Name: Simple Sourdough Dinner Rolls Recipe
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 12 h 45 min
Yield: 12
Cuisine: Breads
Ingredients: 100 grams Sourdough Starter, active (1/2 Cup); 60 grams Honey or Cane Sugar (1/4 Cup); 240 grams Whole Milk (1 Cup); 60 grams Melted Butter, unsalted (1/4 Cup); 8 grams Sea Salt (1 1/4 tsp); 375 grams Unbleached Flour (3 Cups); 1 Tbs melted butter for brushing rolls

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Soft and fluffy, this sourdough dinner rolls recipe is quick and easy to make and is the perfect side to add to your dinner. Make it the night before for a longer fermentation, or mix the dough up in the morning and have delicious sourdough dinner rolls by supper.

There is just something about a basket of warm, freshly baked rolls set out on the dinner table that makes an ordinary evening meal feel so special. With this sourdough dinner rolls recipe, you can easily elevate a weeknight meal with minimal effort. Your family or dinner guests will absolutely love these buttery soft sourdough rolls!

The great thing about this sourdough dinner rolls recipe is how versatile it is to work with your schedule and your needs. One option is to make the dough ahead of time and enjoy the long fermentation benefits that sourdough offers. Alternatively, you can mix the dough up in the morning, shape a few hours before dinner, and bake while you finish cooking your dinner for the freshest rolls hot out of the oven. Either way, these rolls are sure to become a staple.

sourdough dinner rolls recipe rolls in bowl with tea towel on table

How to serve sourdough for dinner?

There are so many ways to serve sourdough with dinner. This sourdough dinner rolls recipe pairs well with so many dinners such as alongside soup, pasta dishes, steak and veggies, roasted chicken, pork chops, and so much more. Another option for serving sourdough with dinner would be to add slices of a rustic sourdough loaf on the side, warmed and topped with butter or olive oil and sea salt. If you are having fajitas or taco meat, I would add these delicious sourdough tortillas.

What is the secret to good sourdough bread?

There are definitely ways to ensure you are making really good sourdough bread. Some of the things I have learned that helps achieve great sourdough bread is to use a well-maintained sourdough starter when it is at its peak rise. This usually occurs around 6-8 hours after being fed. However, temperature can affect the rise time. In warmer months, you may notice your sourdough starter hitting its peak around 4 hours, whereas in the winter months, it could take closer to 12 hours because of the cooler ambient air.

Another tip is to keep your dough warm and moist as it rises. Place the bowl in a warm spot of the house as the dough rises, or in the oven with the light on or on proofing mode. Keep the dough covered with a damp tea towel so that the dough does not dry out. This is especially important in more arid climates. If you notice the top of the dough gets dried out at any point, you can lightly mist the dough with water.

How do you make sourdough bread lighter and fluffier?

Making sourdough bread light and fluffy depends greatly on using a well-maintained sourdough starter that is at its peak rise and activity when the dough is mixed. This will ensure the dough rises optimally and reduces the chance of dense bread.

Once the dough is mixed, giving it enough time to ferment and bulk rise at a temperature between 75-80℉ will also produce the best sourdough bread. Once the bulk rise has finished and the dough has mostly doubled in size, it will be time to shape the bread or rolls and let it ferment for an additional amount of time. This will vary depending on the recipe and whether the recipe is long-fermented (24+ hours) or not. Either way, it is important not to let the dough over-ferment where the dough will become sticky and bake flat because most of the air has escaped from the over-fermentation.

Monitor your dough as it rises and remember that sourdough will act differently in warmer months than in cooler months. My sourdough starter is ready after being fed in 4-6 hours during the summer, whereas in the winter it may take up to 10-12 hours.

Simple Sourdough Dinner Rolls Recipe

Tools you may need:

Kitchen Scale
Dough Whisk/Large Bowl or Stand Mixer
9×13 dish or large cookie sheet
Bench Scraper
Pastry Brush

Ingredients for Sourdough Dinner Rolls Recipe:

Active Sourdough Starter – starter that has been fed 6-8 hours before and is at peak rise
Whole Milk – whole milk makes these rolls so soft and sweet in flavor
Sugar or Honey – both work great, depends on preference or what you have available
Melted Unsalted Butter – if you only have salted butter, reduce the salt amount. This is my favorite organic butter I buy in bulk.
Sea Salt – I purchase my favorite high quality sea salt in bulk from Azure Standard
Unbleached Flour (all-purpose, bread, or whole wheat will work)

Instructions for Sourdough Dinner Rolls Recipe:

To make this sourdough dinner rolls recipe, start by mixing the active sourdough starter, milk, honey or sugar, melted butter and salt. You can whisk this with a whisk or the stand mixer. Next, add the flour. Using a dough whisk or the dough hook attachment on the stand mixer, mix the dough until well combined.

