Sourdough Rolls

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Discover the magic of quick sourdough rolls with our top-rated sourdough discard rolls recipe. Bake golden brown, fluffy dinner rolls that’ll become your go-to every time.

In the world of bread-making, there’s something uniquely satisfying about mastering the art of sourdough. Did you know you can transform your sourdough discard into golden brown dinner rolls?

Many sourdough enthusiasts often wonder what to do with their discard, but our solution is both delicious and straightforward. This Sourdough Rolls Recipe guarantees a tangy twist to traditional dinner rolls. If you’ve ever been hesitant about baking with sourdough, let this guide reassure and inspire you. Let’s bring these sourdough discard rolls to life.

golden brown sourdough rolls in a 9x13 white pan

About this Sourdough Rolls Recipe:

  • Flavor: The sourdough dinner rolls with have a slightly tangy sourdough flavor, thanks to the 1 cup of sourdough discard mixed in the dough.
  • Texture: Fluffy and tender, the rolls rise tall! Use bread flour for sturdier, more chewy roll and all-purpose flour for softer rolls.
  • Method: Prepare the dough in a stand mixer, bread machine or by hand. We’ve done all 3 and they work perfectly. This recipe makes 12 dinner rolls to fill a 9×13″ baking dish. If you need more, roll them smaller (anywhere from 15-20) and bake in the same size pan.

What readers are saying:

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Joan says, “Your search is over….this the THE recipe for buns! You make me look good Lizzy! I get so many compliments on these buns. Sometimes I add a little more sugar. Depends on what they’re getting used for. Have made them like a dinner roll (in a 9×13) or more separate like hamburger /sandwich buns. They ALWAYS get devoured or people ask to take them home. Thank you so much for this staple recipe in our house.”

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Susan says, “Great easy recipe. I wanted small dinner rolls so I weighed the dough and got 26 rolls out of dough balls weighing 1.4-1.6 ounces. Baked the same time. They were a huge hit! Thanks!”

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Nancy says, “I’ve been married for 32 years and this is the first time ever baking homemade dinner rolls. This was so easy for me being a beginner! They taste so good and look beautiful. Mine came out a little crumbly so I’ll research that, But for my first try….This was definitely the recipe for me!! Thanks!!”

This is one of our most popular Christmas and Thanksgiving recipes with readers!

What I’ve learned about sourdough:

I’ve been testing and working with sourdough for over 10 years, however in 2020, I finally had a healthy starter and continued success in making artisan sourdough breads.

When I was still learning, I ended up with a lot of sourdough discard. And if there’s one thing I learned, sourdough discard recipes are just as good as active sourdough recipes. You can that old-fashioned sourdough flavor in no time at all. Just like this whole wheat sourdough bread.

And that’s where this sourdough discard dinner rolls recipe comes in. They’ll be ready in about 2 hours, most of which is hands off rise time.

Ingredients

ingredients for sourdough rolls on a table

A few notes:

  • Sourdough starter discard. This is a lazy sourdough which means you do not have to use bubbly, active sourdough in this recipe. Use the discard. The yeast will help it rise.
  • Flour. I choose bread flour when making breads and dinner rolls so that they are sturdy and have a little bit of chewiness to them. Use all-purpose flour for softer texture.
  • Yeast. An instant yeast is easy to use, but active dry yeast works well. Read our guide to yeast types, and how to make dough rise faster.

How to Make Sourdough Rolls

This is one of the easiest yeast bread recipes I make. Use a stand mixer to mix and knead yeast dough, but don’t worry if you don’t have one. You can knead the dough by hand. Or if you’re lucky and have a bread machine, knead the dough using the “dough” setting. That is the easiest yet.

