These honey buns are usually part of my family’s Christmas morning celebration. And usually I’m not the one making them! Since I’ve birthed my sourdough starter, I’m always looking for new recipes to use the discard. I love the two day recipes, especially for breakfast when I have don’t have hours to get an exceptional meal on the table. The dough is sweet and tender, without the hint of sourness, yet delicate from the yeast. I don’t think these buns need to be for special occasions anymore! Scroll to the bottom of the recipe to see our YouTube video on this recipe.

Tips:

• This dough is really nice to work with. Smooth and not sticky when you are ready to roll it.

• If your sourdough starter is new, you may want to add 1 teaspoon of yeast to the dough to ensure it will rise. My starter was only 2 months old when I tried this and it worked well.

• If you like raisins or nuts you can add them to the filling or on top of the buns. If you really want a sweet treat then you can whip up a quick icing with 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar and a tablespoon of water. Just whisk and drizzle on.

Cinnamon Sourdough Honey Buns

Makes 18 buns

PREP 10 minutes + proof time

COOK 30 minutes

Buns

1 1/2 cups bread flour

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (I like pastry flour for this)

1/2 cup sourdough starter- that has been fed and rested for a few hours

1/4 cup melted butter

7/8 cup whole milk

1- 1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup honey

Filling

1/2 cup softened butter

1/2 cup honey

3 tablespoons ground cinnamon

The Night Before

1. In a stand mixer combine all the Bun ingredients using a dough hook. Mix until a smooth dough forms. Cover the bowl and allow the dough to sit out overnight at room temperature.

2. Take your butter out for your filling too.

The Next Morning

1. Combine the filling in a bowl and set aside until after you roll out the dough.

2. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle 1/3” thick. Turn the dough often to avoid sticking. The rectangle will be roughly 18”x14”.

3. Spread the filling evenly over the dough, leaving about a 1/2” space around the outside.

4. Starting at the top, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Use a sharp knife to cut 18 equal sections. 

5. Place the buns into a buttered baking dish in three rows of 6.

6. Cover the buns and let them rise in a warm spot (I use the proofing setting on my oven) until they have doubled in size. This will take an hour depending on how warm your house is.

7. Preheat your oven to 350°. Bake the buns uncovered for 25-30 minutes. They will be golden brown and puffy when done. If you have a cooking thermometer the internal temp should be about 190-200 degrees.

8. The buns are best warm from the oven, but can be reheated too. Wrap well when storing.