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These super soft sourdough discard rolls couldn’t be easier to make! With a warm place to rise, you can have them ready in just a few hours! They’re a great way to use up excess sourdough discard (although you can use active starter too if you prefer). These delicious rolls have a soft, pillowy texture, perfect for casual family dinners or the perfect Thanksgiving side!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
Tried and Tested – this sourdough discard dinner rolls recipe is based on my popular sourdough discard sandwich bread recipe, which has been made thousands of times so you know this roll recipe will work first time, every time!
Pull Apart or Individual Rolls – I have chosen to shape these sourdough discard rolls into “pull apart rolls” but if you’d prefer individual rolls, you can place them further apart on a baking tray and allow them to rise.
Flavor – even though these sourdough discard rolls have a quick rise time, they aren’t lacking any flavor!
Ingredients
- Sourdough Discard – I’ve developed this recipe using 100g of sourdough discard and instant yeast to make them a quick and easy recipe, but as always you can use active sourdough starter if you prefer.
- Bread Flour – I recommend using bread flour, however you can use all purpose flour if you prefer. You might want to hold back some of the liquid, just in case. It’s easier to add it in than take it out! You can substitute whole wheat flour for some of the bread flour. You could also try this recipe for whole wheat sourdough rolls.
- Water – use warm water to speed up the rise time even further.
- Salt
- Sugar
- Butter – you’ll need softened butter for making the dough and then some melted butter to brush them with once they’re out of the oven.
- Instant Yeast – I’ve used instant yeast, but you can use active dry yeast if you prefer.
How To Make Sourdough Discard Rolls
These rolls are super simple to make. Using commercial yeast along with sourdough discard allows you to have these on the table in record time. Over the years I have made and retested this recipe so many times, I have made a few adjustments to make this recipe even faster for you to make at home.
Start by combining your sourdough discard with water, then adding the bread flour, sugar, instant yeast, flour and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer, using your dough hook to bring it together into a shaggy dough (you can even just use a spatula to bring it together at this stage). Giving it a short rest at this stage makes a big difference. This pause allows the flour to fully hydrate, which means less kneading later and a softer finished roll. After resting the dough for 10 minutes, use your dough hook to knead the dough and transform it into a silky, elastic dough that pulls away cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
While a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment makes achieving that smooth dough easier (especially when incorporating butter), you can absolutely make these by hand, just add the butter gradually as you knead to help it incorporate more easily.
Because this recipe uses instant yeast, the dough rises much faster than traditional sourdough. You’re looking for it to double in size during the first rise, then become noticeably soft and puffy after shaping.
Don’t rush this second rise because it’s the key to getting those light, fluffy rolls rather than dense ones. Cover the rolls with plastic wrap (press n seal spread with a tiny bit of olive oil is perfect for this). Place the shaped rolls in a warm spot, they should only take around 30 minutes to proof.
In the photos in this post, I’ve placed the rolls into a 12″ round cast iron skillet, but this recipe also works in a USA Pan Sheet Cake Pan measuring 9″ x 13″ or any baking dish or baking pan of that size. I always use parchment paper when using a skillet, but you don’t necessarily need it.
I like to spray the top of the dough with water before placing these sourdough discard rolls into the oven to bake. This helps to keep them soft while baking (and is much better than an egg wash in my opinion). Once baked until golden brown, brushing the tops with melted butter while they’re still warm gives them that irresistible soft finish.
Kate’s Pro Tips
Shaping Tips for Perfect Rolls
Use a digital kitchen scale to weigh out the dough into equal pieces when you’re shaping for that uniform look. Precise measurements also means the rolls will cook evenly. I use my bench scraper to cut the dough cleanly and then weigh each piece individually.
Use your hands to gently roll the each piece of dough into a tight ball on the countertop using a cupping motion. This creates tension in the top of the dough and gives you that beautiful round shape when they bake.
What To Serve With Sourdough Discard Rolls
These quick sourdough discard rolls are the perfect accompaniment to pretty much anything! They’re at home on your Thanksgiving or Christmas table, but also easy enough to whip up for a last minute side to accompany your favorite soup or saucy casserole! I love making these as a snack for my boys and pairing them with our favorite jams and spreads like spicy sweet jalapeño butter, whipped honey butter or small batch strawberry jam.
How To Store and Freeze
These sourdough discard rolls freeze really well! I have frozen them as a whole “pull apart” without breaking them into individual rolls. I’ve also frozen a few leftover rolls on their own. They have both frozen successfully wrapped in foil or simply placed into a freezer-safe bag (I love using large ziplock bags).
