Sourdough Dinner Rolls Recipe
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This sourdough dinner roll recipe will be your go to recipe over the holiday season! Squishy, soft, slightly sweet centres surrounded by a soft, golden crust. It might just be the perfect sourdough recipe! They will become a staple at your house (especially if you have kids who like soft squishy bread, rather than crusty sourdough bread) ... and you totally don't have to keep them for the holidays!
Why You'll Love This Recipe!
Super Soft - these sourdough dinner rolls are super soft, and just a little bit sweet. They are truly the most delicious dinner rolls you'll ever eat, with no commercial yeast in sight.
Choose Your Size - You can choose to make these sourdough dinner rolls whatever size you'd like. I find that this recipe makes around 12 rolls at 80g (I use a scale to ensure all the dough balls are all the same size). Alternatively, you could make 18 rolls at 50g.
No Eggs - unlike many sourdough dinner roll recipes, this recipe doesn't use eggs in the dough or as an egg wash on the top of the rolls. This is great if you have egg allergies.
Ingredients
- Whole Milk - I've tested this recipe with whole milk and 2% and it works equally as well. You can also substitute buttermilk.
- Water - room temperature water is best.
- Sugar - You can reduce the sugar if you want to but it will change the composition and flavor of the rolls. They are meant to have a slight sweetness to them. If you're looking for a sweeter roll, try these sourdough Hawaiian rolls.
- Salt
- All Purpose Flour - You can use bread flour for this recipe, but all purpose is better. You'll get a softer roll as the protein content is generally lower. They will still be soft if you use bread flour, but will have a slight chew to the bite. If you want to use whole wheat flour, I recommend using this recipe for whole wheat sourdough dinner rolls.
- Sourdough Starter - You'll need active, bubbly sourdough starter to make this recipe.
- Butter - I've used salted butter, melted and cooled.
How To Make Sourdough Dinner Rolls
Let's see how easy it is to make these sourdough dinner rolls with active sourdough starter! I've used a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment to create soft and fluffy dinner rolls, but you can absolutely knead this by hand if you prefer. These soft sourdough dinner rolls have been created using parts of my sourdough sandwich bread - it's another soft sourdough recipe you might enjoy.
Mix the milk, melted butter, warm water, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer until smooth, then add the flour and active sourdough starter. Knead with a dough hook until the dough is silky, slightly tacky, and pulls away from the bowl—about 3 to 8 minutes depending on your mixer. Cover and let it rise at room temperature until just under doubled. Since this is an enriched dough, be patient—it takes longer than a regular sourdough loaf.
Turn the dough out, divide into 12 equal pieces (a kitchen scale helps), and gently shape into balls. Create surface tension on each of the dough balls by rolling them in a circular motion on the counter top. Arrange them in a parchment-lined baking pan or greased dish so they’re just touching.
Cover and set them aside for the second rise (this can take quite a while given that it's an enriched dough). Spray with water, then bake at 180°C (350°F) for 25 to 30 minutes or until golden brown. For a soft, shiny finish, brush with melted butter while still warm, then let cool slightly before serving.
You might also like to try these sourdough buttered knot rolls, sourdough discard rolls or these sourdough skillet rolls with honey thyme butter. If you prefer a burger bun, try these sourdough discard hamburger rolls.
Kate's Recipe Tips
- Do not add extra flour, just keep kneading until it comes together. Extra flour will alter the texture of the cooked rolls.
- These rolls work in a square or round pan - even a spring form tin, depending on how you want them to look. If baking in a pan, place some parchment paper inside to stop them sticking. If I cook them in a baking dish, I generally just oil the dish.
- If your rolls aren't quite finished their bulk fermentation, place them into a cold oven set to 180C (350F) and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.
Baking Timeline for Sourdough Dinner Rolls
This recipe has 100g of active sourdough starter - you can reduce the amount of starter if you wish to ferment the rolls overnight. I don't recommend increasing the amount of starter as it will make the dough too sticky.
The dough is an enriched dough so it will take longer to ferment than a lean dough. It's perfectly safe to ferment them overnight with milk in the dough. Read more about creating a sourdough baking timeline.
