Soft Sourdough Dinner Rolls
Soft sourdough dinner rolls are everything you ever dreamed of!
These amazing pull-apart-style dinner rolls are soft and fluffy with just a touch of sweetness. Like our sourdough pumpkin dinner rolls and sourdough sweet potato rolls, you won't believe how easy they are to make!
Hi guys, I'm so excited to bring you this simple recipe for soft sourdough dinner rolls. We've been in the kitchen testing dinner roll recipes for weeks, and we are finally ready to share them with you!
These sourdough dinner rolls are the pull-apart kind of rolls that everyone goes crazy for.
The taste reminds me of a cross between the sweet yeast rolls they used to serve at restaurants like O'Charleys® and the little rolls you get at Chick-Fil-A® with the chicken nuggets for breakfast.
Serve these rolls alongside dinner or turn them into ham and cheese sliders for a delicious lunch or appetizer.
The dough can be mixed in the morning and baked up fresh for dinner the same day.
They are so easy to make and are completely irresistible!
What you need
- active sourdough starter
- bread flour
- water
- salt
- butter
- milk
- sugar
Here are a few ways to modify this recipe if needed.
- Bread flour - All-purpose can be substituted for bread flour.
- Sugar - The recipe calls for 3 tablespoons of sugar, but it can be reduced to 1 tablespoon if needed.
- milk/butter - Non-dairy butter and milk can be used as vegan options.
Equipment needed
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Sample baking schedule
The following baking schedule has been tested in a kitchen with an ambient temperature of 68°F (20°C).
- 8:00 PM: Feed sourdough starter.
- 7:30 AM: Melt butter, milk, salt, and sugar, and allow it to cool down to room temperature.
- 8:00 AM: Mix dough and let rest 1 hour.
- 9:00 AM: Stretch and fold dough, cover, and let rest 30 minutes.
- 9:30 AM: Stretch and fold dough, cover, and let rest 30 minutes.
- 10:00 AM: Stretch and fold dough, cover, and let rest 2 hours.
- 12:00 PM: Divide the dough, place in a baking dish, cover, and let rise for 3-4 hours or until puffy.
- 4:00 PM: Bake.
NOTE: Warmer kitchens need less time to rise; colder kitchens will need more time to rise.
How to make them
Let's go over the steps needed to make these amazingly soft sourdough dinner rolls.
Step 1: This recipe calls for an active sourdough starter, so you will need to have it bubbly and ready when you mix the dough. I feed my starter the night before I want to make the rolls.
Step 2: Melt the butter, milk, sugar, and salt over low heat in a saucepan. Allow it to cool completely. Mix the liquid with the sourdough starter and flour in a mixing bowl. Cover and let rest 1 hour at room temperature.
Step 3: Perform 3 sets of stretch-and-folds, spaced 30 minutes apart. After the last set, cover the bowl and let the dough rest at room temperature for 2 hours.
NOTE: The dough is ready to shape when it has risen by about 50%. Adjust the rise time based on your kitchen's temperature.
Step 4: Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Each piece should weigh approximately 65g using a kitchen scale.
TIP: If you don't have a kitchen scale, gently press the dough into a rectangle and use your best judgment to cut it into even portions.
Shape each piece into a ball by gathering up the sides and pinching them together.
Turn the dough over so the seam side is down on the work surface, then gently form a smooth ball.
Place the dough balls into a lightly greased, glass baking dish. Cover the rolls with a kitchen towel and allow them to rise at room temperature for 3-4 hours.
TIP: If you'd like to prepare the dough and bake the rolls later, shape the rolls, cover the dish with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to 36 hours. When ready to bake, allow them to rise a second time at room temperature until puffy, then bake.
The picture below shows the rolls when they are first shaped on the left, and after they have risen for 3 hours on the right.
Step 5: Bake the rolls in a 375°F (204°C) oven for 25-30 minutes. The top of the rolls should be light golden brown, and a digital thermometer inserted in the center should read at least 190°F (88°C).
Brush the tops with melted butter after they come out of the oven. Carefully remove the rolls from the baking dish and serve hot!
Pro Sourdough Tip
Kitchen temperature: It's very important to take your kitchen's ambient temperature into account when working with sourdough. Our recipes are tested in a kitchen that is 68°F (20°C). If your kitchen is warmer, you will need to reduce the first and second rise times to avoid over-proving the dough.
baking dish: Baking the rolls in a glass baking dish gave us the softest rolls. They can be baked in a 9" x 13" metal tin, but you will need to bake them at 400°F (204°C) for less ti
How to Store
- Store the baked dinner rolls in a bread bag or wrapped in a tea towel at room temperature for up to 3 days.
- The baked rolls can be frozen for up to 3 months, stored in a freezer-safe bag.
- To freeze before baking, shape the rolls, place them in a freezer-safe baking dish, and cover with plastic wrap and foil. When ready to bake, thaw in the fridge overnight, then let them rise at room temperature for 3-4 hours before baking.
- If you want to prepare the rolls ahead of time without freezing, shape them in step 4 of the recipe card below, then cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 36-48 hours. When you're ready to bake, let the rolls rise at room temperature for 2-3 hours, then bake as directed.
