Sourdough Sticky Buns
These sourdough sticky buns are soft, fluffy, and swirled with cinnamon sugar, then topped with a rich, buttery homemade caramel sauce. Also known as sourdough caramel rolls, they're the perfect addition to Christmas morning, weekend breakfasts, or a special family brunch. I love that you can mix up the dough the night before, let it ferment overnight, and wake up to fresh, gooey, sticky buns in the morning! This recipe can be made with active sourdough starter (learn how to make an easy sourdough starter recipe) or sourdough discard. If you prefer traditional cinnamon rolls with sweet cream cheese frosting instead of caramel, try my best homemade cinnamon rolls recipe.
Quick Look: Sourdough Sticky Buns
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🍳 Cook Time: 30 minutes (plus 8 hours to ferment)
- 🕒 Total Time: 8 hrs, 40 minutes
- 👥 Servings: 12
- 📊 Calories: ~464 kcal per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- 🔥 Cook Method: Oven-baked in cast iron skillet
- 👩🍳 Flavor Profile: Sweet and slightly tangy with gooey caramel, warm cinnamon, and a soft, tender sourdough base.
- ⭐ Difficulty: Easy – beginner-friendly, mostly assembly and baking.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Make them the night before: Mix and shape the dough in the evening, let it rise overnight, and bake fresh sticky buns for breakfast the next morning.
- Rich homemade caramel topping: The gooey caramel sauce is made from scratch with simple ingredients for the perfect sticky bun topping. If you aren't a fan of caramel, try my homemade buttermilk syrup
- Soft and fluffy sourdough dough: Long fermentation gives these rolls a wonderful texture and delicious sourdough flavor.
- Use active starter or discard: This recipe is flexible and works with either active sourdough starter or discard.
- Perfect for special occasions: These homemade sticky buns are wonderful for Christmas morning, family brunches, Sunday breakfasts, or anytime you want a special homemade treat.
- More sourdough sweet roll recipes: If you love homemade sourdough cinnamon rolls, try my strawberry cheesecake sourdough sweet rolls, raspberry lemon sourdough cinnamon rolls, pumpkin sourdough cinnamon rolls, or sourdough orange cinnamon rolls for more delicious breakfast treats.
Ingredients
For a full list of ingredients needed to make this recipe, see the recipe card below.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here
How to Make Sourdough Sticky Buns
Step 1: In a large bowl or stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the first six ingredients. Slowly add the flour and mix until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
If mixing by hand, knead until a soft dough forms. Stretch and fold or knead every 15–30 minutes for a couple of hours to develop the gluten.
For overnight rising, leave out the baking powder and baking soda. If baking right away, add them to help the rolls rise.
Step 2: Make the Caramel Topping. Combine the caramel topping ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to a simmer for one minute. Allow to cool completely.
Step 3: Combine the filling ingredients. Roll the dough into a rectangle about ¼-inch thick on a lightly floured surface. Spread the filling evenly over the dough and roll it up starting with the long side.
Cut into 1½-inch rolls and place in a greased 12-inch cast-iron skillet or 9x13 baking dish. Cover and let rise overnight at room temperature. If baking later, refrigerate and allow a couple of hours for the rolls to finish rising before baking.
You can also freeze the rolls at this stage and thaw and rise them before baking.
Step 4: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour the cooled caramel topping over the rolls and bake for 30–35 minutes, or until golden brown.
Carefully flip the rolls onto a serving platter so the caramel is on top. Add toasted pecans or nuts if desired. Serve warm with coffee or tea. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Tips for Making Sourdough Sticky Buns
- Use a healthy, active sourdough starter for the best rise.
- If your starter is thin or runny, add a little extra flour until the dough pulls away from the sides of the mixing bowl.
- For overnight fermentation, leave out the baking powder and baking soda.
- Make the caramel topping ahead of time and let it cool completely before pouring over the rolls.
- Use a sharp serrated knife or unflavored dental floss to cut the rolls without squishing them.
- Let refrigerated or frozen rolls finish rising before baking.
- Place a baking sheet under your pan in case any caramel bubbles over.
- Flip the rolls onto a serving platter while they're still warm so the caramel doesn't harden in the pan.
Sourdough Sticky Buns FAQs
Turn the sticky buns out of the pan while they are still warm, about 5–10 minutes after baking. This allows the caramel topping to release easily before it cools and hardens in the bottom of the pan.