Here's a sample timeline to help you manage your bake:
| TIME | PROCESS |
|---|---|
| DAY 1 | |
| 1pm | Feed your sourdough starter. |
| 8pm | Mix and knead the dough. |
| 9pm | Bulk ferment the dough at room temperature overnight (remember this is enriched dough so it will take a while to bulk ferment). |
| DAY 2 | |
| 7am | Shape the rolls and allow them to proof for a few hours before you bake them. Remember you want them to be light and puffy. |
| 11am | Bake the Soft Sourdough Dinner Rolls for around 30 minutes. |
Serving Ideas for Soft Sourdough Dinner Rolls
These squishy sourdough dinner rolls are perfect just on their own - seriously try not to eat them all at once! They will be the stars of your Thanksgiving table, alongside some of these other sourdough Thanksgiving recipes!
But just in case you need some inspiration, these are some of the ways that we use them in our home:
- Fill with good quality deli ham and Swiss cheese for a quick easy breakfast or lunch.
- Instead of plain butter, brush them with whipped herb butter after baking and serve with your fave Italian dish. Whipped honey cinnamon butter is also delicious!
- Perfect accompaniment to your favorite soup.
- Serve instead of sourdough tortillas or taco shells next time you make pulled pork.
When serving them at the table, I like to place a linen cloth or tea towel into a basket, pop the buns in it and then cover them with the cloth to keep them warm. You could even place a wheat pack that's been heated in the microwave in the bottom of the basket before placing the cloth on top. This will keep the rolls soft and warm.
How to Store and Freeze
Room Temperature - Store these sourdough dinner rolls in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. They won't be super fresh after the first 24 hours but you can warm them a little in the microwave to freshen them up.
Freezing - These sourdough dinner rolls freeze really well. Place the cooled rolls into a ziplock bag (I prefer not to pull them apart if I'm going to freeze them). Seal the bag and place into the freezer.
When you're ready to use the rolls, allow them to thaw on the counter in the ziplock bag. If you want to serve them warm, wrap the thawed rolls in aluminum foil and place into a warm oven for around 20 minutes. You can brush with melted butter just before you serve if you want to. Once warm, pull them apart.
Frequently Asked Questions
Like any sourdough, the bulk fermentation time will vary depending on the strength of your sourdough starter, the temperature of your kitchen and the amount of starter you use in the dough. Because the dough has milk and butter, it is considered an enriched dough which means it will take longer to ferment than a lean dough. My best tip is to practice making these ahead of time so you can create a baking timeline that works for you - that way you won't be stressed if you're making these for a special occasion like Christmas or Thanksgiving.
You can add yeast to these if you would like a faster dinner roll. You will still get lovely soft rolls, but they will not have the tangy sourdough taste as they will not be fermented for long enough.
Yes, you can shape the sourdough dinner rolls and then place them into the refrigerator. When you're ready to bake, you'll need to take them out of the fridge and then allow them to do their second rise before you bake them. They must be soft and puffy before you bake them or they will be gummy and dense.
Sourdough Dinner Rolls
Video
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Digital Scales
- Baking Pan or Dish (9" x 13")
Ingredients
- 200 g Milk (whole milk, warm)
- 50 g Butter (melted)
- 80 g Water
- 40 g Granulated Sugar
- 10 g Salt
- 500 g All Purpose Flour (see notes for using Bread Flour)
- 100 g Sourdough Starter (active, fed and bubbly)
Instructions
- Add the milk, melted butter, water, sugar and salt to the bowl of your stand mixer. Mix the ingredients together using the whisk attachment so that the sugar and salt are dissolved and the butter is mixed through the milk. It won't take long, like 30 seconds - you just don't want gritty sugar and salt through your dough.
- Now add your flour and sourdough starter to the liquid in the bowl. Mix the flour and sourdough starter through the liquid so it just comes together into a dry dough (you'll need to swap to your dough hook attachment for this part, use your mixer on speed 2). Leave the dough to rest for around 30 minutes.
- Now knead the dough using your stand mixer until it forms a silky, slightly tacky dough. The dough is enriched with butter and milk so will be glossy. It will generally come away from the sides of the bowl when it's done. It can take anywhere from 3 to 5 minutes depending on the type of stand mixer you're using. I use speed 1 on my KitchenAid for this step.
