Sourdough Rolls
Our sourdough rolls recipe is soft, fluffy, and subtly sweet. Simple to prepare, it’s a staple on our Easter table and makes a frequent appearance for weeknight meals, too. We’ll walk you through the whole process of building our homemade sourdough dinner roll recipe from scratch and even share all our tips and tricks!
Once we learned how to create and maintain a stable sourdough starter, we never looked back! Now, we make sourdough sandwich bread and cinnamon swirl sourdough bread as part of our meal prep process every week.
However, with Easter right around the corner, we wanted something that feels a little extra special, and these sourdough dinner rolls are just the thing. The perfect way to use sourdough discard, they come together with eight simple ingredients and foolproof steps.
Prep a batch ahead of time, and serve them the next day with Easter ham, split pea soup, or all your favorite recipes for the ultimate comfort food!
Ingredients and Notes
Please be sure to scroll down to the recipe card below for the complete details!
- Milk – Whole milk creates the richest flavor and fluffiest consistency, but 2% milk also works.
- Honey – This adds sweetness and helps feed the yeast, encouraging the dough to rise. Substitute granulated sugar or maple syrup if preferred.
- Instant Yeast – This allows the rolls to rise quickly. Unlike dry yeast, instant yeast can be added directly to the dough without blooming.
- Eggs – These give the dough a soft texture and tender crumb.
- Light Olive Oil – This adds richness and moisture. We’ve also substituted melted butter for a slightly richer flavor!
- Sourdough Discard – This adds a signature sourdough tang and extra depth.
- Salt – Just a pinch enhances the rest of the ingredients and helps strengthen the dough, giving it structure that allows the rolls to hold their shape.
- Flour – We use all-purpose flour as the base of the dough. Bread flour also works well for a slightly fluffier texture.
Our Top Tips & Tricks
- Use room-temperature ingredients. Cold ingredients can slow down the yeast and affect how the dough rises. Let the sourdough discard and eggs sit at room temperature before mixing the dough.
- Check the temperature of the milk. Milk should be warm (about 110-115°F) but not hot. If the milk is too hot, it can kill the yeast and prevent the rolls from rising properly.
- Don’t add too much flour. Sourdough discard can vary in thickness, so the exact flour amount may vary slightly. The dough should feel soft and slightly tacky, but it shouldn’t stick heavily to your hands or the bowl.
- Knead until the dough is smooth and elastic. Proper kneading helps develop gluten, which gives the rolls their soft, fluffy texture. The dough should look smooth and stretch slightly when pulled.
- Let the dough rise in a warm place. Yeast works best in warm environments. If your kitchen is cool, place the covered dough in an oven with the light on or near a warm spot to help it rise.
- Shape the rolls tightly. When forming the dough balls, gently pull the dough around itself to create a smooth top and tight surface. This helps the rolls rise evenly and hold their shape while baking.
- Don’t rush the second rise. Allow the shaped rolls to double in size before baking. This step is key to light, fluffy rolls instead of dense ones.
- Brush the tops before baking. Brushing the rolls with milk before baking helps create a beautiful golden brown finish.
- Check for doneness with a thermometer. The rolls are done when the internal temperature reaches about 190°F, ensuring the centers are fully baked.
- Brush with butter after baking. For extra flavor and softness, brush the warm rolls with melted unsalted butter right after they come out of the oven.
Our Favorite Ways to Serve
These sourdough rolls are so good that we could eat the entire batch on our own by themselves! However, they make the perfect appetizer or side dish with holiday courses like ham, turkey, healthy sweet potato casserole, and easy green bean casserole.
Or, serve them with everyday mains like our easy hamburger soup, creamy tomato basil soup, and cabbage roll lasagna. They’re perfect for scooping up leftover soup, sauces, and broth!
More Easy Bread Recipes
Sourdough Rolls Recipe
Skip the frozen store-bought options, and make this soft and fluffy sourdough rolls recipe with eight simple ingredients and no refined sugar instead!
