Heart-Shaped Braided Sourdough Cinnamon Pastry
By Kristen

This heart-shaped braided sourdough cinnamon pastry is the ideal addition to your special occasion and is so much fun to make! Whether it’s Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or another special day you want to say I love you, this is the perfect recipe. Using our favorite cinnamon roll recipe, we turn our rolls into the perfect sweetheart cinnamon rolls with this heart shape!
Throw this together last minute by tossing all ingredients in your stand mixer and skipping the overnight rise.
What You’ll Need
- Dough Ingredients:
- ⅔ cup active sourdough starter
- 4 cups bread flour
- ½ cup room temperature, milk or filtered water
- 8 tablespoons salted or unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda (optional – see instructions)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (optional – see instructions)
- Filling Ingredients:
- 1 stick softened room temperature butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- Glaze Ingredients:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons milk or cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
SUBSTITUTES
- Butter – can be substituted with coconut oil.
- Water – can be substituted with any milk.
- Maple Syrup – honey works great as well. I have mixed maple syrup and honey if I do not have enough of each ingredient. I’ve also used corn syrup when I haven’t had anything else (I do not prefer corn syrup and it does not give it the same sweet, flavorful taste, but it works).
- All-Purpose Flour – bread flour will also work. Freshly milled wheat is always enjoyable and gives you that whole wheat flour.
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
- Stand Mixer with a large mixing bowl and dough hook
- Rolling Pin
- Parchment paper
- Baking sheet
Heart-Shaped Braided Sourdough Cinnamon Pastry Instructions
The Night Before
- Prepare the dough:
- In a bowl of a stand mixer, on low/medium speed, combine the active sourdough starter, flour, water, melted butter, maple syrup (or honey), and salt with a dough hook attachment.
- Mix for about 20-25 minutes. You want to be able to slightly stretch your dough out without it ripping apart or being sticky.
- Let your dough rest in your mixer and set it in a warm place through the night for your overnight bulk rise. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and put in a warm spot.
- Dough should double through the night if you are using an active sourdough starter.
The Next Day/Next Morning
- Finish preparing your dough:
- (Optional if your dough rises well overnight – you can skip this step if your dough doubles or more than doubles through the night) (Also use this step if you are making last minute, throw together cinnamon rolls) Add your baking powder and baking soda to your dough with your dough hook attachment. Bring your dough back to a stretchy, non-sticky dough ball.
- Prepare your oven and work surface:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C)
- Clean and flour your surface to roll your dough out on.
- Prepare the filling:
- In a small bowl, mix the softened butter, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon until well combined. Set aside.
- Prepare your dough and fill your pastry:
- Transfer your dough to your floured surface.
- Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.
- Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the dough.
- Fold your dough over to the other side. Roll it out carefully to a rectangle again.




Braid Your Dough & Assemble Into the Shape of a Heart
- To make your heart shape you will take your bread dough with the cinnamon filling and fold your dough over to the other side. Roll it out carefully to a rectangle again.
- Take a pizza cutter, bench knife, or sharp knife, and from the top of the dough (long side) cut the dough down the middle. Then cut each side into 3 pieces, making 6 long pieces of pastry dough.
- Fold each piece of dough and then turn on its side.
- Start at one long end, gather three pieces of dough, gently pinch or twist the 3 ends bringing them together, and then begin your braid. To braid your dough, take the middle piece and bring it over the right piece, then grab the new middle piece and bring it over the left piece, grab the new middle piece and bring it over the right piece, and so on. Continue until you finish. Pinch or gently wrap your ends together. After you have braided one side, repeat that process on the other 3 pieces of dough.
- Transfer your two braids to your baking sheet and shape them into a heart, gently wrapping and pinching them together.












- Bake Your Heart-Shaped Cinnamon Pastry:
- Once the heart has slightly risen, bake it in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, let it cool, then gently begin to remove the cinnamon filling that came out during the baking. Before glazing, I gently transfer my pastry to a new parchment paper or dish.
- Add your glaze.


How to Store
Store in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap on the counter.

Heart-Shaped Braided Sourdough Cinnamon Pastry
This braided sourdough cinnamon pastry is the ideal addition to your special occasion and is so much fun to make! Whether it’s Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or another special day that you would like to say I love you, this is the perfect recipe.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with a Large Mixing Bowl and Dough Hook
- Rolling Pin
- Parchment Paper
- Baking Sheet
Ingredients
Dough Ingredients
- ⅔ cup active sourdough starter
- 4 cups bread flour
- ½ cup room temperature milk filtered water
- 8 tablespoons salted or unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda optional – see instructions
- 1 teaspoon baking powder optional – see instructions
Filling Ingredients
- 1 stick softened room temperature butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Glaze Ingredients
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 4 tablespoons milk or cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
The Night Before
- In a bowl of a stand mixer, on low/medium speed, combine the active sourdough starter, flour, water, melted butter, maple syrup (or honey), and salt with a dough hook attachment.
- Mix for about 20-30 minutes. You want to be able to slightly stretch your dough out without it ripping apart or being sticky.
- Let your dough rest in your mixer and set it in a warm place through the night for your overnight bulk rise. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp towel and put in a warm spot.
- Dough should double through the night if you are using an active sourdough starter.
The Next Day/Next Morning
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C)
- Clean and flour your surface to roll your dough out on.
- In a small bowl, mix the softened butter, brown sugar, and ground cinnamon until well combined. Set aside.
- Transfer your dough to your floured surface.
- Roll the dough out into a large rectangle, about 1/4 inch thick.
- Spread the cinnamon filling evenly over the dough.
- Fold your dough over to the other side. Roll it out carefully to a rectangle again.
Braid Your Dough & Assemble Into the Shape of a Heart
- To make your heart shape you will take your bread dough with the cinnamon filling and fold your dough over to the other side. Roll it out carefully to a rectangle again.
- Take a pizza cutter, bench knife, or sharp knife, and from the top of the dough (long side) cut the dough down the middle. Then cut each side into 3 pieces, making 6 long pieces of pastry dough.
- Fold each piece of dough and then turn on its side.
- Start at one long end, gather three pieces of dough, gently pinch or twist the 3 ends bringing them together, and then begin your braid. To braid your dough (also see photos), take the middle piece and bring it over the right piece, then grab the new middle piece and bring it over the left piece, grab the new middle and bring it over the right piece, and so on. Continue until you finish. Pinch or gently wrap your ends together. After you have braided one side, repeat that process on the other 3 pieces of dough.
- Transfer your two braids to your baking sheet and shape them into a heart, gently wrapping and pinching them together.
Bake Your Heart-Shaped Cinnamon Pastry
- Once the heart has slightly risen, bake it in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, let it cool, then gently begin to remove the cinnamon filling that came out during the baking. Before glazing, I gently transfer my pastry to a new parchment paper or dish.
- Add your glaze.
How to Store
- Store in an airtight container or covered with plastic wrap on the counter.
This is perfect for Valentine’s Day! I can’t wait to make it for my family!
Thank you, Emily! Our kids have loved this heart shape for Valentine’s Day, and I hope you and your family love it, too!