Soft Sourdough Dinner Rolls Recipe

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: My pillowy Soft Sourdough Dinner Rolls will elevate your meals with their gorgeous airy texture and delightful tang! No special equipment is needed–use a stand mixer or food processor if you have one, or mix up these rolls by hand. They take a bit of advance planning, but you’ll be amazed at how you can make artisanal-quality bread in your own kitchen with a few simple ingredients and minimal effort!

• Easy hands-off prep! In this recipe, time does most of the work for you. You start the recipe the day before baking, and the dough rises overnight. If you already have sourdough starter on hand, this recipe is a snap. And if you need to make a starter, I’ve got you covered with my straightforward Sourdough Starter Recipe. It’s a foolproof beginner’s guide filled with tips and troubleshooting advice.
• Deep flavor, unparalleled texture. Natural fermentation gives my sourdough rolls a tantalizing, complex flavor you don’t get from bread made with store-bought yeast. You’ll adore their soft crumb and subtle chewiness.

I started my sourdough journey back in January 2020, just before the sourdough craze took over kitchens everywhere. It took me a while to fully embrace my sourdough starter, but now it’s a key part of my baking. Working with sourdough has taught me that patience is everything. For these sourdough dinner rolls, the flavor and texture only get better with time. A bulk ferment of 12-18 hours works wonders, and if you go beyond 18 hours, storing the dough in the fridge can deepen the flavor even more. Proofing sourdough also takes a little longer than standard yeasted dough. When shaping your rolls for their second proof, give them enough time to double in size. It’s normal for sourdough to need up to 90 minutes to proof, so be patient—it’s worth the wait!

These versatile rolls are perfect for holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas, but they’ll make any breakfast, lunch, or dinner special. And once you make my Soft Sourdough Dinner Rolls, you will be craving all things sourdough! I’ve got you covered with Perfectly Crusty Sourdough Bread for Beginners,  Whole Wheat Sourdough Bread, The Easiest Sourdough Focaccia, Sourdough Banana Bread, and Sourdough English Muffins.

Table of Contents

• What are Soft Sourdough Dinner Rolls?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Why
• How to Make Sourdough Dinner Rolls
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
• FAQs
• More Dinner Roll Recipes

What are Soft Sourdough Dinner Rolls?

• Soft Sourdough Dinner Rolls are soft, small, shaped bread rolls made from dough made with sourdough starter, a live, fermented mixture of flour and water used to leaven bread naturally.  These rolls have a crunchy crust, a bubbly, soft interior, and a distinctive, pleasantly sour, tangy flavor.
• Sourdough starter differs from commercial yeast because it’s made from a live, fermented mixture of flour and water. It’s not hard to make, especially with my step-by-step Sourdough Starter Recipe. Having your own sourdough starter at the ready will open up a whole new, delicious world of baking.
• Another benefit of having sourdough starter on hand is that as time goes on and your sourdough starter grows, you can use the excess (known as sourdough discard) to add amazing flavor notes to other baked goods. Check out my Sourdough Chocolate Chip Cookies, Sourdough Discard Crackers, and Sourdough Popovers.

Tools You Need

• Mixing bowls
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Glass measuring jug
• Kitchen scale (optional)
• Stand mixer fitted with a dough hook (optional)
• Plastic wrap
• 9″x 13″ (23 cm x 33 cm) loaf pan
• Pastry brush

Key Ingredients and Why

All-purpose flour

• All-purpose flour has the necessary protein content (9-11%) to create the gluten structure.
• Using all-purpose flour, which has moderate gluten and starch content, instead of bread flour, ensures that the rolls are soft and tender instead of chewy or tough.

Granulated sugar

• Sugar feeds the wild yeast and the lactic acid bacteria, which aids in the rise and helps accelerate it.
• Additionally, sugar makes the rolls moister and aids in the browning process.
• Sugar also adds a bit of sweetness, balancing the tanginess.

Salt

• Salt enhances the flavor of the rolls.
• Salt enhances flavor, regulates fermentation, strengthens the gluten network, and acts as a natural preservative to extend the bread’s shelf life.
• Importantly, sourdough prevents the dough from rising too fast, strengthens the gluten, improves the extensibility,

Lukewarm water

• Lukewarm water activates and optimizes the growth of yeast.
• To tell whether the water is lukewarm, take a small amount of water and put your finger in it; if it feels close to your body temperature or slightly warmer, then it’s lukewarm water.

Active sourdough starter

• Sourdough starter provides flavor, structure, and rise. It’s made from naturally occurring yeast from the atmosphere.
• With just a lidded jar, flour, water, and some patience, you’ll be able to make your own sourdough starter. My sourdough starter guide guide will navigate you through the process, and you’ll be thrilled with the results!

Butter

• Melted butter enriches the dough, adding creamy flavor.
• Importantly, butter contributes to the softness of the rolls. Butter also tenderizes the dough, making it softer. That’s because the fat coats the flour, preventing excessive gluten development.
• Make Homemade Butter for the freshest taste and creamiest consistency.

