These are a special recipe to me because they’re so different from what you expect to find in a sourdough roll. Incredibly soft and fluffy instead of the usual crusty, chewy texture. The starter adds deep and tangy flavor, and all the milk and butter keep them tender and pillowy light. Yes, they take some time (hello, overnight rise!), but the actual hands-on work is super simple, and I’ll walk you through every single step.
These are perfect for holiday dinners of course, but don’t let that limit you. They’re also just the thing for making sliders or for a regular family dinner.
Table of Contents
Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need
We are using an active starter here, so make sure yours is strong and bubbly before you start. Bread flour helps give the rolls their structure. If you don’t have any, you can use all-purpose flour and a tablespoon of vital wheat gluten.
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This will make 12 rolls. If you’d like to double or triple this recipe, you can make adjustments in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. You can also switch over to metric measurements if you prefer to weigh your ingredients.
Equipment
- 9×13 baking dish
- Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 100 grams active sourdough starter (½ cup) (here’s how to make your own starter)
- 24 grams sugar (2 tablespoons)
- 200 grams milk, warmed (¾ cup + 1 tablespoon)
- 56 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled (¼ cup)
- 6 grams salt (1¼ teaspoons)
- 350 grams bread flour (2½ cups)
For Shaping/Topping
- 32 grams all-purpose flour, for dusting and shaping (¼ cup)
- 1 egg, used as egg wash
Instructions
Step One: Make The Dough
Put the warm milk, sugar, salt, melted butter, and starter in a big bowl. Mix it up. Add 1 cup of bread flour and stir. Add the rest of the flour and mix until it comes together. The dough will be sticky! That’s normal.
Step Two: Let It Sit
Cover and wait 30 minutes.
Step Three: Stretch And Fold
Wet your hands so the dough doesn’t stick. Grab one side, stretch it up, and fold it over. Turn the bowl, do it two more times. Flip the dough, cover, and wait 30 minutes. Do this whole thing THREE times total.
Step Four: Long Rise
After the third stretch session, cover and let it rise overnight, 10 to 16 hours, until doubled. If you’ve got a cold kitchen, it’ll take longer. You can put it in a warmed, turned-off oven.
Step Five: Shape And Rise
Grease your 9×13 pan. Add some flour to your counter, and dump out the dough. Divide it into 12 pieces and roll into balls using flour so they don’t stick. Put the balls in your pan, brush with beaten egg, and cover. Let them rise 30 minutes to 1 hour somewhere warm.
Step Six: Bake
Heat your oven to 375°F and bake them for 30 minutes until golden. Cool for 20 minutes before eating.
Storage Instructions
Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for 4 days.
They freeze really well, too. Once they are completely cooled, place them on a baking sheet and freeze them for about 30 minutes. This prevents them from sticking together. Then, put them in a freezer-safe container and store for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, preheat your oven to 350°F. Place the frozen rolls on a baking sheet and heat for about 10-15 minutes, or until they are warmed through. This helps them taste freshly baked again.
Questions and Troubleshooting
Yes, you can substitute whole wheat flour, but keep in mind that the rolls will be denser. Use half whole wheat and half bread flour to make them lighter.
Don’t worry! Make sure your kitchen is warm enough, around 70-75°F. If it’s too cool, the dough may take longer to rise. You can also try placing the bowl in the oven with just the light on to create a warmer environment.
Your starter should be bubbly and double in size after feeding it. If it’s not bubbly, give it more time to ferment and become active.
More Sourdough Rolls To Make
Once you’ve mastered them, the world is your oyster.
- Sourdough burger buns are perfect for summer BBQs.
- These sourdough bread bowls are a little different and are excellent for serving soup in.
- I’ve made these crusty sourdough rolls every week for the last fifteen years. You should too!
- Crusty Italian sourdough rolls come together quickly and are mostly hands-off.
Printable Recipe
Soft Sourdough Dinner Rolls
Equipment
- 9×13 baking dish
- Large mixing bowl
Ingredients
For the Dough
- ½ cup active sourdough starter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon milk warmed
- ¼ cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 ½ cups bread flour
For Shaping/Topping
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour used for dusting and shaping
- 1 egg used as egg wash
Instructions
- Make dough. In a large mixing bowl, add the milk, sugar, salt, butter, and the active sourdough starter. Mix everything together with a whisk or bread whisk. Next, mix in 1 cup of bread flour. Then add the rest of the bread flour and mix everything together to form dough.
- Rest. Let the dough sit, covered, for 30 minutes. The dough will be pretty sticky, but this is normal.
- Stretch and folds. Wet your hands with water (to prevent the dough from sticking to your hands) and grab one section of the dough. Stretch the dough out and fold it over. Turn the bowl by ⅓ and repeat two more times, getting all sides of the dough. Flip the dough over, cover the bowl, and let it sit for 30 more minutes. Repeat the stretch and folds process two more times for a total of 3 stretch and folds sessions.
- Overnight rise. After the three stretch and folds, let the dough rise overnight for 10-16 hours, until it is doubled in size. Keep in mind that the rise time can vary depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
- Shape. Grease a 9×13 casserole dish with some baking spray. Using the all-purpose flour, dust your working surface and turn the dough out onto the floured surface. Separate the dough into 12 equal parts and shape them into balls. You will want to use some of the all-purpose flour to help prevent the dough from sticking to your hands.
- Second rise. Place the 12 dough balls into the prepared baking dish. Brush the top of the rolls with some egg wash, cover, and let them rise for 30 minutes to 1 hour in a warm place.
- Bake. Preheat the oven to 375℉ and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let them cool for 20 minutes before serving.
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Notes
Nutrition
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