Bunny Buns Sour Dough Cinnamon Rolls

Bunny Buns Sour Dough Cinnamon Rolls

Easter is right around the corner, and what better way to celebrate than serving some delicious Bunny Buns with hazelnut cream cheese frosting? The adorable bunny ears formed from strips of dough and perched on top of each spiral-shaped roll, gives them a cute and playful appearance that’s perfect for Easter brunch or any springtime celebration.

These Bunny Buns are inspired by Baker Bettie’s sourdough cinnamon rolls. Baker Bettie is the master of sourdough and her website is full of great tips and tricks. Don’t miss her information on Sour Dough for Beginners. If you are afraid of trying sour dough for the first time, try buying an already formed sour dough starter. Try locally, but you can even buy a sour dough starter on Amazon (check out the ingredients section for more details)!!

Recipe Alterations

My recipe alters a few things from Baker Bettie’s original recipe, especially the bulk ferment stage (or first rise). I use the refrigerator to extend the time and allow the dough to really gain a depth of flavor. I learned this technique while I was learning to make authentic French baguettes. During the process of allowing the dough to rise and ferment in the fridge for more than 3 days, the flavor of the baguette magnified. The same is true of this sourdough cinnamon roll dough. Let it rise in the fridge for at least 24 hours (then pull it out when it’s convenient for your timeline.) You will note that the dough doesn’t really rise much, but that’s ok—the flavor will be amazing, and the dough will rise just fine on the second rise.

The creamy hazelnut cream cheese frosting tops these sour dough rolls perfectly! The combination of cinnamon and hazelnut pairs amazingly well and the scrumptious flavor of this frosting is due to hazelnut emulsion. Vanilla extract just isn’t the same here!

Whether you are a seasoned baker or just starting out, you can have success working with sour dough. These Bunny Bun Sour Dough Cinnamon Rolls are sure to become a favorite in your household!

Ingredients for Bunny Buns Sour Dough Cinnamon Rolls:

• Sour dough starter: Don’t be intimidated by sour dough starter. I keep mine in the fridge most of the time because I use it every other week or so. The fridge keeps my sour dough starter happy and I only have to feed it flour and water every 2 weeks or so. When I am ready to use the starter for baking, I feed it the day before and leave it on my counter. Then feed it before I go to bed and put it back in the fridge. Then next morning, it’s ready for baking! Did you know you can buy pre-made sour dough starter on Amazon? It really works!
• All-purpose flour: I use all-purpose flour for this recipe instead of bread flour. It helps the cinnamon rolls be a little lighter in texture.
• Salt: A must have ingredient for breads! I prefer kosher or sea salt, as the crystals are larger than table salt.
• Unsalted butter: For this recipe, the butter is melted and cooled slightly.
• Granulated sugar and brown sugar: The granulated sugar is used in the cinnamon roll dough. The brown sugar is for the filling and creates a caramelized flavor surrounding each roll.
• Egg: Half an egg is called for in this recipe. Just whisk the egg in a bowl and then weigh the grams on a kitchen scale.
• Cream cheese and Unsalted butter: These two ingredients combine to create a delicious frosting for the tops of the bunny buns.
• Hazelnut emulsion: My favorite flavor from LorAnn emulsions. It creates a luscious sweet flavor for cinnamon rolls or pancakes or French toast. And no nuts involved!

This post might contain affiliate links, please check out my full disclosure policy. I only refer products I have tried and tested.

How to Make the Bunny Buns Sour Dough Cinnamon Rolls:

Make the Dough:

To get started, you will need to make the sourdough roll dough. Using a kitchen scale and the bowl of a stand mixer, add the milk, then the sour dough starter. I like to add a liquid to my bowl before the sour dough starter to keep it from sticking to the sides of the bowl. Then, add the rest of the ingredients: sugar, melted (and cooled) butter, egg, salt, and flour. Mix everything on low speed, with a bread hook attachment, until all the ingredients are combined. Then, knead in the mixer or by hand for 5-10 minutes, until the dough is smooth in texture.

Bulk Fermentation (the First Rise):

Place the dough in a bowl coated with non-stick spray, cover with a lid or tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24-36 hours for a slow rise. This is the bulk ferment stage (or first rise) and where all the yummy flavor is produced. Don’t skimp on this time! The dough will not rise much, but the fermentation is continuing to work magic with the dough, as well as creating a complex, delicious flavor at the same time. The best part is that you don’t have to do any work while you wait! After at least 24 hours, remove the dough from the fridge when it’s convenient for your timeline to shape the cinnamon rolls.

Create Bunny Buns:

Once the dough has finished the slow rise, remove it from the refrigerator and let it warm up at room temperature for 1-2 hours (or while you prepare the pan, filling, and countertop space). Meanwhile, prepare a 9×13-inch metal cake pan by coating it lightly with non-stick spray. Prepare the filling by softening the butter and combining the cinnamon and brown sugar in a bowl. Spray your countertop with non-stick spray to keep the dough from sticking while you roll it out for cinnamon rolls. I prefer non-stick spray instead of flour in my dry climate. Your climate may need flour instead.

Place the dough on the prepared countertop. A cold dough will be more stubborn to flatten, just be patient. Use a rolling pin to create a rectangle shape that is approximately 24×10-inches and ¼-inch thick. Spread the softened butter over the dough and then generously sprinkle the cinnamon and brown sugar over the butter until completely covered to the edges. Use a pizza cutter to create 8 long strips by cutting lengthwise (each approximately 1 ¼-inch wide and 24-inches long). Then, cut one vertical line at approximately the 16-inch mark, splitting the strips into 2/3 and 1/3 portions.

