Overnight Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

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When you commit to using sourdough starter, you end up with a lot of discard. Fortunately, there are many recipes you can make so it doesn’t go to waste. One perfect recipe for fall? These overnight sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls.

These soft and flakey overnight sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls are the perfect fall recipe for using your sourdough discard.

What you’ll need:

Time for dough rise – Allow for this dough to rise overnight. Simply mix up the ingredients the night before and let it sit.

Kitchen scale – For more accurate measurements, especially with sourdough, use a kitchen scale when possible. You don’t need anything fancy. I got this inexpensive one on Amazon.

Bench scraper – A bench scraper has become a must-have tool of mine when working with sourdough …in this recipe, you’ll use it to prevent the dough from sticking after rolling out and for cutting the rolls.

Springform pan & parchment paper – These tools will make cleaning up a lot easier —these rolls get sticky!

Sourdough discard – Using sourdough discard will still make the dough rise overnight …but you’ll add baking powder, baking soda, and salt right before rolling out the dough to give it a good rise during baking.

Pumpkin pie spice – To get a true pumpkin flavor, use pumpkin pie spice instead of cinnamon for the filling.

Pumpkin puree – A partial can of pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling) is called for in this recipe.

Cold butter – You’ll grate butter to cut into the flour. One trick for keeping it cold instead of melting it in your hand is to put the butter in the freezer for 10 minutes.

How to make overnight sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls:

Evening – Grate the butter into a large mixing bowl. Add the flour and cut the butter into it, making it coarse and flakey. You can use a pastry cutter or a fork, but I find using my hands is faster and more consistent.

Add the sourdough discard, honey, pumpkin puree, and milk. (Note: I leave my mixing bowl on the kitchen scale and zero it out each time I add an ingredient to make sure it’s accurate.) Mix well using a wooden spoon or Danish dough whisk, then finish mixing with your hands until all the dry ingredients are incorporated. Cover the bowl and let it sit for 8-10 hours.

Morning – Make the filling: In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and pumpkin spice. Melt the butter in a separate small bowl. Set both aside.

Add the baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the risen dough. (Note: I use a small sifter to do this so that there aren’t any big clumps in the dough.) Incorporate into the dough with your hands.

On a floured surface, roll out the dough. The dough will be slightly sticky but if you lightly flour the top of the dough, it shouldn’t stick to the rolling pin. Roll into a large rectangle.

Leaving a small border on the edges, drizzle the melted butter over the dough and use a pastry brush to even it out. Next, sprinkle the filling evenly over the dough.

Starting at one end, begin rolling the dough into a log. If the dough sticks, sprinkle a bit of flour along the edge and use a bench scraper to gently lift the dough from the surface.

Use the bench scraper to cut the log evenly (I usually get 8 pieces). Arrange the rolls in a springform pan lined with parchment paper, leaving room between each roll. Bake the rolls at 375°F for 35-40 minutes until they’re golden and puffy.

When the rolls are almost done baking, make the simple, not-too-sweet icing. Whisk together 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar and 1 ½ tablespoons of heavy cream or milk. If the icing is too thick, add more cream. If it’s too thin, add more powdered sugar.

Drizzle the baked rolls with icing and enjoy!