If you are looking for a true Sourdough Dinner Roll that uses no commercial yeast but is just as soft and fluffy as the rest of them, you are in the right place! These soft, buttery, pull-apart rolls are naturally-leavened and long-fermented using active, bubbly sourdough starter. Make a double batch because these will disappear so fast!
Recipe Background and Details
Rolls are the star of the holiday table in our home, just ask my kids. They are a must for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and plenty of times in between. I've had the urge to create a true sourdough dinner roll for a couple years and I really had no idea how I'd make them soft and fluffy the way my family loves. Well, I did it! I actually couldn't believe how soft they turned out. And those little fermentation blisters just make my heart sing.
The holidays would also not be complete without my Pull Apart Lobster Sliders and these homemade rolls are the perfect way to upgrade them from store bought!
If you are just getting started with sourdough, be sure to check out my How to Make a Sourdough Starter post for lots of info. And If you are looking for a quick dinner roll that uses sourdough starter, head over to my Sourdough Discard Dinner Rolls post.
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Ingredients
You will just need a few simple pantry staples to make these soft sourdough dinner rolls.
- sourdough starter: active and bubbly - this recipe was developed with a 1:1:1 ratio starter. If you want to use discard, make my Sourdough Discard Dinner Rolls.
- milk: I prefer whole milk or reconstituted buttermilk powder but you can use your preferred milk or even water for a less rich dough.
- honey: or your natural sweetener of choice.
- egg: I love the texture the egg gives this dough but you can omit the egg and add a splash more of liquid if you want to make these rolls egg-free.
- bread flour: I prefer these with bread flour but all purpose will work.
- salt: I test all of my recipes with Diamond Crystal Kosher salt. See recipe notes for conversion info.
- butter: I almost always use salted but you can use unsalted or use your preferred oil or fat - just make sure it is either in liquid form or very soft room temperature.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
I use a mixer to bring this dough together which makes this very hands-off like most of my sourdough recipes. See recipe notes for how to make without a mixer. Even when I use the mixer, I do like to perform a few stretch and folds if I have time, but this step is optional and the rolls will turn out great if you simply don't want to fuss with it. Trust me, I've been there!
1: Combine wet ingredients in mixer bowl and stir to combine.
2: Add dry ingredients and butter.
3: Mix with dough hook until a soft dough forms.
4: optional stretch and folds every 30 minutes for 2 hours.
5: let dough bulk ferment until doubled in size (I do this overnight).
6: Divide dough into equal portions - I like 15.
7: roll dough balls on surface in a circular motion. Push away with your thumb.
8: And pull back with your fingers to create tension in the dough and to form a ball.
9: Place rolls in greased 9x13 baking dish.
10: Let rise until puffy, light, and doubled in size
Hint: This dough can be a little sticky to roll into balls - don't use flour! It just makes things slippery. I have found that either damp or lightly oiled hands work the best to keep this dough from sticking to your hands and/or the work surface while you roll the dough balls.
Can I Make This Recipe Without a Stand Mixer?
Don't have a stand mixer? No worries - just mix the dough ingredients up with a wooden spoon or dough whisk until a soft, sticky dough forms. Cover and proceed with the bulk ferment and perform stretch and folds or coil folds every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours. Since you did not knead the dough in the stand mixer, the stretch and folds are necessary to develop the glutens.
Storage
Once cooled, these rolls will keep well at room temperature for about 3 days if stored in an airtight container or bag.
Sourdough dinner rolls also freeze really well (I have a freezer FULL of them after developing this recipe). Just wrap them really well with plastic or foil and store them in a freezer bag to prevent freezer-burn and/or drying out. I plan to use my freezer stash to make my Sourdough Stuffing and Pull Apart Lobster Rolls for the holidays.
Top Tips
To get that perfectly soft dinner roll texture, you must, must use a very active starter and you must, must, must let them rise until doubled and super puffy - see photos in blog post for reference. In a cool kitchen that could take several hours so be patient or speed it up in a warm spot.
FAQ
Yes! If your kitchen is cool (around 68-70 degrees) overnight, this is the perfect temperature for an overnight bulk rise for most sourdough recipes. I love using this little time-saver to let the dough do it's thing while I sleep. Then the dough is ready for me the next day.
more sourdough recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
- Sourdough Peach Cobbler
- Triple Lemon Sourdough Scones
- Sourdough Discard Waffles
- Sourdough Discard Blondies
Sourdough Dinner Rolls Recipe
If you are looking for a true Sourdough Dinner Roll that uses no commercial yeast but is just as soft and fluffy as the rest of them, you are in the right place! These soft, buttery, pull-apart rolls are naturally-leavened and long-fermented using active, bubbly sourdough starter. Make a double batch because these will disappear so fast!
- Total Time: about 18 hours
- Yield: 15 rolls
Ingredients
113 grams active, bubbly sourdough starter (½ cup)
187 grams milk (¾ cup)
2 tablespoons honey
1 large egg
390 grams bread flour (3 ¼ cups)
3-5 grams (1 teaspoon) kosher salt*
56 grams butter (4 tablespoons), soft room temperature or melted and cooled
Instructions
Stand Mixer Instructions:
- Add milk, sourdough starter, honey and egg to stand mixer and stir to combine. Next add flour, salt, and butter.
- With dough hook, begin mixing on speed 1 for a few minutes until the dough comes together. Scrape sides and increase speed to 2 for 8-10 more minutes. This is meant to be quite a sticky dough - this is what results in a soft, fluffy roll.
