In the morning, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead again for 2–3 minutes. The dough should be very soft, tender, and pretty sticky. Shape it into a ball again, cover lightly with a clean towel, and let it rest while you brown the butter.

In a small nonstick skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and stir continuously as it begins to foam. It’ll turn to a dark yellow as the foam subsides and then an amber color. Turn the heat off at this point and let the butter finish browning for one more minute. Transfer the browned butter to a small bowl to cool completely. Meanwhile, remove the pits and finely chop the dates, and grease a 8-inch pie pan or cake pan with butter.

Roll the dough out into a 14×16 rectangle, or as close to that as possible. Brush the browned butter over the surface, reaching all the way to the edges. Sprinkle the cinnamon, brown sugar, sea salt, and dates over the top. Carefully pick up one of the long edges of the rectangle and roll it tightly over to the other side. Tuck back in any of the filling that slips out. Starting in the center and working your way out to each of the edges, use a sharp knife to lightly mark 8 even rolls.

For best results when cutting the rolls, I like to use a thin thread of twine or unflavored dental floss. Simply slide the string under the rolls, pull each end up and in, and squeeze to slice the 8 rolls where you’ve marked. Transfer these to the baking dish of your choice, cover, and let rest at room temperature for 2 hours until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350ºF and bake for 22–24 minutes. The edges will be golden brown and the center will be slightly more pale. They should be just soft to the touch and give a little bit when poked. Cool them completely in the baking dish to finish baking.

Meanwhile, make the frosting. Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl and beat on high until smooth and fluffy. Remove the cinnamon rolls from the pan once they’ve cooled and spread a spoonful (or 3) of frosting over the ones you plan to serve and eat immediately. Leave leftovers unfrosted, and store the frosting and rolls in separate airtight containers in the fridge. The rolls will last for a week and are best when reheated in the microwave for 30–40 seconds. The frosting will last for a couple months! It’s good on everything.

Enjoy!

Place the remaining dough ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer. Pour the proofed yeast mixture on top. Briefly stir with a spatula to form a shaggy dough. Attach to the base of the stand mixer and fit with the dough hook. Knead for 15 minutes on medium-low (I used speed 2 out of 10).

Transfer dough to a large, buttered bowl. Cover and allow to rise in a warm spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

For the filling:
When the dough is nearly done rising, beat the butter, sugar, and cardamom together in a small bowl with a hand mixer until well mixed.

On a well-buttered surface, gently roll the risen dough out to a 14×20-inch rectangle. Dab the filling evenly over the surface of the dough and spread out evenly with an offset spatula.

Grabbing a short end, fold 1/3 of the dough over itself towards the middle, then the other 1/3 (like folding a letter). Roll the dough out again to a 10×14-inch rectangle. Cut the dough into 3/4-inch strips, starting at a folded edge. Cut a strip in half along the length of it, leaving a bit of dough still attached at one end. Twist both “legs” of dough in one direction, then twist the legs around themselves in the opposite direction. Coil the twisted dough around itself in a circle, tucking the end underneath to keep it in place. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough strips, making sure to leave plenty of space between the buns on the baking sheet. You’ll most likely need to use two baking sheets.

Cover the buns with a tea towel and allow to rise in a warm spot until quite puffy, about 1½ to 2 more hours (check them at one hour if your kitchen is warm). 

Twenty minutes before the buns are done rising, preheat oven to 425°F. Bake the risen buns for 15–20 minutes, or until deep golden on top, dark brown on the bottom, and cooked through. You can check doneness with an instant read thermometer (the buns should register 200°F).

For the topping:
While the buns are baking, make the topping. Place the water, sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, whisking frequently. Brush over the hot cardamom buns. Allow to cool for a few minutes, and brush them again. Repeat once more. Sprinkle the buns with the ground cardamom.

Serve buns warm. Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for a few days (if they last that long).

You can also use an upright mixer with the dough hook. Once the dough ball is fully shaped and the texture is smooth, allow it to rise in the mixer bowl covered with plastic wrap to prevent drying. Allow the dough to double in size, about 1 ½ hours.