- To reheat rolls, tent the baking dish with foil and bake at 350°F (176°C) for 15-20 minutes.
More simple sourdough recipes
When it comes to sourdough, simple is the name of our game! Check out our delicious sourdough recipes for home bakers. Each recipe comes with step-by-step instructions so that you can make delicious sourdough baked goods with confidence.
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Soft Sourdough Dinner Rolls Recipe
EQUIPMENT
- 9" x 13" glass baking dish See notes for using a metal baking dish or silicone
Before You Begin
INGREDIENTS
Ingredients to make ½ cup (100 g) of Active Sourdough Starter
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) sourdough starter
- ⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon (50 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 ½ tablespoons (50) water
Dough Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) butter
- 1 cup (240 g) milk
- 3 tablespoons (44 g) sugar (or 2 tablespoons of honey)
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) salt
- ½ cup (100 g) active sourdough starter
- 3 cups + 2 tablespoons (375 g) bread flour
- 1 tablespoon melted butter (for brushing the top of the rolls after baking)
INSTRUCTIONS
Feed Your Starter
- 8 PM Feed starter: 12 hours before you plan to mix the dough, add the ingredients to make ½ cup (100 g) of active sourdough starter to a clean jar. Stir until combined, loosely cover the jar and let the starter rise at room temperature. (The ingredients will create a total of 115 g active starter but, because some of it will stick to the sides of the jar during the transfer, we are making a little more than needed.) The sourdough starter is ready to use when it has doubled in size and there are plenty of bubbles on the surface and sides of the jar.
Make the Dough
- 7:30 AM Melt butter: In a small saucepan, melt the butter, milk, sugar and salt together over low heat. Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl and allow it to cool down to room temperature.
- 8 AM Mix the dough: Add the flour and active sourdough starter to the bowl of the cooled butter mixture and stir with a spatula until the ingredients are combined and there are no dry bits left in the bowl. Cover the bowl and allow to rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
- 9 AM First rise: Perform 3 sets of stretch and folds spaced 30 minutes apart, keeping the bowl covered between sets. To perform a set, pick up the dough on one side and stretch it up and over itself. Turn the bowl a quarter turn and repeat this step until you have turned the bowl a full circle. After the final set, cover and allow the dough to rise for 2 hours or until it has risen by 50% in size. (See preliminary notes above for using a stand mixer.)
- 12 PM Shape and Second rise: Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide it into 12 pieces, approximately 65 grams each. Shape each piece into a ball by gathering up the sides and pinching them together. Turn the dough over so that the seam side is down on the work surface and gently form a smooth ball. Arrange them in a lightly greased glass baking dish. Cover the dish with a tea towel and let rise for 3-4 hours.
- 4 PM Bake: About 20 minutes before you are ready to bake preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Bake for 25-30 minutes or until they are golden brown on top. The internal temperature of the rolls should be 190°F when fully baked. Brush the top of the roll with melted butter and serve. Please see the notes below for important instructions on how to make ahead and freeze.
These were absolutely heavenly! The best, lightest, fluffiest texture I have ever gotten from a dinner roll recipe (I used bread flour)! I did everything through the first rise, shaped them, and then put them in the refrigerator overnight because that is what my schedule allowed. The next morning I took them out, put them into my cold oven with the light on, and they rose beautifully in about 3 hours. Then baked them. Amazing recipe!! Thank you for sharing!
This is a great recipe for dinner, snacks or my favorite, basement full of neighborhood kids. Soft fluffy goodness.
Love these rolls but I need a little advice. Mine come out looking kind of pale. Any thoughts on what could cause this?
I shorted the sugar a bit, maybe by 15g. Could that have done it?
Hi Desirae, we’re so glad you love the rolls! Paler tops can happen for a few reasons. While sugar does contribute to browning, it’s more likely they need a minute or two longer in the oven—just be careful not to overbake. Another possibility is that your oven might be running cooler than the set temperature. I always recommend using an oven thermometer to check if the temperature is accurate. Baking on a higher rack can also help with browning by getting the rolls closer to the heat source. Hope this helps! 😊
Thank you for the reply. I forgot to include that after 24 minutes at 375 they were temping at 200. Would an egg wash help?
Yes you can use an egg wash!
Can these be baked and then froze?
Yes!
Should the dough come together to be not shaggy and instead smoother than when mixing up a traditional sourdough loaf?
Yes this is a smoother dough.
Could I add inclusions in these before shaping, such as rosemary? Or would that be better just sprinkled on top after baking?
Yes you can add them before shaping!
I just found this recipe and I LOVE the times listed! I have not made this yet, but I will this weekend. I'm always calculating times for bread recipes and this one already did that for me. THANK YOU!!!
My rolls double at 1.5 hours. Should I bake
I need more than a dozen rolls. Can this recipe be doubled successfully or do I need to make it in two batches?
Hi Donna, yes this recipe can be doubled.
If I already have active sourdough starter on my counter and it is ready to go. Can I use just 1/2 cup of that instead of using the ratio you have to make a 1/2 cup??
Thank you.
Hi Dana, yes, you can use the active starter you already have!
I have made these several times and they’re always a hit!!
Do you have recommendations for freezing the shaped dough and baking at a later time? Id like to make these and sell for a bake sale fundraiser