The Best-Ever Crusty Sourdough Rolls (Easy Recipe!)

Learn how to make crusty and chewy sourdough rolls using a small amount of yeast and a special steam technique in your oven. These are great as dinner rolls and a simple way to use your sourdough starter!

❤️ Why you’ll love this recipe

• Delicious. These rolls are a reader favorite. They are not authentic, artisan-style sourdough. But these crusty rolls are delicious, beautiful, and foolproof. (If you’re looking for a similar roll made with yeast, try bread machine crusty rolls.)
• Easy. There is a time and a place for artisan sourdough involving many tools with French names. This is not it. This recipe is for when you just want some really good rolls. They have a crisp crust, soft interior, and good flavor. There is a slight sourdough tang, but it is totally undetectable by my kids. More of just a depth of flavor.
• Versatile. Perfect for sandwiches, dinner, and just about anything else.

It only took me a million different tries to get this recipe right. 😉 I really hope you like them.

🧂 Ingredients

This is an overview of the ingredients. You’ll find the full measurements and instructions in the printable recipe at the bottom of the page.

You’ll need the following for these crusty, chewy rolls:

• active sourdough starter 
• bread flour 
• water 
• sugar
• salt
• yeast

🥣 Equipment

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• A kitchen scale: I highly recommend weighing the ingredients if you have a digital scale. If you don’t, I’ve included volume measurements as well. This is especially important with sourdough recipes since the volume can vary wildly depending on how much air is in your starter.
• Bread flour: Bread flour is important to get a crusty, chewy texture. If you are using all-purpose flour, the texture won’t be quite the same, and you’ll need to use a little more flour. (I recommend King Arthur bread flour for all my bread recipes.)
• A bread machine. Not necessary, but will make this recipe a breeze. You only need a basic one, since all it will do is knead and rise the dough.
• Instant yeast. It’s the best for home bakers.
• Parchment paper that lays flat on the baking sheet. Much easier to deal with!

🍴Instructions

Step One: prep your starter

Make sure your sourdough starter is active, bubbly, and recently fed. The better your starter, the better your rolls. Even though these use a small amount of yeast, they still rely on the starter.

Most sourdough starter is a thick, pourable liquid the consistency of pancake batter. If yours is thicker or thinner, you will need to adjust the amount of water, so start with a lesser amount and add more slowly if needed.

Step Two: mix the dough

If you are used to baking artisan sourdough, the dough will probably seem very dry to you. Since we are forming it into rolls, it needs to keep its shape. So the texture is more like traditional bread dough. If you add too much water, you will have flat rolls.

After the autolyze period, we will knead in the salt and yeast. I like to put the salt and yeast in a little dish on top of the towel so I don’t forget about them.

Step three: knead

You can knead this dough by hand, with a stand mixer, or using a bread machine on the dough cycle.

To knead by hand

Fold the dough in the half, then punch it down. Stretch it out again, fold, and punch. Repeat this process for at least five minutes, until the dough is stretchy and smooth. You should be able to pull it flat without tearing it.

Kneading with a stand mixer

Place the dough in your mixer bowl with the dough hook and let it run on low for five to ten minutes.

Bread machine method

Simply add everything in the bucket and select the dough cycle. When the machine beeps, you’ll have a risen dough that’s ready to shape. I use this method the most.

Step Four: shape

You’ll want a sharp knife to divide the dough into eight equal pieces. If you want the rolls exactly equal, use a digital scale and measure in grams.

Make sure you do not smash the dough down to try to smooth it out. Pinch the bottom of the dough until the top has a smooth, round top. Don’t handle it too much, just pinch and place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

After shaping, dust flour on top and slash with a lame or a serrated knife.

Step Five: the second rise

These rolls will complete their second rise in about forty-five minutes to one hour. They will not double in size but will look quite puffy. If you’re looking for a warm place for the dough to rise, try turning your oven on for a minute, then turning it off and tucking the rolls in there. Just be sure to remove them before you preheat!

Step six: bake with steam

This is one of the keys to a great oven spring. Don’t be afraid of this process.

Set up your oven like this, with a metal-rimmed baking sheet on a lower rack. (Do not use glass, or it will shatter!)

Let the oven preheat with the baking sheet on the lower rack. You’ll pour water on just before you place the rolls inside, which will create steam. This will make the rolls rise nice and high with a beautiful crust.

🥫 Storage instructions

This recipe will keep well at room temperature for three days, tightly wrapped and just hanging out on the counter.

They also freeze very well. After they’ve cool to room temperature, pack them up in a freezer bag and they will keep fine for at least a month.

To reheat rolls without drying them out, defrost for a minute or so in the microwave at the defrost setting. Then wrap them in foil and place them in a warm (not hot!) oven for 5-10 minutes.

🔍 FAQs

👩🏻‍🍳 Expert tips

• Always shape rolls by pinching the bottoms. Smashing them down will make them dense and ugly.
• Don’t skip the steam! It’s the magic that makes these so good!

📘 Related Recipes

• Sourdough Burger Buns are softer but still delicious.
• Bread machine sourdough is the easiest way to get an authentic sourdough loaf.
• Or if you are after a more open crumb loaf, try my artisan sourdough tutorial.

• Easy Bread Machine Sandwich Rolls
• Soft Sourdough Sandwich Bread
• Sourdough Sandwich Bread (Soft, No Yeast, Easy!)

🍽 Serve it with

These are great with Sunday dinner. Try these too:

• Oven Roasted Chicken with butter and herb
• Cheddar scalloped potatoes
• Broccoli salad
• Brown sugar apple pie

🍅 make it along with me

📖 Here’s the recipe