Julie Clark
Posted: Updated:
Sourdough Rolls
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.
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 turn that sourdough discard in your fridge 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 home bakers 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.
Need some starter? We’ve got a complete guide on how to make sourdough starter.
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.
- We normally use granulated sugar in this recipe, but we’ve also used coconut sugar and honey. Choose whichever you’d like.
Before you begin: Tips for Making Sourdough Rolls
This is one of the easiest yeast bread recipes I make. Use a stand mixer to mix and knead yeast dough, but knead the dough by hand if you don’t have one. 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 tips before you begin:
- Be sure that your water isn’t too hot when you add the yeast. It should be around 110-115 degrees Fahrenheit.
- 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.
- These rolls rise twice, but the second rise is only about 15 minutes while the oven is preheating for baking.
- 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 to Make Sourdough Rolls
- Proof the yeast. 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.
- Mix the dough. Add the eggs, oil, starter and salt. Mix on low speed until combined. 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 until a dough forms. It should not feel dry, but yet shouldn’t stick all over your hands.
- Knead the dough. Knead the dough using the dough hook on the stand mixer for about 5-7 minutes or until the dough feels smooth, springs back if you touch it and doesn’t feel too sticky.
- First rise. 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 30-45 minutes or until nearly doubled.
- Shape the rolls. 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.
- Preheat the oven. Allow the dough to rise while the oven preheats to 375ºF.
- Bread wash for golden brown rolls. 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. Bake the rolls for about 20-22 minutes. Allow the rolls to cool on a wire rack.
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?
- 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.
Other Sourdough Recipes
- Sourdough Bread
- Pumpkin Bread with Sourdough Discard
- Sourdough Pancakes
- Sourdough Pumpkin Pancakes
- Egg Breakfast Casserole with Sourdough Bread – a great way to use leftover sourdough rolls!
- Amish Friendship Sourdough Starter
- Amish Friendship Bread Recipe
You can also make a loaf of sourdough bread with discard, sourdough pie crust, 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 discard.
Servings 12
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Rise Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup warm water 110-115ºF
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 package instant yeast (2 ¼ teaspoons)
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 cup sourdough starter discard (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. ½ cup warm water, 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- Sprinkle the yeast over the water. Allow it to sit for 2-3 minutes. 1 package instant yeast
- 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. 2 large eggs, 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 cup sourdough starter discard, 1 teaspoon salt
- 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! 3-4 cups all-purpose flour
- Knead the dough using the dough hook on the stand mixer for about 5-7 minutes or until the dough feels smooth, springs back if you touch it and doesn't feel too sticky.
- 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 30-45 minutes or until nearly 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 while the oven preheats to 375ºF.
- 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. 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon water
- Bake the rolls for about 20-22 minutes. Allow the rolls to cool on a wire rack.
Video
Notes
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.
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
Perfection! I have saved this recipe and will use it again. Wonderful recipe and DELICIOUS rolls. Thank you for easy to follow instructions!
Love this recipe. Was wondering if you have tried freezing the dough balls before they rise & then letting them rise & bake at a different time.
I have tried 4 or 5 different bun recipes with sourdough starter. These are flawless. FLAWLESS.
I printed this recipe on 4/26/20 when I started my sourdough starter. I finally made them today and they taste really good and they’re huge! I made 12 like the recipe said (I usually follow a recipe exactly the first time I make it). The recipe I printed didn’t say anything about an egg wash. They still taste great and are fluffy, but definitely could have used the egg wash. I’ll try again with the updated recipe.
The 12-roll recipe calls for 2 eggs. Are both eggs added in step 3, or should one egg be reserved for step 10?
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.
I have made these twice and they are a staple in our family now. They made wonderfull dinner rolls but we also made them to use with smoked pull pork. We freeze the leftover rolls for the family to use when I am out of town with meals. The girls also like to toast the rolls for breakfast instead of toast. Thanks for sharing.
These were so so good. Followed the recipe exactly and loved these rolls. We served hot out of the oven with tuna as a sandwich. Very delish.
To make the rolls more ‘sour’ have you tried adding citric acid? If so, how much would you add to the standard 12 roll count recipe? Also, thank you for the serving calculator and choice between US standard measurements and metric. Big help!
First time made dinner rolls with Friendship bread discard. Fabulous. So big and fluffy–will spread it out to 15 rolls next time.
Tonight I made cinnamon rolls using recipe for dough exactly as listed. Again, Friendship Bread discard. Incredible!
I just made these and they taste like French dinner rolls with no sourdough tang whatsoever. What am I doing wrong? Is it my starter?
Everything else was perfect and the texture and coloring just missing the bite!
If you put commerical yeast in it, then by definition it is NOT sourdough. Looks like a good way to use up discard and add some flavor, but it is not sourdough rolls.
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 🧑🍳💛
Hi! Can I use butter instead of vegetable oil?
I’m new to sourdough and not really liking the bread I’ve made so far after trying several recipes. But these rolls are superb! Exactly the taste and texture I was looking for. I made these last weekend And am now making again Memorial Day weekend. I did sneak in a little extra sugar, curious how it will taste. I have the gold yeast that’s supposed to work well with sweet breads. We shall see. 😁😁 Quick question, I have bought yeast rolls from freezer section of grocer that are frozen in dough form. Could these be frozen like that and… Read more »