Julie Clark
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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.
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
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.
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.
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.
You can also make a loaf of sourdough bread with discard or sourdough pizza crust recipe.
Sourdough Rolls
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
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
Other Sourdough Recipes
- Sourdough Bread
- Sourdough Pancakes
- Egg Breakfast Casserole with Sourdough Bread
- Amish Friendship Sourdough Starter
- Amish Friendship Bread Recipe
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!
Hi I just made these rolls a couple weeks ago. The texture was amazing they came out so soft and fluffy. However, the taste was a bit too sour. I know they are supposed to be a little sour but is there a way to make them sweeter? Could I add more sugar or add less starter? Its too late to try a different recipe because I want to make them for Thanksgiving which is only a couple days away. Thanks!
I’ve never made rolls before so I was confused about what speed to use on the mixer when kneading for seven minutes. I used low, so I’ll see when they are done.
These are awesome. I made them exactly to the recipe except I divided them into 15. I’m about to try making the dough and freezing them before the final rise to see if that works. Thanks for this recipe. Love it.
Love this recipe. I’m a batch kinda person. So I save up my extra sourdough starter (and feeding makes it add up fast) and use this recipe on a prep day to use up the extra. I make batches of this on the dough setting on my bread machine. I have used it as rolls, bread sticks, hot dog buns, and hamburger buns. Recipe is consistent and forgiving. Makes my own connivence food.
Excellent recipe and obviously well-tested by the author. These were the best bread product of any kind that I have ever made, and a great way to use up sourdough discard.
These were PERFECT, I was impressed by how fluffy they were. Not my first time making rolls, but I usually don’t use my sourdough discard for rolls. I will now!
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?
And can it be done in grams? If do what is the guide for a cup to grams.
What is 1 cup in ml? When I checked there is some differing measurements for a cup
I followed exactly and they turned out so perfect, this was my first time ever making rolls but they looked picture perfect thank u, this recipie is going in my best recipies of all time book we use at home, thanks so much, we will enjoy for generations to come
Can I put them in the fridge overnight for the second rise?
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!
My rolls are crunchy on the outside
This was a very simple recipe with great instructions. My go to recipe from now on when I need dinner rolls. Thank you for sharing!
I don’t care that I “cheated “ by using yeast in a sourdough recipe. These are out of this world delicious. Made 16 generous sized rolls. Thanks for an amazing recipe. Followed exactly and now have a new go-to.