come to room temperature while the oven preheats.

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Place the pans in the center of the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. The tops should be lightly golden brown and firm to the touch. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes before removing to a wire rack. While the rolls cool, make the glaze.

Glaze
Place powdered sugar in a small mixing bowl. Whisk in the milk and lemon juice until smooth. Stir in the cardamom until well-combined. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the rolls. Sprinkle with lemon zest and serve immediately.

You can let diners add more glaze to their own rolls, if desired. In my household's case, it is always desired!

You can follow the complete Adventures of Dough-ba Fett here.