If mixing by hand, you may perform stretch and folds every 15 minutes for 4 times to help develop the gluten.

If using a stand mixer, mix with the dough whisk until the dough is coming off the sides of the bowl, about 10-15 minutes.

After the dough is well combined, cover bowl with a tea towel and let bulk rise for 7-10 hours until the dough has almost doubled in size. Once the dough has almost doubled, divide into 12 pieces (I use the kitchen scale to ensure they are all the same weight). Form into a ball by folding over on itself and rolling on a clean surface to create tension. If the dough is sticking, add a little flour to the surface.

If you wish to long-ferment the sourdough dinner rolls dough, place the dough in the fridge after shaping the rolls. Ferment for 10-12 hours and take out to rise again at room temperature around 3-4 hours before baking.

Place the dough balls into a 9×13 glass baking dish greased with butter or a parchment sheet lined large baking sheet. Cover with tea towel and let the sourdough rolls rise another 2 hours.

After two hours, bake in the oven at 375℉ for 25 minutes.

fresh baked dinner rolls on baking sheet

Once golden on top and baked through, take out of the oven and use a pastry brush to brush the tops with melted butter. Let cool a few minutes and then transfer to a bowl with tea towel to keep warm and serve warm.

Freeze Sourdough Dinner Rolls

To freeze, allow the rolls to cool completely before transferring them to a ziplock freezer bag up to 6 months. When ready to serve, allow the rolls to thaw at room temperature and reheat in the oven at 350℉ for 5-10 minutes.

Other Sourdough Recipes to Try

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If you try this recipe and love it, I would love to know! Come back and leave a review! Tag me on Instagram @oursimplegraces

Simple Sourdough Dinner Rolls Recipe

Yield: 12 Rolls

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Additional Time: 12 hours

Total Time: 12 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

100 grams Sourdough Starter, active (1/2 Cup)
60 grams Honey or Cane Sugar (1/4 Cup)
240 grams Whole Milk (1 Cup)
60 grams Melted Butter, unsalted (1/4 Cup)
8 grams Sea Salt (1 1/4 tsp)
375 grams Unbleached Flour (3 Cups)
1 Tbs melted butter for brushing rolls

Instructions

Mix active sourdough starter, milk, honey or sugar, melted butter and salt using a whisk or the stand mixer.
Add the flour and combine using a dough whisk or the dough hook attachment on the stand mixer. Mix the dough until well combined. (If mixing by hand, you may perform stretch and folds every 15 minutes for 4 times to help develop the gluten. If using a stand mixer, mix with the dough whisk until the dough is coming off the sides of the bowl, about 10-15 minutes.)
After the dough is well combined, cover bowl with a tea towel and let bulk rise at room temperature for 7-10 hours until the dough has almost doubled in size.
Once the dough has almost doubled, divide into 12 pieces (I use the kitchen scale to ensure they are all the same weight). Form into a ball by folding over on itself and rolling on a clean surface to create tension. If the dough is sticking, add a little flour to the surface.
Place the dough balls into a 9x13 glass baking dish greased with butter or a parchment sheet lined large baking sheet. Cover with tea towel and let the sourdough rolls rise another 2 hours.
After two hours, bake in the oven at 375℉ for 25 minutes.
Once golden on top and baked through, take out of the oven and use a pastry brush to brush the tops with melted butter. Let cool a few minutes and then transfer to a bowl with tea towel and serve warm.

Notes

If you wish to long-ferment the sourdough dinner rolls dough, place the dough in the fridge after shaping the rolls. Ferment for 10-12 hours and take out to rise again at room temperature around 3-4 hours before baking.

To freeze, allow the rolls to cool completely before transferring them to a ziplock freezer bag up to 6 months. When ready to serve, allow the rolls to thaw at room temperature and reheat in the oven at 350℉ for 5-10 minutes.

Simple Sourdough Dinner Rolls Recipe

How to serve sourdough for dinner?

What is the secret to good sourdough bread?

How do you make sourdough bread lighter and fluffier?