Here are a few hints:

  • Be sure that your water isn’t too hot when you add the yeast. It should be around 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • These rolls rise twice, so be sure to plan ahead for that. The second rise is only about 20 minutes.
  • We normally use granulated sugar in this recipe, but we’ve also used coconut sugar and honey. Choose whichever you’d like.
  • Use eggs that are at room temperature so it doesn’t affect the yeast.
  • Also make sure your sourdough starter is at room temperature. It does not have to be active.
  • Add the flour slowly! The exact amount you need will depend on everything from the sourdough starter to the temperature/humidity outside. If you add too much, your rolls will be dry.
  • Brush the rolls with an egg wash for shiny golden brown domes. Read our complete guide to bread washes to choose your favorite look. If you don’t want a golden brown crust, leave this off.
pastry brush brushing egg wash on top of unbaked sourdough rolls

How do you keep dinner rolls warm?

This is our favorite way to keep rolls warm:

  • Heat dry rice or beans in a cloth bag or kitchen towel. Do this right before serving.
  • Take the cloth of rice or beans and place it in the bottom of the bread basket. Then line the basket with a pretty towel.
  • Place the rolls in the basket and use any extra cloth material from the towel to cover the rolls.
hand holding tall, fluffy sourdough rolls

How do you reheat rolls without drying them out?

Here’s how to do it.

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
  • Place the rolls on a baking sheet and brush them with butter (this prevents them from drying out). Warm them for 5-7 minutes (or for as long as it takes to heat them).
  • You can also wrap the rolls in foil, then place them in the oven. This method works great for reheating and is so easy.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I make a sourdough starter?

We’ve got a complete guide on how to make sourdough starter.

Does sourdough bread taste sour?

To some extent you can control the “sourness” of your sourdough bread. How long you ferment the starter and when the starter was actually started can all play a part in the flavor of the bread. You can also add a touch of sugar to take down the “tang” level.

a pan of sourdough rolls
a pan of sourdough rolls

Sourdough Rolls

4.75 from 447 votes
Follow these hints for the softest, fluffiest Sourdough Rolls. This easy homemade dinner roll recipe gets its flavor from sourdough. 
Servings 12
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Rise Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 10 minutes

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Ingredients
 

  • 1/2 cup warm water
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 package Red Star Platinum Baking Yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)
  • 2 large eggs (room temperature)
  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 cup sourdough starter (at room temperature)
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3-4 cups all-purpose flour (slightly adjust this based on differing starters)

Egg Wash:

  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tablespoon water

Instructions
 

  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, pour in the warm water and sugar.
  • Sprinkle the yeast over the water. Allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes. (Be sure the water isn't too hot. It should be about 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit.)
  • Add the eggs, oil, starter and salt. Mix on low speed until combined. Note: You do not need an active sourdough starter. It can be sourdough discard.
  • Add 3 cups of flour and mix the dough using the beater blade until combined. At this point, add more flour, ¼ cup at a time. I've found that sourdough starters are often varying in consistency, sometimes thicker or thinner than other times. 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 ½ 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!
  • Knead the dough using the dough hook on the stand mixer for about 7 minutes or until the dough feels smooth, springs back if you touch it and doesn't feel too sticky. *You can also use the dough setting on a bread machine to knead the dough…or kneading by hand! Just be careful not to add too much flour.*
  • Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it with cheesecloth or loosely with plastic wrap and set it in a warm spot. Allow the dough to rise for 1 hour or until doubled.
  • On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 12 balls. (Or if you want smaller rolls, make 15.) Roll the dough between your hands to make a smooth ball, then place the dough balls in a greased 9×13 baking pan.
  • Allow the dough to rise again until almost doubled.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together one egg and one tablespoon of water. Brush this egg wash on the tops of the unbaked rolls. This gives them that shiny golden brown top.
  • Bake the rolls in an oven preheated to 375 degrees Fahrenheit for about 20 minutes.

Video

Notes

 
The calories shown are based on the recipe making 12 rolls, with 1 serving being 1 roll. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate. **We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information.**

Nutrition

Calories: 216kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 31mg | Sodium: 206mg | Potassium: 56mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 45IU | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 2.1mg
Course Bread
Cuisine American
Calories 216
Keyword dinner roll recipe, homemade rolls, how to make dinner rolls, sourdough bread

Other Sourdough Recipes

12 sourdough rolls in a white baking pan
About JulieJulie Clark

About Julie Clark

I'm Julie Clark, CEO and recipe developer of Tastes of Lizzy T. With my B.A. in Education and over 30 years of cooking and baking, I want to teach YOU the best of our family recipes.

