Soft and fluffy sourdough dinner rolls are the perfect recipe to make with your sourdough discard – they’re so delicious!
Your sourdough discard imparts a wonderfully tangy flavor that is perfect for these soft and fluffy pull-apart dinner rolls. The dough is easy to make, and the rolls are so good, especially fresh from the oven.
They’re perfect for sharing with family and friends; everyone will love the delicious sourdough flavor.
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Why We Love This Recipe
Nothing beats the smell of freshly baked pull-apart dinner rolls. Not only is the aroma amazing, but they are so soft and light that you won’t be able to resist them!
This recipe is similar to our potato dinner roll recipe, except it uses sourdough (wild yeast) instead of commercial yeast.
It makes soft, tender bread rolls with a hint of buttery sweetness balanced by a very mild sourdough taste. Together they make the perfect dinner roll that everyone will love for family dinners and holidays.
These rolls are also ideal for using your discard and reducing food waste while ensuring your sourdough bread starter stays active.
I prefer using King Arthur Flour’s bread flour for this recipe. King Arthur uses the same type of wheat with a reliable protein percentage so that I can count on the best texture and flavor for the rolls.
Love sourdough recipes? Try our sourdough bread loaf, Dutch oven sourdough bread recipes, whole wheat sandwich bread recipe, and French toast with sourdough.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Active Sourdough starter – fed 12-24 hours before starting the recipe.
When we say active, we mean a mature starter that is at least a week old and always doubles in size within 4-6 hours of feeding. It doesn’t mean you need to use it at the peak activity after a feeding. - Filtered warm water –for the best results, use filtered or bottled water that’s 95º to 100º F.
- Granulated sugar – I recommend using pure cane sugar. You can substitute the sugar for an equal weight of honey.
- Bread flour – use a quality bread flour like King Arthur, or an organic bread flour.
- Extra-virgin olive oil – use any
- Sea salt – if using Kosher salt, increase the salt by 25%.
- (Optional) Melted butter and flake salt for tops
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
For the most consistent sourdough baking results, stick with the same brand of flour. Find a brand you like and use it for all your baking needs.
Recipe Variations
- You can make sweet rolls by adding honey, cinnamon, or other spices to the dough.
- Add herbs and cheese to the dough for a herby, cheesy variation.
- Add some olives or sun-dried tomatoes for a Mediterranean twist.
- Top them with a butter and garlic mixture for garlicky, herby bread.
How to Make Sourdough Dinner Rolls
Make the Dough
In a large bowl, add the starter. Mix in warm water and sugar, then stir until dissolved. Add bread flour, oil, and salt. Stir until a thick, shaggy dough forms.
Flour your hands, and finish mixing dough by hand until all the flour has been absorbed.
Cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 30 to 45 minutes.
Stretch the Dough
Take the dough out of the bowl and stretch and fold it by stretching 4 inches, pushing it down the middle, and turning it 1/4 turn. Repeat this process until you make a complete circle.
Put the dough back in the bowl, cover it with a damp towel, and let it rise at room temperature overnight until it doubles in size.
Shape the Rolls
In the morning, flour your countertop lightly. Remove the dough from the bowl and gently stretch it into a rectangle.
Roll the dough into a log shape. Cover it and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Cut dough into 16 pieces.
Roll each piece of dough into a ball. Then, pull the dough tight by pulling it towards you along the countertop for 5-8″.
Bake the Rolls
Put the dough on an oiled baking sheet or baking pan. Leave about 2″ of space between each piece. Cover the baking sheet and let the dough rise for 2 hours until it has doubled in size. This process is called proofing, where the dough undergoes its final rise before baking.
Preheat your oven to 425ºF. Bake in the center of the oven for 8-10 minutes. The top of the rolls should be golden brown. Brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with flake salt, if desired.
Make Ahead Soft Sourdough Rolls
These bread rolls freeze well and are ideal for making ahead of the holidays. Freezing sourdough is the best way to make these rolls ahead so you will have freshly baked bread rolls to serve.
To freeze the sourdough dough rolls
After the (long) bulk fermentation, divide the dough into 16 pieces. Place them on a flat baking sheet and flash-freeze them in the freezer for about 2 hours.
Place them in an air-tight container, like a Ziploc freezer bag, and freeze for up to 3 months.
To bake the frozen sourdough rolls
Let them thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then let the sourdough rolls rise until about double in size. Bake as directed in the recipe.
Serving Suggestions
These sourdough discard rolls are perfect as a side to dinner or any meal, especially when served warm and slathered with butter. They can also be turned into mini sandwiches or burgers.
You can serve this on Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.
Enjoy with soups, green salads, pulled beef recipe, or your favorite sides. The possibilities are endless!