Sticky buns should reach an internal temperature of about 190°F when fully baked. The tops should also be golden brown, and the dough should be cooked through in the center.
Yes. Because these sticky buns are homemade, store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one week. Warm them in the microwave before serving for that fresh-from-the-oven texture.
Yes! Prepare the rolls, place them in your greased baking dish, cover, and let them rise overnight at room temperature. Bake them fresh the next morning.
Yes. You can freeze the assembled, unbaked rolls before their final rise. Cover them tightly and freeze. When ready to bake, thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, allow them to finish rising, and bake as directed.
Yes! You can use sourdough discard in this recipe. Just keep in mind that older or less active discard may not provide as much rising power, so the rolls may need additional time to rise.
Sticky buns can be doughy in the middle if they are underbaked, cut too thick, or haven't had enough time to rise. Check the center with a food thermometer and bake until it reaches about 190°F.
Allow the caramel to cool slightly before pouring it over the rolls, and turn the sticky buns out onto a serving platter while they are still warm. Don't wait until they are completely cool, or the caramel can harden and stick to the pan.
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If you try this recipe and love it, please come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @wagonwheelhomestead21. I can’t wait to see what all you make!
Sourdough Sticky Buns
Equipment
- 1 Stand mixer. You can mix these rolls up by hand, but I usually use my favorite Bosch mixer and just mix up the dough while I’m cleaning up supper dishes in the evening. This makes the rolls fast and easy to make.
- 1 measuring cups and spoons
- 1 Rolling Pin
- 1 sharp knife
- 1 cast iron skillet
- 1 Saucepan (for making the caramel topping)
Ingredients
- 1 cup water or milk
- 1 cup sourdough starter
- ½ cup melted butter
- ½ cup sugar or honey
- ½ teaspoon teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 4-5 cups flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder optional only use if baking right away
- 1 teaspoon baking soda optional only use if baking right away
Cinnamon Sugar Filling
- ½ cup softened butter
- 1 ½ cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbl. cinnamon
Easy Caramel Sauce for Sourdough Sticky Buns
- ½ cup butter
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 ½ cup brown sugar
Instructions
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine the first six ingredients.
- Using a mixer: Slowly add flour while mixing on low until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.Mixing by hand: Knead until a dough ball forms. Stretch and fold or knead every 15–30 minutes for a couple of hours to develop the gluten.
- If you plan to let these rise overnight, you don't need to add the baking powder and baking soda. If you plan to bake these right away, you'll need to add the baking powder and baking soda to the dough so that it will rise as it bakes.
Make The Caramel Topping
- Combine the topping ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Turn heat down to a simmer and cook for one minute. Allow to fully cool before pouring over rolls
Assemble The Cinnamon Rolls:
- Combine the filling ingredients in a small bowl.
- On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough using a rolling pin to ¼” thick in the shape of a rectangle.
- Spread the filling ingredients on top of the dough (see video).
- Roll the dough up, beginning with the long side of the rectangle.
- Using a sharp serrated knife, cut rolls into approximately 1 ½” lengths.Place in a greased 12-inch cast-iron skillet or 9 x 13 inch baking pan.
- Cover with plastic wrap or beeswax wrap and let the dough rise on the counter or in a warm place overnight. If you need to wait longer than overnight to bake them, place them in the refrigerator, and pull them out to finish rising a couple of hours before baking.
- You can also freeze these rolls at this point, and take them out of the freezer to raise and bake later on.
- The next morning or when you're ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
- Pour the cooled caramel over the rolls before baking. It will sink to the bottom of the pan, and form the sticky caramel topping for these rolls.
- Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.
- Flip the rolls upside down on a platter so the caramel is on the top. You can add nuts or toasted pecans if desired.
- Serve warm with a cup of coffee or tea from Farmhouse Teas.
- Savor every bite! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to one week, although I know they'll never last that long.
- If you try this recipe and love it, please come back and give it 5 stars! Tag me on Instagram @wagonwheelhomestead21
Notes
- For the best long-fermented sourdough, let the dough rise overnight at room temperature.
- If your sourdough starter is thin, you may need to add a little extra flour until the dough is no longer too sticky.
- Use a stand mixer or knead and stretch and fold the dough by hand to develop the gluten.
- Cut rolls with a sharp knife or string.
- For overnight preparation, mix the dough, shape the rolls, and let them rise before baking. The caramel topping can also be made ahead and cooled overnight.
These look delicious!