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Kathy Luzader
3 years ago

5 stars
I made this and used no commercial yeast, just starter and the water from the recipe mixed together first. I am a home cook, and all I did was give it extra rise time- overnight for the first rise, and a couple of hours for the second. They rose perfectly, and my family devoured them. Great recipe!

Amy
3 years ago

5 stars
these are INCREDIBLE! subbed the 3 tbsp of vegetable oil with 3 tbsp of melted unsalted butter and they were amazing

Bonny J
3 years ago

5 stars
Hello, I have made theses twice as directed above. First batch of 12 were amazing but really big so the second batch was with 15 and they were absolutely wonderful and the perfect size. Thanks for sharing your recipe 🧑‍🍳💛

Jeannette
3 years ago

Can you let the dough rise longer than an hour for the second rise or would it be better to put the rolls in the refrigerator and then take them out when ready for the second rise?

Alethea
3 years ago

5 stars
I have tried 4 or 5 different bun recipes with sourdough starter. These are flawless. FLAWLESS.

Terry
3 years ago

5 stars
Just made these the other day. Quite soft and delicious. I would add more salt to the basic recipe next time, along with some milk in place of the water to give the bread a bit more flavor. I’d also omit the egg wash… not a fan of the sheen and shell it creates on the bread. These freeze really well too!

Suzette S
2 years ago

5 stars
Hi, really easy simple recipe with awesome results. I believed the reviewer who tried it without the additional yeast. My sourdough starter is quite prolific. Yes I refridgerated it overnight then let it sit covered with greased Satan wrap in oven set to bread proof for about 3 hours until it was finally doubled in size. Then after shaping the rolls I covered them again and popped it back in the proofer for an hour and a half or so until doubled again. So yes it took a bit more time but it was totally worth it.

Susy
2 years ago

5 stars
My first time making sourdough rolls and they are DELICIOUS. So insanely fluffy and soft.
I added about 1/4 cup extra active starter, and omitted the yeast entirely. Did the first rise over night, and the second for 2 hours. Definitely had a sour taste from the long first rise.
Thank you!

Holly
3 years ago

5 stars
Made these today and they turned out beautifully! I used 3 1/2 cups of flour and that was perfect. I made them into 15 rolls which came out to roughly 67 grams of dough for each one. These are going to be perfect for meatballs sliders. The recipe was easy to follow and quick with just 1.5 hours of total rising time. I can start the recipe mid-afternoon and have it ready in time for dinner. Highly recommend this recipe! Thank you!

Nikki Alford
3 years ago

5 stars
I am new to using sourdough starter. This was the first recipe I tried and they were amazing! Thank you for a simple, easy to follow, but delicious recipe. I have made these several times now and they are always a success.

Dora
3 years ago

And can it be done in grams? If do what is the guide for a cup to grams.

Terrah
3 years ago

5 stars
Perfection! I have saved this recipe and will use it again. Wonderful recipe and DELICIOUS rolls. Thank you for easy to follow instructions!

Jillian
1 year ago

5 stars
These rolls are just fantastic. I made a couple slight adjustments: subbed butter for the oil, doubled the salt, tripled the sugar and added flaky sea salt to the tops of the rolls after adding the egg wash. They were a huge Friendsgiving hit!! Thank you so much!

Seth
1 year ago

5 stars
Just made these jewels for Easter dinner tomorrow. Fabulous recipe, every baker ought to give this one a go. Made a 1.5 batch (half again added ingredients) and that perfectly fit 20 rolls in my 14″ cast iron skillet. What a great use of sourdough discards. Also, added some garden fresh minced rosemary to the dough which adds another wonderful dimension.
Bring on the butter!!!

Cams Papa
2 years ago

5 stars
I’ve been baking with sourdough starter for about 2 years. Tried many bread and rolls recipes. This is by far the best recipe for sourdough rolls I have tried. The recipe is easy to follow and the rolls are light, fluffy and delicious!