Banana Bread Cinnamon Rolls Sourdough
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer with dough hook optional, can mix by hand
- 2 large mixing bowls
- 1 medium mixing bowl
- 1 loaf pan or 9x13-inch baking pan
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 Rubber spatula
- 1 Whisk
- 1 measuring cup set
- 1 measuring spoon set
- 1 sharp knife or bench scraper
- 1 pastry brush
- 1 sheet of plastic wrap or 1 reusable cover
- 1 Kitchen towel
- 1 Wire rack
Ingredients
- 120 gram active sourdough starter 100% hydration
- 240 gram whole milk warm
- 100 gram ripe banana mashed
- 75 gram granulated sugar
- 80 gram unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1 large egg room temperature
- 500 gram all-purpose flour
- 8 gram fine sea salt
- 3 gram ground cinnamon
- 80 gram unsalted butter softened
- 120 gram light brown sugar packed
- 8 gram ground cinnamon
- 2 gram ground nutmeg
- 2 gram ground cardamom optional
- 60 gram ripe banana finely chopped
- 120 gram cream cheese softened
- 60 gram unsalted butter softened
- 180 gram powdered sugar sifted
- 5 milliliter vanilla extract
- 1 15–30 ml milk as needed
- 1 gram fine sea salt
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together the active sourdough starter, warm milk, mashed banana, granulated sugar, melted butter, and egg until smooth.
- In a separate bowl combine the flour, salt, and ground cinnamon, then add this dry mixture to the wet mixture.
- Mix with a spatula until a rough dough forms, then knead by hand or with a stand mixer on low speed for 8–10 minutes until smooth and slightly tacky.
- Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise at room temperature for 4–6 hours until puffy and increased in volume by about 50%.
- After the initial rise, place the covered bowl in the refrigerator for 4–6 hours or overnight to chill and firm the dough for easier rolling.
- For the filling, stir together the softened butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and chopped banana until you have a spreadable paste.
- Turn the chilled dough onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a rectangle about 12x16 inches (30x40 cm).
- Evenly spread the banana cinnamon filling over the dough, leaving a 1-inch (2.5 cm) border along one long edge.
- Starting from the opposite long edge, roll the dough tightly into a log, sealing the seam by pinching gently.
- Use a sharp knife or bench scraper to cut the log into 12 even rolls.
- Arrange the rolls cut side up in a greased loaf pan or 9x13-inch baking pan, leaving a little space between each roll.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap or a towel and let the rolls proof at warm room temperature for 2–3 hours until noticeably puffy and nearly touching.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) near the end of the proofing time.
- Bake the rolls for 22–28 minutes until golden brown on top and an internal temperature of about 190°F (88°C) is reached.
- While the rolls bake, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth, then add powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and enough milk to reach a fluffy, spreadable consistency.
- Transfer the baked rolls to a wire rack and let them cool for 10–15 minutes before frosting.
- Spread or drizzle the cream cheese frosting over the warm rolls and serve.
Notes
For best flavor, use a very ripe, spotty banana to enhance the banana bread character and sweetness, and ensure your sourdough starter is recently fed and active so the dough rises well. If your kitchen is cool, the proofing stages may take longer, so rely more on how puffy the dough looks than on the clock. Chilling the dough thoroughly makes rolling and slicing much easier and helps keep the banana filling from squishing out. You can prepare the rolls the night before, refrigerate them after shaping, then let them come to room temperature and finish proofing in the morning before baking. Adjust baking time slightly based on your pan and oven, tenting with foil if the tops brown too quickly, and always frost on warm—not hot—rolls so the icing melts slightly but doesn’t slide off.
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