Equipment
- 1 9×13 pan
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup warm milk 110-115ºF (we use whole milk)
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 package instant yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 Tablespoons light olive oil or melted butter
- 1 cup sourdough starter discard at room temperature (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (slightly adjust this based on differing starters)
- 1 Tablespoon milk to brush on top of the unbaked rolls
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (see notes if not using a stand mixer), whisk together the warm milk, honey, and yeast. Allow it to sit at room temperature for about 5 minutes. The mixture will start to bubble.1/2 cup warm milk 110-115ºF, 2 Tablespoons honey, 1 package instant yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)
- Add the eggs, oil, starter (see notes), salt and flour to the bowl. With the dough hook, mix on low speed (I use setting 2) until combined (about 3-5 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Then continue to knead (I turn down to “stir” or 1) another 7-9 minutes for a total of about 12 minutes of combining and kneading the dough (see “Prep Tips ” in Notes).2 large eggs, room temperature, 3 Tablespoons light olive oil or melted butter, 1 cup sourdough starter discard at room temperature, 1 teaspoon salt, 3 cups all-purpose flour
- Place the dough hook in the sink and remove the dough from the bowl and set on the countertop.
- Spray nonstick cooking spray into the bowl of the stand mixer and place the dough back inside. Cover the bowl with a damp towel.
- Let the dough rise (also known as bulk rise) in a warm place for about 90 minutes to 2 hours or until it about doubles in size (see notes).
- On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Roll the dough between your hands or pull the dough to make a smooth ball, then place the dough balls in a greased 9×13″ baking dish. We use a metal pan, bake times may vary using glass or ceramic.
- Do the second rise for 45 minutes to an hour at room temperature, or until about doubled in size. Cover the bread pan with a dry towel – not damp or it will stick to the top of the dough.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F.
- In a small bowl, pour one tablespoon of milk. Use a pastry brush to brush on the tops of the unbaked rolls. This gives them a shiny golden brown top.1 Tablespoon milk to brush on top of the unbaked rolls
- Bake the rolls for about 16-18 minutes, or until a lovely golden brown color on top and the inside of the rolls reach a temp of 190F.
- Allow the rolls to rest for 5-10 minutes. Then remove from the pan and place on a wire rack. If desired, brush the tops of the warm rolls with butter before serving.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Notes
Ingredient Tips – The discard must be room temperature before it is used in the dough. Sourdough discard is usually cold as it is stored in the fridge. I place ¾ cup of discard in a 1 cup measuring cup and allow the discard to come to room temperature. The discard will grow as it warms and fill the measuring cup. If you end up with too much, just place it back in your discard container in the fridge.
Prep Tips – If the dough is sticky after kneading, add 1/4 cup flour. Sourdough starters often vary in consistency. Add enough flour so that the bread dough feels slightly tacky. It should not feel dry, but yet shouldn’t stick all over your hands. We find that 3 cups of flour works great with our starter. The dough will get less sticky as you knead it, so be careful not to add too much flour at the start!
Make Ahead Option – Bake these rolls the day before and allow to cool on a wire rack. Then store in an airtight container. When ready to serve, warm in the oven or microwave and brush the tops with butter.
Make Ahead Option – Bake these rolls the day before and allow to cool on a wire rack. Then store in an airtight container. When ready to serve, warm in the oven or microwave and brush the tops with butter.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving (1 roll)Calories: 212kcalCarbohydrates: 35.4gProtein: 5.8gFat: 4.8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 31.8mgSodium: 193.5mgPotassium: 41mgFiber: 0.7gSugar: 4.9gVitamin A: 2.8IUVitamin C: 0mgCalcium: 11.8mgIron: 0mg
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These rolls are so soft, fluffy, and buttery! We love all things sourdough and these rolls are our favorite. You’ll love them too!