After rising, place dough on a lightly floured surface and roll out into a rectangle, about 15 x 9 inches.

Spread the softened margarine or butter evenly over the surface, just short of the edges. Sprinkle the sugar and cinnamon evenly over the butter, again, just shy of the edges.

Roll dough up tightly starting on the 9-inch side, folding the outer sides in about ½-inch as you go to form a natural seal on the ends. Firmly pinch the end seam against the body of the roll to seal. Stretch roll to make even. Cut into 12 equally sized rolls.

Place equally spaced in the prepared baking pan, then cover with plastic wrap to prevent drying. Allow the rolls to double in size, about 40 minutes.

Place into an oven preheated to 375°F and bake until golden brown, about 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool for 10–15 minutes.

For the glaze, whisk powdered sugar, melted butter, vanilla extract, and half the milk until smooth, adding more milk as necessary after whisking without allowing the glaze to become too runny. The glaze should pour thickly onto the cinnamon rolls.

Glaze and serve.

Note: If using a convection oven at 375° F, only bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

To the milk and yeast mixture, add warmed banana (heat it in the microwave for 20–30 seconds), 2 tablespoons grass-fed butter, and coconut sugar and stir until combined. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, stir flours and spices. Working in batches, slowly add dry ingredients to the wet and mix after each addition. Knead on medium-speed for about 5–6 minutes, or until most of the dough pulls away from the bowl. Some of it will remain sticky, most likely towards the bottom of the bowl, and that is okay.

Turn dough out onto a clean and lightly floured surface and knead with your hands for another 6–7 minutes, adding more flour as needed to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands or the surface. Continue kneading until the dough is no longer sticky. Keep in mind that it is a moist dough and should remain that way throughout the whole process, but not so sticky that you can’t transfer it from place to place without it completely sticking to your hands.

Transfer dough to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a warm, moist towel. Proof in a warm environment (about 75-85ºF) for 1–2 hours, or until doubled in size. While dough proofs, prepare the filling by stirring together ground cinnamon, ground ginger, sea salt, and coconut sugar in a small bowl. Set this aside until ready to use.

One more time, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it out into a large rectangle, about 8 inches wide and 4-6 inches long. Brush 2 tablespoons of melted butter over the surface and sprinkle with the sugar and spice mixture. Make sure to sprinkle as close to the edges as possible! Finally, drizzle the molasses or maple syrup over the top and roll the dough tightly lengthwise. Use unflavored floss or thin twine to slice the dough into as many rolls as you’d like, 4 larger rolls or 6 small-medium rolls.

Transfer the rolls to an 8×8 baking dish, lightly greased with butter. Leave about 1/2 to 1 inch of space between each roll to allow for them to rise in the second proving stage. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight, or for anywhere from 12–24 hours.

When ready to bake, remove rolls from the fridge 1 hour before baking. Preheat oven to 350ºF and bake for 22–24 minutes. The rolls will be a deep golden color on top and soft to the touch. Let them rest and cool completely in the pan before removing them to frost.

While the rolls cool, prepare frosting by whisking cream cheese, Greek yogurt, maple syrup or honey and sea salt until smooth and fluffy. Refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use. This recipe makes extra frosting, so save the rest for toast, muffins, bagels, etc. It’s a healthy frosting!

When rolls have cooled completely, remove them from the pan and frost generously. Frost only the rolls you plan on eating immediately. Store the rest in an airtight container in the fridge for up to one week. Reheat in the microwave or oven and frost before serving again.

Enjoy!

When mixture comes to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture is reduced by about half. Remove from heat, and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Place in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

For the rolls:
In a small bowl, add ground flax meal and water. Mix well. In a medium bowl, add almond milk and apple cider vinegar, and mix well. Allow both to sit while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

In the bowl of a stand mixer using a paddle attachment, add sugar, salt, and softened vegan butter. Cream for 3–5 minutes until mixture gets light and fluffy. Add egg and lemon zest, mixing well, scraping down the sides of the bowl with the spatula, and mixing again until ingredients are evenly distributed.

