Soft Sourdough Cinnamon Bread Rolls

Sourdough. I really don’t know where I would be without this kitchen friend.

My sourdough starter is what I use frequently in baking. I have never had the kind of baking success with commercial yeast as I have with my proofed and bubbly sourdough starter.

A few years ago I began searching for a healthier way to live and eat for myself and for my family. This is when I discovered that the way we prepare food directly affects whether the nutrients are available to us and whether or not we can assimilate them.

Our Western diet is processed and refined grain-filled. Couple that with refined sugar (and the shocking high amounts of it) and you have yourself a recipe for degenerative disease and illness.

Why Sourdough?

Sourdough is the fermentation of flour and water to create a leaven of wild yeast and Latobacillus. This mixture of wild yeast and Lactic acid bacteria work wonders at making the bread digestible to us.

Not only that, but the fermentation of the dough decreases the presence of phytic acid, a nutrient inhibitor found in the bran of the wheat.

Phytic acid is also found in nuts, legumes, seeds and grains.

Whole grains and beans have the highest amount of this nutrient inhibitor. That’s why taking these steps like soaking with an acid medium, or sour leavening makes these foods better digestible and a lot more nutritious.

Don’t have a sourdough starter?

Here’s my super  simple recipe for how to make one.

Sourdough Cinnamon Bread Rolls

The best way to describe these rolls would be: sweet, chewy and wonderfully spiced. In our home, cinnamon is probably our most used spice. I use it as much as I can, in savoury and almost any baked good. Cinnamon is also a potent health-giving spice and is:

• anti-microbial
• anti-inflammatory, and
• immune-boosting

These bread rolls are a quick rise. I don’t even allow that much time after they are shaped for them to rise and let the oven and proofed starter do the work for me.

How to proof your Sourdough Starter

Before using your starter, you will need to proof it the night before. This process ensures that the yeast and bacteria in the starter are active and ready to go on baking day.

To do this,  feed your starter with whatever flour you are using to feed it and add the same amount of water.

Leave room at the top for the mixture to expand. Stir well, cover loosely with the lid and let it sit overnight on your countertop until baking day.

This recipe makes 6 rolls.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups of proofed and bubbly sourdough starter
• 1 cup of warm raw milk
• 2 tablespoons of honey or natural sweetener of choice
• 30 grams (or 1 oz) of melted butter
• 3 Tbs of ground cinnamon
• 3 1/2 cups Organic Spelt Flour  (plus a little extra for dusting)

For the glaze (optional)

• 1 Tbs melted butter
• 1 Tbs honey
• 1/4 Tsp of cinnamon

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/375F
2. Grease your baking dish with coconut oil or butter
3. Warm butter on the stove until it has melted and add milk
4. Pour starter into a large mixing bowl and add butter and milk mixture
5. Add the honey or sweetener of choice
6. Add the cinnamon and stir the mixture well
7. Add the flour and stir until a dough forms. You’ll want a dough that isn’t too wet or dry. The key is to keep the dough moist but not sticky. Kneed the dough and add flour if need be until you get a good shape and texture
8. Kneed for 3-4 minutes
9. Shape into 6 rolls and place in the greased baking dish
10. Bake for 20-25 mins
11. Test with a knife, if it comes out clean, they’re ready
12. While the rolls are baking prepare the glaze on the stovetop
13. Pour the glaze over rolls and serve warm
14. Enjoy!