Ingredients
113 grams active, bubbly sourdough starter (1/2 cup)
187 grams milk (3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons honey
1 large egg
390 grams bread flour (3 1/4 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