Add flour and yeast, mixing with the paddle just until mixture forms a scraggy ball. Switch to the hook attachment, and knead for 10 minutes. If mixture is too wet and sticks to the side of the bowl, add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. You want the dough to slightly stick to the bottom of the stand mixture, and not stick to the sides at all. Lightly oil a large bowl, add dough, turning over to coat, and cover with plastic wrap. Allow to rise for 1 1/2 – 2 hours, or until dough has doubled in size.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured, clean surface, and roll into a rectangle 1/2 inch high with the long side toward you. The long side should measure about 18 inches, and be 9 inches deep.

Spread cooled strawberry purée all over the rectangle lightly, then use a pastry scraper to help you roll up. Take the edge closest to you, begin to roll the dough on top of itself to form a log. You may have some strawberry purée spill out, that’s ok. Leave it there for now.

Cut log into 16 equal pieces, and place on a parchment- or silpat-lined baking sheet, about 1 inch apart. Scoop up the spilled strawberry purée with the pastry scraper, and top the rolls with it. Cover with plastic wrap, and let rise for 75–90 minutes, until pieces have grown into one another and doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 350ºF 15 minutes before the proofing step is complete above. Bake for 20–30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

For the glaze:
As the sweet strawberry rolls cool, make the glaze by adding sifted powdered sugar to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment. Add lemon zest, and with the mixer on medium, gradually add in the almond milk until you have a thick glaze.

After strawberry rolls have cooled for at least 10 minutes, pour the glaze over the buns. Top with fresh diced strawberries and lemon zest. Serve to your favorite people!

Note: Instead of making your own strawberry purée, you can use 1 to 1 1/2 cups of prepared strawberry jam.

In a large bowl, stir remaining sugar, eggs, melted butter, and salt. Add yeast mixture. Stir to combine.

Add bread flour, 1 cup at a time. Mix and knead until dough is no longer sticky. Put dough into greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place for 45-60 minutes.

While the dough rises, prepare the topping. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir in brown sugar, corn syrup, and pecan pieces. Cook until sugar is dissolved. Pour topping into a greased 9×13 baking dish.

For the filling, in a small bowl, combine sugar and cinnamon.

Once dough has risen, turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll dough into a 16×21 inch rectangle. Spread softened butter over dough and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture.

Roll dough up, tightly sealing the seam. Cut into 12 equal rolls and place in baking dish above topping. Cover pan and let rise for 40–60 minutes. Bake at 350ºF for 30–40 minutes until rolls are golden brown.

Remove from oven and immediately invert onto a heatproof plate or baking sheet. Let rolls stand for 2–3 minutes before removing the baking dish. Serve warm.

Flour a work surface and combine 1 cup plain flour, 1 cup whole wheat flour and 1 tablespoon lemon zest in a mixing bowl.

In a small bowl, combine almond milk, melted butter, remaining honey and salt. Stir in yeast mixture.

Stir wet mixture into the flour and add remaining 1/4 cups of each flour. Mix in well.

Turn dough onto floured work surface and knead for 4–5 minutes. Put dough back into large bowl and cover with a tea towel. Let rise for 50 minutes.

After the dough has risen, turn ball back onto working surface and roll out into a large rectangle.

For the filling:
Stir cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and honey into melted butter and spread out evenly on the dough. Evenly scatter on the blueberries.

Starting from the long edge, roll tightly until dough is in the shape of a log. Using a serrated, sharp knife, cut dough into 1-inch rounds.

Grease a 9-inch round baking dish with butter. Add sliced buns to the pan, cover with a tea towel and let rise for another 50 minutes.

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Bake buns for 20–25 minutes or until golden on top.

For the frosting:
While buns are baking, mix together all ingredients for frosting. Once buns have cooled, top with frosting and me oh my! Enjoy!