Take each 16-inch strip and starting at one end, roll it tightly into a spiral. Take each 8-inch strip and fold each end to the center, then fold each end to the reverse side, making an M shape. Pinch the bottom of the M shape to create to ears. Place the spiral circle rolls in a prepared pan, with the seam on top and leaving a little space between each roll and also a place for the ears above each spiral circle. Place the ears above the seam of the circle and press the ears and circle together, even indenting the dough a little at the connection point.

The Second Rise:

Cover the rolls with sprayed plastic wrap and allow them to rise for 1 ½ to 2 hours at room temperature, or 45 minutes in a 200°F pre-heated oven that is turned off before placing the rolls inside. Just before the rolls are ready to bake, remove them from the oven and remove the plastic wrap. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place toothpicks at the connection spot of the ears and the circle to keep the ear shape, if needed. Bake the bunny buns at 350°F for 30-35 minutes, or until the buns are browned and cooked through.

Finishing Touches:

While the rolls are baking, make the hazelnut cream cheese frosting. In a mixing bowl, mix cream cheese, butter, hazelnut emulsion, and powdered sugar together with a hand mixer until smooth.

When the bunny buns are hot from the oven, spread the hazelnut cream cheese frosting generously on each bun with a pastry brush or spoon. The frosting will melt into and around each bun, adding a delicious sweetness to the cinnamon flavor.

Easter is a time for celebration. These cute little buns are not only fun to make, but they’re also perfect for sharing with family and friends during the Easter holiday.

–Kim

Print Recipe

Bunny Buns Sour Dough Cinnamon Rolls

Bunny Buns Sour Dough Cinnamon Rolls are a whimsical and delicious Easter tradition that will have everyone in your family hopping with delight. Made with a sourdough-based dough that is deeply flavorful, these cinnamon rolls are swirled with a cinnamon-brown sugar filling that has caramelized undertones. To top it off, these rolls are finished with a generous slathering of creamy hazelnut cream cheese frosting that’s the perfect complement to the warm, comforting flavors of the cinnamon and sourdough.

Prep Time40 minutes mins

Cook Time30 minutes mins

Rising Time45 minutes mins

Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Keyword: bread, cinnamon rolls

Servings: 8 buns

Author: Kim Melanson

Equipment

• Kitchen scale
• 9×13-inch cake pan

Ingredients

• (Inspired by Baker Bettie’s Sour Dough Cinnamon Rolls)
• 2/3 cup (152g) whole milk
• 1 ¼ cups (150g) sourdough starter (see recipe note)
• ½ cup (99g) granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup (75g) unsalted butter, melted
• ½ (21g) egg room temperature
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 4 ¼ cups (510g) all-purpose flour

Filling:

• 5 Tablespoons (70g) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ½ Tablespoons (18g) cinnamon
• ½ cup (106.5g) brown sugar

Hazelnut Frosting:

• 4 ounces (113g) cream cheese
• ¼ cup (56g) unsalted butter room temperature
• 1 Tablespoon hazelnut emulsion (or vanilla extract)
• 1 ½ cup (170g) powdered sugar

Instructions

• Add milk to bowl of stand mixer with bread hook attachment. Add sourdough starter, and then all other ingredients.
• Use stand mixer to mix on low until all ingredients are combined. Continue to knead in mixer or by hand for 5-10 minutes.
• Place dough in bowl coated with non-stick spray. Cover with lid or tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 24-36 hours for a slow rise. This is the bulk ferment stage (or first rise) and where the complex flavor is produced.
• Remove from refrigerator and allow to warm at room temperature for 30 minutes to 2 hours.
• Prepare a 9×13-inch metal cake pan by coating lightly with non-stick spray. Soften butter. In a separate bowl, mix brown sugar and cinnamon together.
• Spray countertop with non-stick spray. Place dough on countertop and use rolling pin to create a rectangle shape, approximately 24×10-inches and ¼-inch thick.
• Spread 1/3 cup softened butter over the dough, then sprinkle generously with brown sugar and cinnamon mixture until completely covered to the edges.
• With a pizza cutter, create 8 long strips—cut lengthwise (each approximately 1 ¼-inch wide and 24-inches long). Then cut one vertical line at approximately the 16-inch mark—splitting the strips into 2/3 and 1/3 portions.
• Take each 16-inch strip, and starting at one end, roll it tightly into a spiral.
• Take each 8-inch strip, and fold each end to the center. Then fold each end to the reverse side (making an M shape). Pinch the bottom of the M shape to create two ears.
• Place the spiral circle rolls in a prepared 9×13-inch pan, with the seam on top and leaving a little space between each roll and a place for the ears above each spiral circle. Place the ears above the seam of the circle and press the ears and circle together (even indenting the dough a little at the connection point).
• Cover with sprayed plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 ½ to 2 hours a room temperature (or 45 minutes in 200°F pre-heated oven—turned off before placing rolls inside). This is the 2nd rise.
• Just before rolls are ready to bake, remove from oven, remove plastic wrap, and preheat oven to 350°F. Place toothpicks at the connection spot of the ears and the circle to keep the ear shape, if needed.
• Bake bunny buns at 350°F for 30-35 minutes, or until buns are browned and cooked through.
• While baking, make hazelnut frosting by mixing all ingredients together at same time with a hand mixer, until smooth.
• When buns are hot from the oven, spread hazelnut frosting generously on each bun with a pastry brush or spoon. Frosting will melt into and around each bun.

Notes

The actual weight in grams of sour dough starter can vary depending on the thickness and consistency of the starter. For the most accurate measurement, use a kitchen scale. And… a little extra starter in your recipe won’t do any harm.