Simple Whole Wheat Sourdough Sticky Buns
Whole wheat sourdough sticky buns are the perfect treat for any gathering! They are a whole-wheat-y, sticky take on a traditional cinnamon bun, offering that perfect balance of soft, moist, deep cinnamon-y sweetness with a tangy sourdough kick.
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These whole wheat sourdough cinnamon sticky buns are everything you love about a classic cinnamon bun, but without the need for a cream cheese frosting (though that’s delicious too).
The real magic happens with the sticky topping, which transforms into an instant glaze after baking, creating the perfect sweet, gooey finish.
You can customize these buns with chopped pecans, walnuts, raisins, or even a mix of all three if you’re feeling adventurous.
Whether you’re serving them for a weekend breakfast, a cozy brunch, or as a sweet dessert, these sourdough sticky cinnamon buns are sure to impress!
Why You’ll Love These Sourdough Sticky Buns
Bronwyn’s Sourdough Notes
This is your dough! I’m here to share my tips, experience, and what’s worked for me — but sourdough is wonderfully flexible. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or just starting out, feel free to experiment and make this recipe your own. There are a bajillion ways to make a great loaf of sourdough, and my goal is simply to help you find the methods and rhythms that suit you best.
Salt: Use whatever fine salt you have. Unrefined salts like Himalayan or Redmond Real Salt support fermentation beautifully, but table salt works fine too.
Sourdough Starter: Start bread with an active, bubbly starter for best results. Learn more about your starter here.
Temperature: Dough rises best around 23–26°C (73–79°F) dough temperature.
Colder = Slower fermentation (6-12 hours)
Warmer = Faster fermentation (3-6 hours)
Adjust with warm or cool water depending on the season.
Flour: I always do a blend of standard all-purpose flour and freshly-milled whole grain flour as my whole wheat flour. Use whatever flour works for you.
Hydration: In summer, I use cooler water and slightly less. In winter, warmer water and a touch more can help balance fermentation speed.
Customizing Your Sourdough Sticky Buns
You can customize your sticky buns however you like to suit your taste. I personally love the traditional combo of pecans or raisins, but walnuts or almonds would be great alternatives as well.
Want to switch it up? Try swapping the water for pumpkin puree to make a delicious pumpkin pecan cinnamon bun! Or, for an autumn twist, replace the water with apple sauce and toss in some apple chunks instead of the pecans for an apple-spiced sticky bun—absolutely irresistible!
The possibilities are endless! While the method remains the same, the fillings and flavourings are entirely up to you. The world is your oyster, so get creative and make these sticky cinnamon buns your own!
What’s the Difference Between Cinnamon Buns and Sticky Buns?
Cinnamon Buns: They are typically made with a sweet dough that is rolled up with a cinnamon-sugar filling, then sliced into individual buns and baked. They are usually topped with a cream cheese icing after baking, but the buns themselves do not have any gooey topping baked in.
Sticky Buns: These buns are similar to cinnamon buns but are baked in a sticky, gooey caramel glaze that contains brown sugar, butter, and sometimes honey or maple syrup. The buns are baked in this glaze, so when you flip them out of the pan after baking, they have a sticky, syrupy coating on top. Sticky buns can also include nuts like pecans or walnuts, which caramelize in the glaze.
In short, sticky buns are distinguished by the sticky, sugary caramelized topping that is baked into the buns, while cinnamon buns are typically topped with icing or glaze after baking.
I like to think these sourdough sticky buns are a combination of the two – a sticky cinnamon roll.
How To Store Sourdough Sticky Buns
To keep your sourdough sticky buns fresh, store them in an airtight container at room temperature, where they will stay soft and delicious for 2-3 days.
For longer storage, you can refrigerate them in an airtight container, and they’ll stay semi-fresh for up to a week. The cold will help maintain their moisture.
If you want to freeze them, it’s best to flash freeze them first. Place the buns on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze until solid. Then, transfer them to a freezer-safe bag to avoid a sticky mess. When you’re ready to enjoy them, simply reheat in the oven!
How To Reheat Sourdough Cinnamon Buns
From Room Temperature: If your buns are already at room temperature, you can simply reheat them in the oven at 300°F (150°C) for about 5-10 minutes, until warm.
From the Fridge: If your buns are from the fridge, you can preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C) and bake them for 15-20 minutes, or until they are soft and warm.
Can I reheat sourdough sticky buns in the microwave? Yes, you can reheat your sourdough sticky buns in the microwave, but be mindful that the glaze might heat up and separate before the bun itself warms through.
To avoid this, try reheating in 10-15 second intervals, checking each time until the bun reaches your desired warmth. This will help prevent the glaze from becoming too runny or separating.
Materials
9″x 9″ Glass Dish – For baking your buns in.
Medium Mixing Bowl – For mixing your dough.
A Small Saucepan – For melting butter (you can also mix your filling in the saucepan to save a dish).
Silicone Spatula – For mixing and spreading your filling onto the dough and in the pan.
A Sharp Knife (or sewing thread) – For slicing the rolled buns. I keep it simple with a knife but some people prefer slicing with sewing thread.
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getting started with sourdough
and the “why” behind each step
Whether you’ve never touched sourdough or you’re tired of every recipe being different and not knowing why – this guide will help clear things up.
Learn the basics, avoid common beginner mistakes, learn why you’re doing what you’re doing and finally bake an edible loaf!