Note: If you live in a cooler climate, place dough in the microwave to rise. If it’s extra cold, you can even place a mug of hot water next to the bowl and the steam will keep the dough warm. Just make sure the microwave doesn’t get switched on!

Add bread flour, 1 cup at a time. After all flour has been incorporated, touch the dough with your fingers. If it is too sticky, add in more bread flour in 1/4-cup increments until dough no longer sticks to the sides of the mixing bowl.

Lightly flour countertop, place dough on it, and knead into a ball. Place ball of dough in a separate lightly-greased mixing bowl. Cover bowl with a cloth napkin and let the dough rise for 1 hour.

Once the dough has risen, remove it from the mixing bowl and place it again on a lightly-floured surface. Roll dough into a 1-foot square.

For the filling:
Use a silicone pastry brush to apply softened butter to the dough evenly.

In a medium-sized bowl, combine ground cinnamon, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cardamom. Use a spoon to sprinkle the mixture onto the buttered dough.

Fold dough in thirds, like a business letter. Roll it out into a rectangle that’s about 15 to 16 inches long and 7 to 8 inches high.

Cut dough into 12 strips (crosswise, not lengthwise). One by one, hold each strip of dough out with your hands and twist it. Wwrap the twisted strip around your hand one to two times and then tuck the loose end into the middle of the twisted knot.

Once all buns have been twisted, place them on a clean countertop and cover them with a cloth napkin. Let rise again for another hour. When the buns are almost done rising, preheat oven to 325ºF.

For the topping:
After buns are done rising, crack egg into a small bowl and scramble with a fork. Brush egg wash on top of each bun. Finally, sprinkle each bun with Swedish pearl sugar.

Bake buns for 15–25 minutes on a parchment-lined cookie sheet until bottom of each bun is slightly golden brown. Set aside and let cool.

Strain powdered sugar and ground cinnamon through a sieve into a medium-sized bowl. Then whisk to combine.

Once the buns are done cooling, use a flour sifter to sprinkle the powdered cinnamon sugar on top of the buns. Serve and enjoy!

Remove from heat and stir in the orange zest. Cool completely. Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use.

For the dough:
Warm the milk and 2 tablespoons butter over the stove. Set aside to cool a bit.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add egg, starter, sugar, flour, and salt. Pour the warm (not hot!) milk and butter mixture on top. With the paddle attachment, mix until a dough forms (this can take about 1 minute). You want the dough to be soft, but not overly sticky. Add more flour as needed.

Cover and let rest for 30 minutes.

Switch to the dough hook attachment and knead on medium-low to low speed for 8 minutes. The dough should be smooth and cohesive.

Grease a medium-sized bowl with butter. Transfer the dough to the buttered bowl, turning once. Cover and rest for 30 minutes. Grab one “corner” of the dough, stretch it up, and pull it over towards the middle. Repeat for the other 3 “corners” of the dough.

Cover and let rise overnight at room temperature until the dough has doubled in bulk. Since this is sourdough, it will take 8–12 hours to double, depending on how warm your kitchen is.

After the initial rise, lightly butter a clean work surface and dust it with flour. Gently dump the dough out onto the work surface and deflate it by pulling the “corners” into the middle. Let rest for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, line a 9-inch square baking dish with parchment paper.

Roll the dough into a 16×12-inch rectangle, dusting the dough and rolling pin with flour if needed to prevent sticking.

Spread the dough with remaining 2 tablespoons of soft butter, leaving 1/2-inch around all the edges. Spread the cranberry filling evenly over the butter, leaving 1/2-inch around all the edges. Starting on the longer (16-inch) edge, roll up the dough gently but tightly.

Cut the dough into nine 1 1/2-inch rolls using a serrated knife. Transfer the rolls to the parchment-lined baking dish. Cover and let rise for 2–4 hours, or until the rolls have visibly risen. They won’t get crazy puffy, but they should increase in size.

30 minutes before you plan to bake the rolls, preheat oven to 400°F . Once rolls are ready to bake, pop them into the oven for 10 minutes. Without opening the oven door, lower the temperature to 350°F and bake for 25–35 minutes more, or until the rolls are deep golden brown and the bready part registers 200°F on an instant read thermometer.

Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove, parchment paper and all, to a cooling rack to cool further.

Once the rolls aren’t too hot, frost them with the cream cheese drizzle:

For the cream cheese orange drizzle:
Place cream cheese, maple syrup, and orange zest in a small bowl. Beat until smooth. Gradually add enough orange juice to make a nice thickish drizzling consistency. Drizzle over the warm rolls.

Serve warm with butter for spreading!

Notes:
• For the cranberry filling, you should use about 1/2 cup of liquid. If your orange doesn’t yield quite 1/2 cup, you can fill the measuring cup the rest of the way with water.
• Unfed sourdough starter means that it’s bubbly, active, passes the float test, and has been fed about 8 hours in advance. It should also be 100% hydration, which means it was fed equal weights (not volumes) of water and flour.
• I have used all all-purpose flour, and also half all-purpose, half bread flour. My favorite version was made with half bread flour, so use that if you have it!
• There are several schedules that you can use to bake the rolls:
Bake immediately: The morning before you plan to bake, feed your sourdough starter. 8 hours later (that evening), mix together the dough. Let it rise overnight. The next morning, fill and shape the rolls, let rise for 2–4 hours, and bake.
Refrigerator rise: 2 nights before you plan to bake, feed your sourdough starter. The next morning, mix together the dough. Let rise 8 hours. In the evening, fill and shape the rolls and place in a pan. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning, pull out of the fridge and let rise at room temp for 1–2 hours. Bake.

Recipe for the dough adapted from Emilie Raffa of The Clever Carrot.

Whisk yeast and 2 teaspoons coconut sugar into the almond milk. Cover with a towel and let proof for at 5 minutes. When it has frothed significantly (about 1 inch above where it was originally in the bowl), whisk in melted and cooled coconut oil. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, remaining 1/4 cup coconut sugar and pumpkin pie spice. Pour in the yeast mixture and, using the dough attachment on a stand-mixer, knead until the dough forms a ball around the attachment (it shouldn’t be sticking to the sides of the bowl anymore). Gently form the dough into a ball and place in a clean, lightly greased large bowl, covered, to proof for 1 hour in a warm environment. My trick is to heat the oven to 200ºF, then turn it off, and let the rolls proof in the oven as it cools down slightly. It should double in size.

For the filling, in a medium-size bowl, combine coconut sugar, spices, and apple for the filling while the dough rises. Let this mixture rest at room temperature so that the flavors from can come together.

On a lightly floured surface, roll dough out into a large rectangle about 1/2-inch thick. Rub to the edges with coconut oil and evenly sprinkle filling mixture over the top. Leave this about 1 inch from the edges, as it will move towards the edges while you roll the dough.

Depending on how many rolls you would like, roll from the long or short end. Rolling from the long end will give more rolls with fewer swirls, while rolling from the short end will do the opposite. Lay sliced rolls in a lightly greased ceramic baking dish, cover, and proof for another hour in the warm oven (use the trick from above).

After rising the second time, heat oven to 350ºF and bake rolls for 30–32 minutes if larger, and 28–30 minutes if smaller. You’re looking for a golden top with sides the give just a little when pressed lightly with your finger. Remove from the oven and cool for about 10 minutes.

Prepare frosting by combining ingredients in a mixing bowl and use a stand- or hand-mixer to beat on high until light and fluffy. Sweeten more or less to your preference.

Spread 2-3 tablespoons of the frosting on top of each cinnamon roll and serve immediately. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Unfrosted rolls can be frozen and reheated at a later time. Enjoy!

Notes:
• I’ve tried this with whole wheat flour and I think the protein content is too high, which makes it hard for the yeast to do its job and results in not-as-fluffy rolls. I recommend whole wheat pastry flour for the best texture.
• Granulated sugar can be used here instead.
• Brown sugar can be used here instead.
• I used a 9×13 natural clay baking dish from Lodge Cast-Iron.