Egg

• Mix one egg with a tablespoon of water to make egg wash.
• Brushing egg wash on the top of the rolls before baking improves the crust’s texture and taste and gives the rolls a golden brown sheen.

How to Make Sourdough Dinner Rolls

The Day Before: Make the dough

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine the flour, sugar, salt, water, starter, and butter and mix on medium-low speed for 10 minutes. The kneaded dough should be smooth and very elastic. If not, keep going for a few more minutes.

Bulk ferment the dough.

2. Transfer the dough to a large, oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap and a tea towel. Let rise overnight at room temperature for a minimum of 12 hours.

The Next Day: Shape, proof, and bake the rolls

3. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions (about 2 oz/57 g each).

4. Roll the dough into balls and place them into an oiled 9×13-inch (23x33cm) baking pan. Cover the baking dish tightly with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour to 1 hr 30 minutes.

5. Towards the end of the rising time, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
6. Gently brush the top of the dough with egg wash and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown.
7. Serve while still warm with some good, salted butter on the side. Store leftovers covered at room temperature for up to 3 days. They can also be bagged and frozen for up to 8 weeks.

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• Be sure that you are using an active, bubbly, recently fed starter before you begin this recipe. For more information on feeding your starter, check out our Sourdough Q & A, our comprehensive sourdough guide.
• If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can knead this dough by hand for about 15 minutes or mix in a food processor for about 2 minutes.
• You can add 1 tablespoon of dried herbs of choice into this dough for added flavor.
• Keep in mind that if your kitchen is very cold, your dough may take longer to rise. If your oven has a proof setting, you can use this, or you can create a warmer environment by turning your oven on for 90 seconds, then shutting it off and placing your dough inside to rise.
• These rolls are wonderful split and spread with a little Roasted Garlic Compound Butter!
• After the dough has been rolled into rolls you can cover it tightly and put the whole tray in the fridge to slowly proof. This will improve flavor and texture and will mean you can prepare the rolls in advance

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

Make Ahead Tips

• For the initial rise, the dough can remain on the counter at room temperature for 12 to 18 hours.
• After 18 hours, I recommend putting the dough in the fridge for up to three days.
• You can also bake the rolls, cool them, wrap well, and freeze them for up to three months.
  • Defrost in the fridge overnight and let come to room temperature before serving.

How to store leftover rolls:

• Store leftover rolls covered at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• They can also placed in freezer bags and frozen for up to 8 weeks.

FAQs

Can I still make these Sourdough Dinner Rolls if I don’t have a stand mixer?

• Yes, you can definitely make these Sourdough Dinner Rolls if you don’t have a stand mixer.
• Simply knead the dough by hand for about 15 minutes.
  • You can also mix the dough in a food processor for two minutes.

Is it ok to use a different flour in this recipe?

• Yes, you can use a different flour in this recipe.
  • Note that the all-purpose flour in this recipe contributes to the soft texture of the rolls. Other types of flour may impact the texture and make the rolls chewier or tougher.
  • If you wish, you can substitute half of the all-purpose flour with wheat flour.
  • You can also substitute half of the all-purpose flour with spelt flour or rye.
    • I don’t recommend replacing more than half of your flour with spelt or rye, because those flours have a lower gluten content when compared to wheat flou,r and can result in denser rolls with a lower rise.
    • Also, spelt absorbs less water than wheat flour by 10-25%, so hold off on some of the water as you mix the dough. You will have to go by feel here, adding in water until a soft but not sticky texture is achieved.

Can I make this Soft Sourdough Rolls Recipe gluten-free?

• Yes, you can make this Soft Sourdough Rolls Recipe gluten-free.
• You can use gluten-free flour to create a sourdough starter.
  • The gluten-free sourdough starter feeds off of non-wheat flours and starches (corn, tapioca, arrowroot, etc). The specific enzyme systems will determine how fast the sugars and then the gas are generated from the starch.
  • Note that since there is no gluten, instead of gluten, you will get starch foams so the bread won’t rise as much and will tend to deflate and be quite dense (such as 100% rye bread).
  • Additionally, you can substitute the all-purpose wheat flour in this recipe with a gluten-free all-purpose blend at a 1:1 ratio.
  • The resulting dough will likely be stickier than dough made from the original recipe, and rolls may have a heavier, denser texture.
• Note that Soft Sourdough Rolls can be considered as low-gluten rather than gluten-free.
  • Some people with gluten intolerance or gluten sensitivity can consume some sourdough bread because of the methods used.

More Dinner Roll Recipes

• Buttery Crescent Rolls
• 1-Hour Dinner Rolls
• Soft and Fluffy Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
• Mashed Potato Dinner Rolls Recipe
• Waterford Blaas (Authentic Irish Rolls)

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