- After 10 minutes of kneading, scrape sides and bottom and cover the bowl with a damp towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise until doubled. I like to do this overnight. Optional: for the first two hours of the bulk rise, perform stretch and folds every 30 minutes and then leave the dough to rise overnight or until doubled.
- When dough has doubled, proceed with shaping the rolls.
- To shape rolls, dump dough onto work surface and divide into 15 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a tight ball and place into a greased and lined 9x13 inch pan. I like to line with parchment so I can easily remove all of the rolls in one piece.
- Cover and allow to rise until doubled and very puffy. This can take anywhere from 2-6 hours depending on your starter and the temperature of your kitchen so be patient and plan ahead. I like to place mine in my oven with the light turned on to speed it up just a bit.
- Once rolls have doubled in size, bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush with melted butter if desired.
Notes
To get that perfectly soft dinner roll texture, you must, must use a very active starter and you must, must, must let them rise until doubled and super puffy - see photos in blog post for reference. In a cool kitchen that could take several hours so be patient or speed it up in a warm spot.
Don't have a stand mixer? No worries - just mix the dough ingredients up with a wooden spoon or dough whisk until a soft, sticky dough forms. Cover and proceed with the bulk ferment and perform stretch and folds or coil folds every 30 minutes for the first 2 hours. Since you did not knead the dough in the stand mixer, the stretch and folds are necessary to develop gluten and build structure in the dough.
Once dough has doubled in size (first rise), you can place it in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours for a more tangy sourdough flavor. This is also a nice make ahead option to help this recipe fit into your schedule. Alternatively, you can shape the rolls, cover and refrigerate overnight, and let the rolls rise at room temperature the next day. Keep in mind the rising time will be longer if you are starting with cold dough.
A note on salt: I use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt which weighs 3 grams per teaspoon. Different brands have different weights. This salt conversion chart is a good tool if you are using a different type of salt. A little more or less will not hurt these rolls, but a lot more will. So just double check.
- Prep Time: 2 hours plus rising
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: sourdough
- Method: sourdough, baking
- Cuisine: American
Sharon says
My dough was much stickier (looking) than what you show in your photo. I turned it out onto my counter (unfloured), and it stuck like crazy, so I had to lightly flour it. I did use oil to roll, but also saw that you suggested oil on the counter as well? Anyway, I guess my real question has to do with the difference of stickiness of the dough after the first rise. I live at 5000 feet. Can you suggest any changes I might need to make for that altitude? It did double overnight and is rising well in the dish so far. Thank you!
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Sharon! This is a pretty sticky dough but if it feels overly sticky next time you can always add a bit more flour or knead it longer to develop more gluten. I like to use wet hands or a bit of oil to roll most of my rolls and I roll them on a marble slab or straight on soapstone counters. If flour works better for you then feel free to use it - I imagine flour might be best on a wooden surface so I will add a note to the recipe. Another tip is to shape the rolls when the dough is cold. I'll add that note as well as it really makes a sticky dough much easier to work with. As far as high altitude tips, I'm afraid I don't have any experience there. I am at about 650 feet here in Virginia. I'm glad they are rising well for you! I hope they bake up beautifully! Let me know if you have any other questions. - Anita
Sharon says
Thanks for the tips. How long do I leave it on the pan before removing? They came out amazing so far.
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Sharon! I am so happy to read this! Thanks for the kind review and rating. You can remove them to a cooling rack after 20 minutes or so (but don't worry if they've been sitting there longer!). Thanks again! - Anita
Hailey says
Can you make them in one day?
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Hailey. If your starter is very active and your kitchen is warm, probably. You'd have to start them very early though. A better option is to do the first rise (bulk ferment) overnight at room temp and then shape and rise the rolls the next morning. I also have a quick discard version of this recipe that uses a bit of yeast and those are done in just a couple hours. Let me know if you have any other questions. Thanks - Anita
Savannah says
Trying these out today! I doubled the recipe but the dough isn't sticky it's just a nice dough!
Will this be a problem?
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Savannah! No it will not be a problem at all. Just be sure they rise until really soft and puffy before baking. I'm excited for you to try them! Thanks! - Anita
Tabitha Hemperly says
Hi! Can you use AP flour for this recipe?
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi! Yes you can. 🙂
Elisabeth Miller says
Hi there - when you put in the fridge after 2nd rise, do you bake straight from fridge or bring to room temp? Can’t wait to try these!
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Elisabeth! It is best to refrigerate the dough before shaping and then do the final rise at room temp and bake right away. Alternatively, you can place the shaped rolls in the refrigerator overnight and then do the final rise at room temperature the next day. Just keep in mind the rising time will be a bit longer when the dough is cold from the refrigerator. Let me know if you have any other questions! I'm excited for you to try these!
Jack says
Hi! I’m hoping to make these rolls for thanksgiving this year but want to prep them before hand. Is there any way that I can freeze and store these before hand? I’m not sure how it works when it comes to proofing. Hope you can help!
anita | wild thistle kitchen says
Hi Jack! Yes, bread and roll dough freezes really well! I'm not sure if you've ever had the frozen Rhodes rolls sold at most supermarkets, but it's pretty much the same idea. After you shape the rolls and before the second rise, freeze them in a single layer - not touching each other. Once frozen solid, you can transfer them to freezer bags. The night before you want to bake, arrange them in your baking pan, cover, and let thaw in the refrigerator overnight. The next morning pull the pan out of the refrigerator and let the rolls rise until puffy before baking. Since they will be cold, make sure you give yourself plenty of time for that second rise. If you want to do a test, you can pull out just a roll or two and try this method out before the big day just so you will know how long that second rise will take. Please let me know if you have any other questions! I'm always here to help. - Anita