Allow them to come to room temperature before using. You can zap them in the microwave to make them soft again if you need to.
I don’t recommend freezing unbaked rolls. Always bake them first and allow them to cool before freezing.
Other Sourdough Rolls & Buns To Try
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes you can make this recipe dairy free by using vegan butter or your choice of oil (olive oil works really well). You can use the exact same weight as listed for butter in the recipe.
Yes you can omit the commercial yeast, but you will need to use active, fed sourdough starter instead of discard. You’ll need to let the dough rise for a lot longer to ensure they are soft and pillowy when you bake them. Because it’s an enriched dough, it will take quite a while to bulk ferment. If you are wanting to use active starter, try these sourdough dinner rolls.
Sourdough Discard Rolls Recipe
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Digital Scales
- Cast Iron Skillet or Baking Tray
Ingredients
- 100 g Sourdough Discard
- 250 g Water
- 500 g Bread Flour
- 10 g Salt
- 20 g Sugar
- 60 g Butter, (softened)
- 7 g Instant Yeast
- 50 g Melted Butter, (for brushing after baking)
Instructions
- I recommend using a stand mixer for this recipe, but you can knead by hand if you want to (see notes below for hand kneading).
- Add the sourdough discard, instant yeast, water, sugar, bread flour, salt and soft butter to the bowl of your stand mixer and combine until it forms a rough, shaggy dough (I generally just do this with a spatula). Leave the dough to rest for 10 minutes.
- After this short rest, use the dough hook attachment to knead the dough for around 3 to 6 minutes on low speed.You want the dough to be elastic, silky and slapping the sides of the bowl. Just keep the mixer going until you achieve this.
- Now you need to cover your dough and let your dough rise. You are using instant yeast as the leavening agent in this recipe so it will rise very quickly, particularly if your home is warm. Leave it for around an hour (it will take longer if your house is cooler). You want it to double.
- Once the dough has doubled, tip it out onto the counter top. Divide the dough into equal pieces. You'll need to use a set of scales to get them exactly weighted – or you do it by sight if you prefer. For this recipe I did 11 rolls at 86g each. If you want 12 rolls, you'd need to make them 78g.
- Shape each piece of dough into a ball and place the balls of dough into a 12" cast iron skillet or 9" x 13" baking pan.
- Now you need to let the rolls rise again. Cover them with plastic wrap (I like to use some press n seal spread with a tiny bit of olive oil) and leave them to proof for around 30 minutes to 1 hour. It's really important to make sure their soft and puffy before you bake them! The warmer your home, the faster they will proof.
- When you're ready to bake, preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF.
- Spray the top of the sourdough discard rolls with water and bake them at 180ºC/350ºF for around 30 minutes or until they are golden brown.
- Remove from the oven and while they're still in the skillet, use a pastry brush to brush them in melted butter. Once the butter has soaked in, remove them from the skillet and allow to cool on a wire rack.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Rate and comment below!
Can you make this recipe with whole wheat flour?
I will never buy any rolls again. These are so yummy and pretty easy. We used a couple for hamburgers and they made a great bun also. I have not found any receipe of yours that I don’t like. Thank you!
I out some melted butter and garlic with parsley on top and serve it with borscht. Perfect pairing!
Greta recipe.
Love these rolls! Have you tried freezing them before baking? I’m trying to make a large batch and wondering if I could just make up the balls, freeze them, and take them out when I want to bake them!?
Can I shape the dough and then refrigerate overnight and bake the next day?
Hi Mary, You can. They can stay in the fridge for around 24 hours. Just bring back to room temperature before baking.
Making these now, but wondering what size cast iron skillet you use? Thank you.
I’ve baked these in a 10″ skillet, they also work fine in a 12″ skillet too 🙂
Love these rolls! I’m going to make batches to prep for the holidays. If I freeze them before the second rise, do I need to let them thaw and rise? Maybe take them out the night before and let them rise at room temp?
I would definitely bake them before freezing. You risk over or under proofing if you freeze before baking 🙂 They will still taste great if baked and frozen. You can warm them up a little in the oven and they’ll be just like fresh baked x
Is there any way to make these without the yeast packet?
You can certainly skip the yeast and use active starter, yes, or you might like these sourdough dinner rolls 🙂
I love these and bake them every couple of weeks to use my discard. I make them as individual rolls and bake on a baking sheet, freeze them and use for my kids’ lunch boxes. I bake them at 180°C, but never know should they be baked with or without fan please?
