Easy Overnight Sourdough Cinnamon Twists

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Sunday mornings are probably my favorite part of the week. Growing up, my parents would bring my sister and I to our local diner every Sunday morning. I learned how to read from the comic section of the Sunday morning newspaper, in that diner booth. After my father passed when I was 13, Sunday mornings lost its magic, and after a while, Sunday mornings were just another day.

However, I am determined to ignite that magic again for my own family today! And I have found the BEST recipe to do just that! These have become a staple in my house, as my husband has now decided that our Sunday breakfast table is not complete without these gooey, buttery, flakey delights. Thankfully for him, and our three-year-old, these are SO easy to make, so I don’t have to sacrifice extra time with my family to make them. This recipe is a rendition of a phenomenal cinnamon roll recipe by Made in Motherhood, who has a plethora of incredible recipes that everyone should try!

Why My Family Loves These

My favorite part of this recipe is that you can really get creative with it! Not a fan of twists? No problem! This recipe can easily be transformed into the original Cinnamon Rolls that we all know, just by adjusting the shaping! You can also play with the fillings, which I LOVE! These would taste great with the original cinnamon/sugar filling, or you can get creative and add Strawberries and cream cheese, or even blueberries to really kick it up a notch!

Personally, I think that one of the most important parts of Cinnamon Twist deliciousness is a perfect icing to drizzle on top, although, my daughter loves just dunking them in the icing. The icing recipe that I have provided is my go-to recipe after countless trial and errors, and I love that it gives just the right pop of sweetness without being too overpowering.

This recipe requires minimal work; you can even skip that tedious kneading process, as this recipe is designed to not need it! I prefer to add it, because I *secretly* love stretch and folds lol. But, I mean, who doesn’t love the irresistible combination of fluffy tangy sourdough, gooey cinnamon sugar filling, and melty sweet icing? Couldn’t be me! If you agree, then save this recipe because it is bound to be a new family favorite!

Dough Ingredients:

Sourdough Starter – This recipe requires an established sourdough starter that is a minimum of 14 days old.

Bread Flour – I prefer to use bread flour over all-purpose flour for this recipe, as it provides the best rise, especially if choosing to forgo the stretch-and-fold process. My favorite flour to use for this recipe is King Arthur Bread Flour.

Sugar – Sugar plays an important role in bread-making, as it gives the yeast a boost to help the dough rise. Being that this is a sourdough recipe, your sourdough starter contains its own wild yeast, and needs the sugar to boost the rise. Plus, it makes the dough sweet! Any type of sugar can be used.

Salt – Salt helps to strengthen and flavor the dough, to help cut through the sweetness without tasting salty.

Egg – For best results, utilize room temperature eggs when making this recipe so as to not shock the dough and to ensure a tender dough.

Butter – Room temperature butter is preferred for this recipe, as it’s easier to work with and incorporate into the dough. You may use either unsalted or salted butter, but if using salted butter, omit the salt from the recipe.

Filling:

Butter – Room temperature butter should be used for the filling, so that you can spread it easier along the dough.

Brown Sugar – You can use either light or dark brown sugar for the filling, depending on what you have on hand. However, dark brown sugar gives the gooiest and sweetest filling.

Cinnamon – I mean, this is a given. You couldn’t have Cinnamon Twists without cinnamon! However, if you want to really kick it up a notch, try adding some nutmeg too!

Icing:

Butter – Butter helps add a rich and creamy texture to this icing, which also helps it to melt onto the twists when warm. Room temperature butter is again ideal for this icing, to ensure that it reaches the right consistency.

Heavy Cream/Milk – For this recipe I use a combination of room temperature heavy cream and milk as I prefer a creamier icing, however, this can be adjusted to your families taste and preferences; all milk, half & half, or a non-dairy alternative.

Powdered Sugar – Any brand of powdered sugar will work fine in this recipe!

Vanilla Bean Paste – This is an optional ingredient, but vanilla bean paste provides that pop of vanilla richness that traditional vanilla extract just can’t match! If you prefer no vanilla, you can omit this ingredient all together.

Suggested Bakers Schedule

This is a rough suggested baker’s schedule, which can be adjusted to fit your family’s schedule. Sourdough requires a long fermentation time, so you should expect to begin the process for these the day before you plan to bake and serve them. Rise times may vary based on temperature and location of your home. My house always runs on the warmer side (roughly 70-74F), so I feed my starter later in the day of Day 1. If your house runs on the cooler side, I suggest starting the process earlier in the day, such as 10am, to ensure your starter at least doubles in size.

1 PM (day 1): Feed sourdough starter.

IF DOING STRETCH AND FOLDS:

8 PM (day 1): Combine the ingredients for the dough and allow to rest for 30 minutes.

8:40 PM (day 1): Strengthen the dough through a series of stretch and folds, for a total of 3 stretch and folds, spaced 20 minutes apart.

9:40 PM (day 1): Cover and allow to bulk ferment on the counter overnight.

IF NOT STRENGTHENING THE DOUGH:

9 PM (day 1): Combine the ingredients for the dough, then cover and allow to bulk ferment on the counter overnight.

7 AM (day 2): Combine filling ingredients and roll dough out into a 9″x11″ rectangle and spread the filling.

7:30 AM (day 2): Cut rectangle in half, and place one half of dough on top of the other, filling side down. Cut into 8 strips and gently twist each strip to create a spiral shape.

8 AM (day 2): Cover for the second rise.

10 AM (day 2): Bake sourdough twists and mix icing.

10:45 (day 2): Frost and serve.