- Bulk Ferment:Once the dough is sufficiently kneaded you need to let it ferment and rise. You can leave it in your stand mixer bowl for this (saves washing up) or you can transfer it to another bowl if you like. Cover the bowl with plastic or a damp dish towel and let it bulk ferment at room temperature. As always, the time it takes will depend on your starter and the temperature in your home. You want it to come to just under double.This is an enriched dough and will take a lot longer to bulk ferment than regular lean sourdough.
- Once your dough has risen you need to shape it into rolls. This recipe will give you 12 rolls around 80g in weight.To shape the dough, tip it onto your counter (you won't need flour as it won't be a sticky dough). Using a metal dough scraper, cut the dough into 12 pieces. I like to use a scale to ensure that all the pieces are exactly the same. Gently shape each piece of dough into a round ball. Arrange the dough balls into a parchment lined pan or baking dish (see notes for other options). They need to be just touching each other in the pan. You could also choose to bake these as individual rolls (space them further apart on a baking tray).
- Second Rise:Cover the pan with a dish towel and allow the rolls to double in size. They will look puffy and squished - this is good! It will generally take around 2 hours for them to double - but of course will take longer if your house is cold (ideally you want to put them some place warm).
- Baking The Rolls:Preheat your oven to 180C (350C)Once the oven is warm and the rolls have doubled, spray the rolls liberally with water.Place the rolls into the oven and bake at 180C (350F) for around 30 minutes. You'll know they're done when they are golden on top. Don't let them brown too much though or the crust will be too tough.Take them out of the oven and brush immediately with melted butter (this is completely optional but it makes the sourdough dinner rolls lovely and soft).Allow them cool on a wire rack for around 10 minutes before pulling apart and enjoying!
Notes
Nutrition
What are your thoughts on using Milk Kefir with this recipe?
I plan to try milk kefir with this recipe in the future! This recipe was so successful with regular milk that I would not be timid to try a batch of my milk kefir.
I've never tried these sourdough dinner rolls with milk kefir but you definitely could try. I have made sourdough bread with whey, so similar process 🙂
Hi,
I am making these for a second time and I don’t remember the consistency of my dough the first time but this time seems very very tacky and liquidy. I added a bit more flour (2 tablespoons maybe) and it helped a little but it still looks like a puddle and not dough. I think I kneaded for nearly 10 minutes. House was around 70 maybe less. I’m in the bulk ferment stage and hoping they work for tomorrow. Any idea the issue? I had active starter, I measured with a scale.
Thank you for helping
These rolls are terrific! My gas oven must run a bit cool, and I will allow them to really puff up before baking. I am supplying 2 dozen rolls for Christmas day, and I plan to keep a couple of dozen in reserve!
Could you use latctose free whole milk?
That should work, Iris!
What size baking pan please?
When these work they are the most incredible rolls. I have now made them 6 times nothing really changed starter was happy and fed. So I'm not sure what happens when the dough just doesn't pull itself together, won't rise and come out like bricks. 4 out 6 attempts aren't bad odds but sucks especially with Grocery prices going up I don't want to waste the butter. milk or flour.
I made a loaf of bread and rolls out of this and they were beautiful! I uses half and half instead of milk and honey instead of sugar. I couldn't believe how gorgeous and soft the bread was!
YAY! Thank you so much for your review! I LOVE that you love this recipe! Enjoy your delicious rolls 🙂 xo
Do these yummy sourdough rolls freeze well?
Absolutely they do 🙂 There are instructions for freezing the rolls in the post above 🙂
Oh my! I made these rolls last week. Perfection!
Yesterday I mixed the dough and after kneading I put it in the fridge overnight.
I took it out this morning and cut the dough in half. Shaped into two baguettes. Left it to rise several hours. Baked on an open baking sheet at 350F for about 40 minutes. Beautiful, soft, and slightly crispy crust since I didn’t rub with butter after.
These were so good! I will definitely be making these for Thanksgiving this year! My only mistake was I should've used a different pan. I used a non stick dark 9×13 pan and the bottom got too dark and crispy. They still tasted great though!