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 it 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 that they used to serve at restaurants like O'Charleys® and the little rolls that you get at Chik-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 if needed to 1 tablespoon.
- milk/butter - Non dairy butter and milk can be used for a vegan option.
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 lest 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 dough, place in baking dish, cover and let rise 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 active sourdough starter so you will need to have your starter active and bubbly when you go to 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 rising time according to the temperature of your kitchen.
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 rectangular shape and use your best judgement to cut into even portions.
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.
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 at a later time, shape the rolls, cover the dish with plastic and keep in the fridge for up to 36 hours. When ready to bake, allow them to have the second rise at room temperature until puffy and proceed with baking.
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) 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!
Tips for success
- kitchen temperature: It's very important to take the ambient temperature of your kitchen 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 your rising time in the first and second rise 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 time. Check on the rolls around 22-25 minutes to make sure they don't over-bake.
How to store them
- 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.
More simple sourdough recipes
When it comes to sourdough, simple is the name of our game! Check out our delicious sourdough recipes that are made for home bakers. Each recipe comes with step-by-step instructions so that you can make delicious sourdough baked goods with confidence.
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.
Are the stand mixer instructions in place of the stretch and folds or do you do those afterward? Thanks!
Yes they are!
What temperature and for how long should we cook it if it’s in silicone muffin tins?
bake the rolls at 400°F (204°C) and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Can I freeze them after they were baked and still reheat them without drying them out?
They are so good, but trying to prepare plenty for Thanksgiving.
Hi Amanda, to me the best way is to bake them and then freeze them after they have cooled completely. Once they thaw out and are reheating, they taste like they have been freshly baked!
What is the best reheating method once they’ve thawed? Do you wrap them in foil or just put them back in the glass dish, uncovered?
Cover them with a piece of foil and bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes or until they are heated through.
Cover with a piece of foil and bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes or until they are heated through.
Would almond or oat milk work in this recipe?
Yes
The flavor was great but I never really had any rise and these came out very dense and heavy. Willing to give them another go but not sure what, if anything, went wrong as I saw a few similar comments but also many positive ones.
They probably need to be proofed longer
I took the shaped rolls out of the fridge this morning and am allowing them to rise for a few hours before baking today….do I put a wet or dry tea towel over them?
Hello, a dry towel.
I’m so happy with this recipe and these rolls. They are perfect! Easy, tasty and soft.
After 3 hours rising on the counter the balls don’t look any different than when I first shaped them. Are they supposed to end up rising enough to be touching after rising? I remember having this problem last year too. They were still tasty but very small.
Hi Robyn, you may need to find a warmer spot in your kitchen to help them rise quicker.
My dough is so tough and dry but I follower the recipe exactly. Has anyone had that happen and still seen success?
Hi Katie, how did you measure the ingredients, with cups or with a scale using grams?
I just had this exact issue happen. I used the cups measurement for flour instead of grams, and my dough turned out so stiff and dry. I couldn't figure out what I did wrong, so I weighed the same number of cups of flour I added. It's WAY off compared to what the recipe has listed. I'm going to start over and use the grams measurement instead. I know better than to use cups with sourdough recipes, so that's what I get for trying to avoid another dirty dish.
Hi Jessica! When measuring flour with cups, it’s important to use the scoop-and-level method. It’s the closest you’ll get to the correct gram measurement. If the cups are packed or dipped straight into the flour, you’ll end up with much more flour than intended, which can make the dough stiff and dry. For the most accurate results, we always recommend using a kitchen scale. It ensures perfect measurements every time and it means fewer dishes to wash!
Hi Amy,
Thankyou for all the wonderful recipes! I just baked the soft sourdough dinner roll recipe for the first time, they came out looking and tasting great, but they were very dense. I mixed the dough as directed, but it seemed way to dry, I had a heck of a time getting it to stick together, and, I could barely stretch and fold without tearing the dough, it was super stiff!
What could I do to make them more fuffly!
I'm going to make them for Thanksgiving next week, please help!
Thanks again, Jim Paulson
I’m having the same issue! So dense and dry. I couldn’t perform a stretch and fold. I tried my mixer but it didn’t help. Hoping it rises and softens? I followed directions precisely and am hoping to have these for Thanksgiving
Hi Lori, do you mind sharing what brand and type of flour you are using?
my question sent on the 22nd was the only only one not answered, please let me know as I am baking these Wed.
Hi Jim, I am sorry that your question was not answered, please accept my apologies! If your dough is too stiff, try adding about 25-50 g more liquid during the initial mix. This is a stiffer dough but it should be relaxed enough to stretch and fold. The other advice I can give is to use the stand mixer for the kneading process. Again, I am so sorry for this late reply!
I made these last year with vegan butter and everyone loved them! Would it be possible to use olive oil instead of butter?