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.
Is the dough supposed to be stiff? 😅
I’m attempting to do stretch and folds, but my dough is very stiff.
Hi Michaela, did you measure the flour with kitchen scale or measuring cups?
I’m making these today with plans to bake them tomorrow. If you do the recipe straight through, it says to rise for 3-4 hours, but if pulling from fridge it says to rise 2-3 hours. Is this shortened because it still does some rising in the fridge? Thank you!
Yes that's correct.
Hi! I am kaking these one day ahead and don't want to bake until right before dinner. Should I shape the balls and then store in fridge, or should I store in fridge and shape into little balls before baking? Any tips here? 😀 Thanks!!
Hi Tal, yes shape them in step 4, then cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days. When you're ready to bake, let the rolls rise at room temperature for 2-3 hours, and then proceed with baking as directed.
Should I use cane sugar or regular sugar? Thank you so much for the detailed recipe. Trying it tomorrow.
Hi Sally, you can use either.
I make sourdough bread frequently, and was missing soft bread. This recepie is great.
My dough is very tough, not what I expected. I measured using a scale and followed the instructions exactly. Any thoughts as to why? and will they still turn out or should I try another batch?
Hi Emily, what type and brand of flour are you using?
These rolls are amazing!! I am wanting to quadruple the recipe for thanksgiving. Do I need to do anything different? Also I would like to use my huge stainless steel bowl for the dough. Will the stainless affect it at all?
Hi Kourtney, thank you! Yes, you can quadruple the recipe. Stainless steel won't affect the dough.
Did a test run on these this weekend and they turned out perfect on my first attempt! Family loved them. So we are definitely bring these tomorrow for Thanksgiving! Have my triple batch of dough sitting now in my kitchen!!! Thank you so much for such an amazing recipe!!!
When I click on the link for the baking dish it brings me to a ceramic one. I can use a glass baking dish I usually make casseroles in and still get soft rolls right? I plan to make these for Thanksgiving tomorrow, thank you so much!
HI Angelika, yes you can use a glass baking dish.
My house is sitting at 75 F. I have a hard time telling when my dough has risen to 50%. Do you have any hints or should I just cut the 2 hours down by 15 minutes or so. I will be refrigerating after shaping and baking tomorrow.
I would cut it down by 30 minutes and then let them rise longer after you take them out of the fridge if necessary.