Recipe FAQs
If your sourdough rolls are hard, it is likely because too much flour was added to the dough or the rise time was not long enough. To prevent this from happening, stir your flour before measuring it with the scoop and swipe method. Stretch the dough as directed and allow it to rise properly before baking.
To make them airy, give the dough plenty of time to rise. Use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour for a light and airy texture. Finally, bake them in a preheated oven (425ºF) for the airiest rolls.
These rolls can be stored at room temperature, covered in a cloth or plastic wrap, for up to 5 days.
To reheat, place on a baking sheet and heat in the oven at 350ºF until warm and slightly crisp. Note that reheating in the microwave will make them soft, so this is not recommended.
Let them cool completely. Place them in a Ziploc freezer bag and gently squeeze as much air from the bag as you can without flattening the rolls.
This will prevent them from getting freezer burn. Freeze for up to 3 months. Let thaw at room temperature before reheating.
More Bread Recipes To Love…
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Sourdough Dinner Rolls
Equipment
- Baking Sheet
- parchment paper - (optional)
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (65 grams) sourdough starter discard or fed 12-24 hours prior *see notes below
- 1⅓ cups (300 grams) warm water, filtered 95º to 100º F
- ¼ cup (56 grams) granulated sugar
- 4 cups (480 grams) bread flour I prefer King Arthur flour
- 1½ tablespoons (20 grams) extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons (9 grams) sea salt
optional
- melted butter and flake salt for tops
Instructions
- Add the starter to a large bowl. Mix in warm water and sugar, stirring until dissolved. Add bread flour, oil, and salt. Stir with a dough whisk or wooden spoon until a thick, shaggy dough forms. Flour your hands, and finish mixing dough by hand until all the flour has been absorbed. Cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel and let the dough rest for 30 to 45 minutes.
- Add a light dusting of flour on your counter, then place the dough on top Use the stretch and fold method (instead of kneading) by stretching it straight up about 4 inches, then press it down the middle and rotate it 1/4 turn. Repeat this process until you make a complete circle.
- Return the dough to the bowl, cover it with a damp towel, and let it rise at room temperature overnight (at least 8-10 hours) until it is double in size.
- In the morning, lightly flour your countertop. Remove the dough from the bowl, gently stretching it into a rectangle about 10×15". Roll up the dough into a log shape. Cover and let rest for 10 minutes. Prepare the baking sheet by oiling it, lining it with parchment paper, or using a Silpat silicone sheet.
- Cut dough into 16 equal pieces (depending on the size of rolls you prefer). Roll the dough into a smooth ball, then tighten the dough log by gently pulling it towards you along the countertop for 5-8" or pinch the dough underneath until it is a smooth round ball.
- Place it on a prepared baking sheet leaving about 2" of space between the rolls. Cover and let rise for 2 hours or until the dough has doubled in size.
- Preheat your oven to 425º. Bake in the center of the oven for 8-10 minutes. The top of the rolls should be golden. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with flake salt, if desired.
Notes
- For the most consistent sourdough baking results, stick with the same brand of flour. Find a brand you like and use it for all your baking needs.
- You can make sweet rolls by adding honey, cinnamon, or other spices to the dough.
- Add herbs and cheese to the dough for a herby, cheesy variation.
- Add some olives or sun-dried tomatoes for a Mediterranean twist.
- Top them with a butter and garlic mixture for garlicky, herby bread.
Nutrition
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Previous
Simone says
My family loved these for Thanksgiving and I’m making again for Christmas. Mine bake up nicely, but never get golden brown… I baked this batch an extra 5 minutes and still pale. Even the bottoms are just lightly golden after 15 min. They taste good, so it’s not really an issue, but wondering if I’m doing something wrong or taking them out too soon?
Gianne - TFN Team Member says
Hi there! I’m so glad to hear your family loved the rolls!
You’re not doing anything wrong! Some recipes, including ours, naturally bake up a bit paler due to the ingredients and the lack of added sugar or dairy, which usually help with browning. If you take a look at the images on our site, you’ll notice they tend to be lightly golden, too.
If you’d like them a bit more golden brown, here are a few tips to try:
Egg Wash: Brush the tops of the rolls with a beaten egg (or just the yolk mixed with a little water) before baking.
Milk or Cream: Brush them with a bit of milk or cream for a softer golden finish.
Butter Finish: Brush melted butter over the tops right after baking for a bit of added sheen and richness.
Remember, though, the pale tops don’t affect the flavor, and it sounds like they’re already a hit with your family! 😊
Happy New Year, and enjoy baking your rolls!
Nikki says
My dough always falls flat. What am I doing wrong
Gianne - TFN Team Member says
One possible reason for your sourdough bread being flat could be that the dough was not allowed to double in size during the rise. It is recommended to give the dough ample time to rise in order to achieve a better result.