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Who doesn’t love Maple-Bacon combinations?!

Smoky and salty with earthy sweetness, it can’t get better than that! This delicious Sourdough Cinnamon Bun recipe has been changed and tweaked for a few weeks now, and after playing around for a few batches, the kids and my husband confirmed that perfection was nailed.

I had never seen Cinnamon buns twisted like this until a few weeks ago and love how it adds a new flair to a classic recipe. They are soft and buttery and because they are rolled and twisted, there is more of the yummy cinnamon/butter/sugar mix dispersed through the roll. And did I forget to say BACON?!

These take longer to make as it goes through a fermenting process with the sourdough starter. I like to mix it up in the morning and then finish them off before dinner so they are warm for desert! But you can also mix it up in the evening and finish them off the next morning when you have time.

As long as the dough has between 8-12 hours to rise, and the sourdough starter is active when you start mixing your recipe (was fed 4-12 hours earlier, is bubbly and has doubled in size), then your sourdough cinnamon buns will fluff up nicely. If you are new to “sourdoughing” then all that may sound confusing to you! Below I’ll lay out the recipe step-by-step so it is easy to follow along:

How to Make Maple Bacon Sourdough Cinnamon Buns:

Supplies Needed:

• Bowl
• Mixing Spoon
• Spatula
• Measuring Cups
• Teaspoon
• Tablespoon
• Plastic Wrap or Beesewax Cover
• Rolling Pin
• Cutting Board
• Knife
• Cooking Brush
• Parchment Paper
• Cookie Sheets
• Cooling Rack

Ingredients:

First Mix (8-12 Hours Pre-Bake)

• 1/2 cup butter, cold, cut into small chunks
• 2 1/2 cups flour ( have used all purpose flour and also light spelt flour)
• 1/2 cup ACTIVE sourdough starter
• 1 Tablespoon sweetener (honey or agave syrup work great!)
• 1 cup milk or yogurt

Second Mix (Add)

• 3/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Inside Spread

• 1/3 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 1 cup chopped walnuts
• 4 slices cooked bacon strips, chopped

Pre-Bake Bun Glaze

• 1 Egg
• 1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup

Recipe Notes:

New to Sourdough? This recipe calls for active sourdough starter that has been fed within the past 4-12 hours, and is bubbly and doubled in size. The “active” timing depends on your kitchen’s temperature and humidity, and also the feeding ratio of flour and water.

There are sourdough starters that you can purchase online, or you can make your own from scratch (it takes about 10 days), or if possible, see if a friend can give you a portion of theirs. Sourdough starters that have been fed and cultured for years are pure gold to beginners!

Directions:

1. Mix butter, flour, starter, sweetener and milk/yogurt together in bowl until it comes together to form a sticky ball.

2. Let sit well covered with plastic wrap, a plate, or beeswax cover for 8-12 hours at room temperature.

3. Cook Bacon strips and (when cool) put in fridge until ready to use.

4. When dough is done, mix salt, baking powder and baking soda together in a small cup.

5. Pour on top of dough and gently mix it in.

6. Knead dough gently on lightly floured clean surface until soft.

7. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. 

8. Roll out into large rectangle approximately 12”x18” and 1/4-1/2” thick. (Yes, I am improvising with my Nalgene waterbottle because we had just moved and I couldn’t find the rolling pin!)

9. Mix together melted butter, brown sugar, cinnamon and maple syrup together.

10. Pour and spread evenly on top of dough. Spread with spatula so that it is completely covered.

11. Sprinkle chopped walnuts and bacon pieces on top. 

12. Fold the long sides of the rectangle together. Cut into 1″ strips with the folded part at one end.

14. Twist strip, then start to spin from one side and tuck the edges in as you go.

15. Tuck the end part underneath and pinch so it doesn’t come undone.

16. Put pieces on cookie sheets with parchment paper, space out evenly as they will still expand!

17. Whisk egg with 1 Tablespoon of pure maple syrup and brush on tops and sides of each Cinnamon Bun.

18. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit on the middle rack for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown on top.

19. Cool on wire rack and enjoy! Store in airtight container in fridge (due to the bacon). A quick reheat makes the perfect combo with your morning coffee!

Other Tasty Sourdough Recipes to Check Out!

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