Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Build the Levain:
Mix together the sourdough starter, bread flour, and warm water in a clean and empty jar. Cover and let sit in a warm location for about five hours until doubled, bubbly, and ripe.
Alternatively, skip this step and mix 90g of active sourdough starter into your dough.
30 grams Sourdough Starter, 30 grams Bread Flour, 30 grams Warm Water
Make Yudane:
Make the yudane at the same time as you build the levain or at least five hours before you make the dough.
Place 58 grams of bread flour in a small heatproof bowl. Boil 58 grams of boiling water and pour the boiling water directly onto the flour. Mix together with a small spatula until the mixture is gelatinized and forms a thick paste. Set aside to cool.
58 grams Bread Flour, 58 grams Boiling Water
Mix the Dough Ingredients:
When your levain is ripe, mix together all of the dough ingredients except the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook.
Mix on low speed until it begins to form a shaggy dough. Increase the speed to medium and mix about five minutes. When done, the dough should be smoother and mostly clearing the sides of the bowl. Scrape down the sides if needed.
212 grams Bread Flour, 27 grams Granulated Sugar, 5 grams Sea Salt, 80-90 grams Levain, 116 grams Yudane, 59 grams Whole Milk, 2 Eggs
Add Butter:
Slice the room temperature butter into pieces.
With the mixer on medium speed, add one piece of butter at a time until it is fully incorporated into the dough. Let the dough mix at least a minute or two before adding in the next piece of butter. This should take at least 10 minutes in total.
Once all the pieces are added, continue to mix at least five more minutes until the dough is silky smooth, does not stick to your finger, and easily slides off the dough hook. The dough should pass the windowpane test (please refer to guide for windowpane test photos and explanation).
113 grams Unsalted Butter
Bulk Fermentation:
Transfer the dough to a medium mixing bowl, gather into a round, cover, and place in a warm location to proof about 5 hours in total at 78ºF.
After the first hour, perform a series of stretch & folds in the dough. Simply pull up a portion of the dough in four different sections and fold it down upon itself. Add another stretch & fold after another hour if you notice the dough is still very slack.
Overnight Proof:
After 5 hours or when the dough has doubled, domed, and you likely see a couple bubbles on top, place the dough in a cold spot of your refrigerator for an overnight proof.
Proof the dough at least 8 hours and up to 48 hours in the refrigerator.
Make the Cinnamon Sugar Filling:
The next day, combine the cinnamon and dark brown sugar together in a small bowl.
Set aside 2 TBS unsalted butter to soften at room temperature while you roll out the dough.
7 grams Ground Cinnamon, 57 grams Dark Brown Sugar, 28 grams Unsalted Butter
Roll out the Dough:
Remove the cold dough from the refrigerator and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface.
Pat the dough into an 8" square to degas it slightly.
Using a floured rolling pin, roll out the dough into a 16"x10" rectangle. Flour as needed to prevent sticking.
Add Filling and Roll Up:
Smear the 2 TBS of softened butter on top of the dough followed by all of the cinnamon sugar filling.
With the long side facing you, roll up the dough into a 16" log. Roll it up snugly so that you get many swirls and so the filling doesn't spill out. Place the log seam side down on the counter.
Slice:
Slice the cinnamon roll log into 8 equal sized pieces (2" each).
The best method to prevent squishing I've found is to use unflavored dental floss. Simply slide a long piece of dental floss under the log every two inches. Cross the two ends of the floss on top and pull to seamlessly slice the cinnamon rolls.
Place one cinnamon roll in the middle of a buttered or oiled cast iron skillet with the other seven rolls surrounding it.
Final Proof:
Cover the cast iron skillet for the final proof in a warm location.
At 78ºF, the final rise takes about 5 hours.
At the end of proofing, the cinnamon rolls should be about doubled in size, touching each other in the pan, and feel full of air.
Bake:
Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
When the oven is preheated, beat an egg with a splash of water in a small bowl to make an egg wash.
Brush the top of the proofed cinnamon rolls with a light egg wash.
Bake for 25-30 minutes until the tops are golden brown. The internal temperature should read 195-205ºF when done.
Cool on a wire rack.
1 Egg
Make Frosting:
While the cinnamon rolls are cooling, make the brown butter cream cheese frosting.
Melt the unsalted butter in a small saucepan over medium heat and continuously stir until the butter foams and then starts to smell like caramel. When you see brown specks on the bottom of the pan, remove from the heat and scrape all of the brown butter into the bowl of a stand mixer or other mixing bowl to cool. Pay attention as the butter can burn quickly!
57 grams Unsalted Butter
Once the browned butter is cool, add the room temperature cream cheese to the stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until the brown butter and cream cheese is whipped.
Add a pinch of salt and one teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix.
Pulse in all of the powdered sugar (cover the bowl with a towel to prevent a powdered sugar cloud). After a few pulses, mix the frosting for a couple of minutes until all of the sugar is combined and fluffy.
113 grams Cream Cheese, 1 pinch Sea Salt, 1 tsp Vanilla Extract, 113 grams Powdered Sugar
Spread the frosting on all of the sourdough cinnamon rolls while slightly warm or cooled (not hot or it will melt the frosting).
Alternatively, set the frosting to the side and let individuals frost their own cinnamon rolls with as much or as little frosting as they want.
Pull apart the cinnamon rolls straight from the cast iron skillet.

Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Equipment

Ingredients

Levain

Yudane

Sourdough Cinnamon Roll Brioche Dough

Cinnamon Sugar Filling

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Instructions

Notes