Ingredients
Whole Wheat Flour: I use a blend of freshly milled whole grains but regular whole wheat from the store is perfect.
White Flour: Regular all-purpose adds the right fluffiness.
Brown Sugar: A little for the dough and a lot for the filling. I like brown sugar but you can use white if that’s all you have on hand.
Active Sourdough Starter: For rising your buns. Learn more about knowing when your sourdough starter is ready to bake with here.
Butter: For softness.
Milk: Any kind of milk. Lukewarm is usually best for sourdough.
Egg: For extra fat, protein, and fluff!
Salt: For the dough and to balance the sweetness of the filling.
Chopped Pecans: You can use what you like but for this recipe I’ll be using chopped pecans!
How To Make Whole Wheat Sourdough Sticky Buns
STEP 1: MIX THE DRY INGREDIENTS
In a small to medium bowl, combine whole wheat flour, white flour, and salt. Crumble in the butter and mix until evenly distributed.
STEP 2: MIX THE WET INGREDIENTS
In a separate bowl, whisk together lukewarm water, sugar, egg, and sourdough starter until fully combined.
STEP 3: BRING IT TOGETHER
Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix with your hands or a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Cover and rest for 1 hour.
STEP 4: STRENGTHEN AND FERMENT
After the rest, perform a set of stretch and folds to strengthen the dough. Cover and ferment until doubled — about 3–6 hours in a warm environment or 6–12 hours in a cool one.
STEP 5: PREPARE THE FILLING
In a small saucepan, melt the butter. In a separate bowl mix together the sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Combine with the melted butter to form a paste.
STEP 6: PREPARE THE DISH
Spread ¼ cup of the cinnamon sugar paste over the bottom and sides of a glass baking dish. Sprinkle chopped pecans into the base and set aside.
STEP 7: ROLL AND FILL
Once doubled, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly to build strength. Let rest under a bowl for 5–10 minutes. Roll out into a roughly 10×14 inch rectangle. Spread the remaining cinnamon sugar paste evenly over the dough and sprinkle with chopped pecans.
STEP 8: ROLL AND SLICE
Roll the dough up tightly into a log and slice into 9 equal pieces approximately 1 inch wide. Place each bun cut side up in the prepared dish.
STEP 9: PROOF
For long ferment: cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours, then rise in a warm spot for 2–3 hours until puffy and reaching the rim of the dish.
For same-day: cover and rise in a warm spot for 2–3 hours until puffy and reaching the rim of the dish.
STEP 10: BAKE
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Remove the cover and bake for 20–25 minutes until the tops are golden brown.
STEP 11: FLIP AND FINISH
Let the buns cool for a couple of minutes. Place a cutting board over the dish and flip in one confident motion — the sticky glaze will pour down over the buns. Scrape any remaining glaze from the dish and spread it over the top. Cool for 15–30 minutes before serving.
Enjoy!
Note
If your dough keeps tightening back up after rolling out, let it rest and relax for another 5-10 minutes.
I like to leave around 1/4″ at the top without the paste to help it stick and hold its shape after rolling.
Simple Whole Wheat Sourdough Sticky Buns
ingredients
Dough
- 1⅔ cup Whole Wheat Flour 200g
- 1 cup White Flour 150g
- 2 tbsp Brown Sugar 30g
- 1 cup Active Sourdough Starter 150g
- 3 tbsp Butter 50g
- 2/3 cup Milk 150g
- 1 Egg
- 1 tsp Salt 5g
Cinnamon-Sugar Filling
- 1/2 cup Butter 115g; soft
- 1 cup Brown Sugar 200g
- 1 tbsp Cinnamon
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 cup Chopped Pecans
instructions
- In a small to medium bowl, combine whole wheat flour, white flour, and salt. Crumble in the butter and mix until evenly distributed. In a separate bowl, whisk together lukewarm water, sugar, egg, and sourdough starter until fully combined.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix with your hands or a wooden spoon until a shaggy dough forms. Cover and rest for 1 hour.
- After the rest, perform a set of stretch and folds to strengthen the dough. Cover and ferment until doubled — about 3–6 hours in a warm environment or 6–12 hours in a cool one.
- In a small saucepan, melt the butter. In a separate bowl mix together the sugar, salt, and cinnamon. Combine with the melted butter to form a paste.
- Spread ¼ cup of the cinnamon sugar paste over the bottom and sides of a glass baking dish. Sprinkle chopped pecans into the base and set aside.
- Once doubled, turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead lightly to build strength. Let rest under a bowl for 5–10 minutes. Roll out into a roughly 10×14 inch rectangle. Spread the remaining cinnamon sugar paste evenly over the dough and sprinkle with chopped pecans.
- Roll the dough up tightly into a log and slice into 9 equal pieces approximately 1 inch wide. Place each bun cut side up in the prepared dish.
- For long ferment: cover and refrigerate up to 24 hours, then rise in a warm spot for 2–3 hours until puffy and reaching the rim of the dish.For same-day: cover and rise in a warm spot for 2–3 hours until puffy and reaching the rim of the dish.
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Remove the cover and bake for 20–25 minutes until the tops are golden brown.
- Let the buns cool for a couple of minutes. Place a cutting board over the dish and flip in one confident motion — the sticky glaze will pour down over the buns. Scrape any remaining glaze from the dish and spread it over the top. Cool for 15–30 minutes before serving.
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