Love the new website look by the way😁👏
Jowita
Thank you, Jowita! Kate generally uses a fan forced oven, but if you’re not and it’s working, that’s great too! 🙂
Can I make these night before and keep in fridge? Bake the next morning?
Hi Holly, You can! Just don’t refrigerate longer than about 24 hours, and bring to room temperature before baking.
Love these rolls! If I’m baking these on Thanksgiving-eve, how can they be stored and reheated the following day?
So glad you love the recipe! Freezing the rolls will keep them the freshest 🙂 Wrapping them in aluminum foil or popping them in a ziploc bag and then allowing them to thaw at room temperature is best. Gently warm them in the oven or even zap them in the microwave to warm them.
Is there a point that I can freeze the dough to bake later? Or how long can I leave in the fridge before I form the rolls for the final rise?
I don’t recommend freezing the dough as it’s really hard to judge when they are thawed and proofed enough to bake. But the dough can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours before baking. Just bring to room temperature before baking.
These were excellent! Love that you can make them say day!
Absolutely excellent rolls! Thanks so much for this recipe, they are 100% husband approved and I loved them too!,
When baking these rolls can I line my cast iron pans with parchment paper and do I cover them when baking?
Yes you can line your cast iron skillet with parchment paper, no problems. No you don’t need to cover them.
These look amazing, and so many positive comments! How big is your skillet?
Thank you, Kathy! Kate uses a 10″ skillet, but they also work in a 12″ skillet.
Hi there, I’m new to sourdough baking and tried this recipe last night. My teenage son said they were the best rolls I’ve ever made! He initially thought it was garlic bread, so we’re definitely going to make these again with garlic butter, and maybe grated cheese melted on top as some other comments say.
Awesome recipe thank you!
Great recipe. They look amazing in the cast iron pan, a real showstopper. I made them with Becel vegan butter since one of my guests has a dairy allergy and they still turned out excellent (just a little salty).
My gentle feedback: Your site is quite busy with ads, banners, pop-ups and images. For my old computer it slows things down and makes it hard to quickly scroll back and forth between the detailed instructions and the actual recipe. You absolutely have a right to make money off this site, but perhaps there is a way to streamline it a little so it’s a bit more functional.
Thanks!
SO easy and DELICIOUS! And quick!! For years I made a rich roll dough (yeast recipe) and made into bow knots. They were good, but these are SO much better. Light and fluffy. I brushed jarred minced garlic on top before I baked and sprinkled with dried parsley. SO GOOD!
I wish the ingredients were listed as the order needed because I always put the salt in too early because it’s listed before the sugar that I should be putting in at that step.
What size cast iron skillet did you use for 11 rolls
Hi Mary, It’s a 10″ skillet, but they also work fine in a 12″ skillet.
These turned out great! I used a 50/50 blend of bread flour and whole wheat flour, and made 15 rolls (56g each) in a 9×13 glass baking dish. They look beautiful and taste great! As another person noted, the dough seemed dry, but they turned out great. Thank you for this recipe! It’s a keeper!
Very good recipe. Used unsalted butter…would increase salt or use salted butter next time. Excellent use for discard! Hate to throw that goodness away, thanks for sharing.
Wonderfully soft dinner rolls! So easy to put together, the dough was a dream to work with.
Love these rolls. The only ones I make
I made these for the first time tonight and followed the recipe exactly as it was written. They turned out delicious and beautiful. My husband who is a bread fanatic loves these rolls. I just started making my own starter a couple of weeks ago and this is the first recipe I used the discard for. I measured in grams.
I made these rolls & they were simple to make & delicious. I had previously made Pantry Mama’s sourdough bread which was pretty much the same. I found that when mixing the dough, use the paddle. Then when kneading it, switch to the dough hook.
Made these yesterday. In place of the butter, I used tahini and they turned out great. I did put butter on top after they came out of the oven. Will be making again.
The perfect pull apart rolls! Delightfully soft and fluffy and to seal the deal they come out of the freezer as perfect as the day they came out of the oven.
hi Pantry mama. .could you leave these rolls, after 1st ferment. covered in the fridge overnight. thank you
You could, but remember they have commercial yeast in them so they will keep rising in the the fridge, so don’t let them rise too much before you put them in the fridge.
I tried these for the first time today, and they’re wonderful! I substituted 15g honey for the 20g sugar, and used non-dairy butter and all purpose flour. My kitchen is cool, so my rising times were 90 minutes. I just love a recipe that’s perfect the first time. Thank you!