This recipe is adapted from the Sourdough King Cake recipe on the Sourdough Home site. If you don’t make it too sweet, it is lovely and satisfying for breakfast. Consider doubling the recipe and putting half the dough in the freezer after rising. I found the dough even silkier and easier to work with after freezing and thawing.

Ingredients:
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 8 oz sour cream
  • 3 tablespoons or 1.5 oz sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 ice cube
  • 3/8 cup or 3 oz active sourdough starter
  • 1 egg
  • 3 scant cups flour
Instructions:
  • In a small pot or skillet over medium heat, combine the butter, sour cream, sugar, and salt, stirring until the butter is melted.
  • Remove from heat and add the ice cube.
  • Stir, and let the mixture cool to 100 to 105F.
  • Pour the starter into a medium to large glass bowl.
  • Break in the egg and combine well.
  • Add 1 cup of the flour and the cooled butter/sour cream mixture, and combine.
  • Once this comes together (thoroughly wet), add about 2 more cups of flour, one cup at a time. You want a soft, pliable dough. If you don’t need all the flour for this, don’t add it. If you think you need more, just work in a sprinkle at a time.
  • With clean hands, knead for about 2 minutes right in the bowl.
  • Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and give it a couple of minutes to rest.
  • Knead dough another 10 minutes or so. (Take a break if the dough or your hands stiffen.) Add more of the flour if needed; you want the dough to be soft, pliable, and smooth.
  • Form the dough into a ball and place into an oiled bowl (coconut oil is a great choice), turning the dough ball to cover it with oil.
  • Cover the bowl and allow the dough to rise until doubled. How long this will take will depend on your starter and the temperature of the area where the dough will be rising. If you want flexibility in baking time, you can pop your dough (covered well to prevent drying) into the fridge to delay rising (as they say, “to retard" the rise of the dough). Take it out at least a couple of hours before you want to start work again, and place it in a relatively warm spot until it has risen. You can also refrigerate after rising, but let it warm before working it again.
While the dough is rising, you can prepare a filling, such as option 1 or 2 below. (Or invent your own—just remember that wet fillings are likely to leak out a bit.)

Option 1: Cinnamon Sugar Filling
  • 1/4 cup or more sugar
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • optional: 1/4-1/2 cup soaked and drained raisins/dried apples/cherries, chopped nuts, other spices or cocoa (as you like it!)
  • 2.5 to 3 tablespoons melted butter
Combine the sugar and spice and set this mixture aside until cake has risen, along with the melted butter, and any fruit/nuts.

Option 2: Cream Cheese Filling
  • 1 8-oz package cream cheese
  • up to 1 cup sugar (if you are aiming for a sweet treat)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • optional: add chopped fresh fruit, soaked dried fruit, 1/2 can of pie filling, or fruit preserves to the cream cheese mixture
  • 2.5 to 3 tablespoons melted butter
Cream together all ingredients except the melted butter, and set aside until cake has risen.

Cake Instructions, continued:
  • Once the dough has doubled, punch it down.
  • If you have doubled the recipe, divide it in half at this point. (Half can go in the freezer—just bring it back to room temperature before proceeding with recipe.)
  • Place dough onto a lightly floured work surface and gently roll it out to about 28" by 10".
  • Spread the reserved melted butter on the rectangle of dough.
  • If you are using the cinnamon sugar filling, then spread it out over the buttered dough.
  • If you are using another filling, then apply your preferred filling over the buttered dough.
  • Roll the dough from the long side like a jelly roll and form the roll into a ring, making sure the edge is down so that the seam won’t show.
  • Moisten and pinch the edges to seal them (and keep filling/moisture in).
  • Cover the cake and allow it to rise in a warm place for an hour or so
  • Optional: before baking, brush the cake with melted butter, or decorate with nuts or dried/candied fruit. If decorating, make and dampen small incisions beneath each decorative piece, or brush first with an egg wash, and/or keep butter away from these spots.
  • Bake 16 to 20 minutes in a 375F oven until the cake is golden.
  • Optional: cake can be frosted after cooling.
Enjoy this! It is very popular in my house. Well covered, it stays moist and delicious for several days (if you can keep it that long).