Cinnamon Honey Butter Sourdough Bread

“So yummy! Definitely a keeper!” -Brittany

Inspired by the famous Texas Roadhouse cinnamon honey butter, this sourdough bread folds that sweet, buttery mixture directly into the dough so the flavor is baked right in. It starts with my same-day sourdough bread base, lightly sweetened with honey, then layered with cinnamon honey butter for buttery, cinnamon swirls throughout. If you love the swirl in this loaf, be sure to also check out my Carrot Cake Sourdough Bread.

If you love experimenting with flavors, don’t miss my guide to 21 sourdough mix-in ideas to customize your next loaf. From sweet options like Chocolate Sourdough Bread and Lemon Blueberry Sourdough Bread to savory flavors like Hot Honey Sourdough Bread there are endless options.

Why you’ll love this recipe

• Flexible timeline: Bake it start to finish the same day, or let it ferment overnight in the fridge and bake when you’re ready.
• No leaking: This new and improved version doesn’t leak, so all that flavor stays right where it belongs.
• No gapping: I tested this recipe multiple times to eliminate those frustrating gaps around the cinnamon layers, so each slice holds together beautifully and stays intact.
• Buttery layers: Inspired by Texas Roadhouse cinnamon honey butter, this loaf folds that sweet, buttery flavor into every single layer. If you love this, you’ll want to try my White Chocolate Almond Sourdough Bread too.

Ingredients for Cinnamon Honey Butter Sourdough Bread

• Bread Flour – Flour with a higher protein content, like bread flour, is ideal for sourdough bread. You can also use unbleached all-purpose flour, but I recommend reducing the water by 25 grams.
• Active Sourdough Starter – An active sourdough starter refers to a starter that was recently fed and is bubbly and doubled in size.
• Cinnamon – Ground cinnamon adds a warm flavor to the filling. If you love bold cinnamon bakes, be sure to add my Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls to your baking list next.
• Honey – The dough and filling is sweetened with honey. In the dough, you can replace the honey with 50 grams of granulated sugar.
• Butter – I prefer a salted butter but you can also use unsalted. For a dairy-free option, you can use plant-based butter.

See the recipe card for measurements.

How to make Cinnamon Honey Butter Sourdough Bread

Feed Sourdough Starter

About 4 hours before making the loaf, feed your sourdough starter a 1:1:1 ratio (50 grams starter: 50 grams flour: 50 grams water). Cover and let it rest at 77–80°F until bubbly and doubled in size.

If you don’t have extra starter, add an extra 5–10 grams to each portion so you have enough to bake with and still keep your starter going.

Note: If you want to start the loaf in the morning, you can feed your starter a 1:5:5 ratio (15 grams active sourdough starter, 70 grams flour, 70 grams water) the night before and leave for about 10 hours at 72℉.

Make Bread

Mix dough: In a 2-quart straight-sided container or a medium clear bowl, mix water, sourdough starter, honey, salt, and bread flour with your hands, danish dough whisk, or a spoon until all the ingredients are well incorporated about 1-2 minutes. Cover and let rest for 30 minutes in a warm spot.

To follow the suggested timing, keep the dough temperature at 75°F.

Stretch and folds: Perform 3 sets of stretch and folds with a 30-minute rest in between each set.

To stretch and fold the dough, grab one side with a damp hand and gently shimmy the dough up, and then fold it on top of itself. Repeat this 3 more times, rotating the bowl 90 degrees each time.

Cover and keep the dough warm between each set.

First rise: Let the dough rest on the counter in a warm spot to finish bulk fermentation. Bulk fermentation is done when the dough is jiggly, domed on top, bubbly on the sides, and risen 50%. If it does not show these signs, continue to let the dough rise.

At a dough temperature of 75ºF, my dough is ready about 4 hours after mixing the dough.

Make filling: In a bowl, mix the room temperature butter, honey, powdered sugar, cinnamon, and flour until smooth and fully combined. If the butter isn’t incorporating easily, microwave the mixture for about 5 seconds to soften it slightly. It should be soft, not melted.

Shaping

Prep basket: Lightly flour an 8–10-inch oval proofing basket with all-purpose flour or rice flour. If you don’t have an oval proofing basket, line a loaf pan with a lightly floured tea towel.

Shape dough: Turn the dough out onto an unfloured surface and gently stretch it into a 12 x 9-inch rectangle. Spread half of the filling evenly over the dough. Fold the bottom third of the dough up toward the center. Then fold the top third down so the edges meet in the middle, like folding a letter. Spread the remaining filling over the folded dough. Starting from one short end, roll the dough up somewhat tightly into a log.

Second Rise & Bake

Add to basket: Pinch the sides closed to seal, then place the dough seam side up into a proofing basket. Cover.

Final rise same-day (option 1): Let the dough rest on the counter for 1–2 hours at 75°F.

To check for readiness, perform the poke test: gently press the dough with a lightly floured finger. If the indentation slowly springs back, it’s properly proofed and ready to bake. If it bounces back right away, it needs more time. If the indentation doesn’t spring back at all, the dough is overproofed and should be baked right away.

Once the dough is ready, place it in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.

Final rise overnight (option 2): Place the dough in the fridge overnight for 8-12 hours until ready to bake. No need to test if the dough is ready, just bake it straight from the fridge.

Score: Place a piece of parchment paper or a silicone bread sling over the top of the basket. Flip the dough out onto your surface and remove the basket.

Using a bread lame or a sharp knife held at about a 45-degree angle, quickly score one long slash along the length of the loaf.

Bake: Transfer the dough to the 425℉ preheated Dutch oven and cover with the lid. Bake for 40 minutes. Remove the lid and continue baking for an additional 10 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown. The loaf is done when the internal temperature reaches 205°F.

Cool: Place the loaf on a cooling rack and let cool for at least 30 minutes before cutting.

Make cinnamon honey butter: If desired, make an extra batch of cinnamon honey butter to serve with the bread. In a bowl, mix softened butter with the remaining ingredients until smooth and creamy.

Sample Baking Schedule

This is based on the dough temperature being at 75°F when on the counter, although timing can vary so make sure to watch the dough, not the clock.

Same-day method

Overnight method

Recipe Updates

This recipe was updated on 2/21/26. Here’s what changed:

1. No More Butter Leakage
The amount of butter in the filling was reduced by half and an additional tablespoon of flour was added to help keep the cinnamon honey butter contained inside the loaf while baking.

2. Updated to a Same-Day Recipe
This recipe was originally developed using my overnight sourdough bread base. It has now been updated to include a same-day option for more flexibility. You can still use the overnight sourdough bread method if preferred by reducing the amount of starter to 50 grams.

3. Lower Oven Temperature
The baking temperature was reduced from 450°F to 425°F and the bake time was slightly extended to prevent over-browning and ensure even baking throughout.

Frequently Asked Questions