Ingredients

Dough

• 1/2 cup buttermilk or plain yogurt
• 6 Tbsp. vegetable oil
• 100 grams sourdough discard*
• 50 grams brown sugar
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tsp. active dry yeast
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 200 grams all-purpose flour
• 150 grams whole wheat flour

Filling

• 6 Tbsp. butter, softened
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Glaze**

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tbsp. orange juice (or milk, for a milder flavor)
• 1 Tbsp. orange zest (from about 1/2 of the orange)
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract or 1/4 tsp. vanilla bean paste

Preparation

Dough

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine buttermilk, vegetable oil, sourdough starter, brown sugar, egg, yeast, salt, and baking soda. Mix on medium speed with the bread hook until relatively homogeneous, about 1 minute (break up remaining clumps of brown sugar/yeast/starter with your fingers if needed).
2. Add flours and mix on medium speed until fully combined into a tacky dough, about 2 minutes. Alternatively, mix by hand or with a wooden spoon in a large bowl until well combined.
3. Scrape bowl to incorporate any tough bits of dough stuck to the side into the main dough mass. Cover bowl with plastic wrap or a lightly damp clean kitchen towel.
4. Let dough rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. After the half-hour, fold it several times over itself in the bowl. If you’ve never done this before—don’t overthink it. We aren’t really “kneading” here. Just imagine that you’re bringing all the dough that’s sitting at the bottom of the bowl to the top, in 6 or so big stretchy folds. Repeat resting-and-folding process 3 more times, resulting in a total of 2 resting hours and 4 folding sessions. The dough will magically become less sticky and more elastic with each folding round (this is because the wheat flour fully hydrates and the gluten develops).
5. Chill dough in the refrigerator, covered, for at least 6 hours but up to 1 day.

Filling

1. Mix softened butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon together until combined. Set aside until ready to use.
2. Turn chilled dough out onto a lightly oiled surface and roll into a 16×12-inch rectangle (if necessary, lightly oil your rolling pin to avoid the dough sticking).
3. Spread cinnamon butter evenly over the whole rectangle, then roll it tightly into a 16-inch log.
4. Slice log into 8 rolls and place them into a 12-inch cast-iron skillet or 13×9 pan. You can also use basically any other medium/large baking dish. The rolls will almost double while baking, so use whatever will give them an inch or so of space on all sides. Cover pan and let rise until rolls look and feel puffed, about 30 minutes (they will not rise much in this time).
5. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Once preheated, bake rolls until deeply golden brown on top, about 25 to 35 minutes.

Glaze**

1. Combine powdered sugar, orange juice or milk, orange zest, and vanilla to create an icing.
2. Let cinnamon rolls cool for 10 to 15 minutes, then pour glaze evenly over cinnamon rolls. The rolls are best when enjoyed warm and fresh. Store leftovers covered tightly at room temperature, and warm before serving.