Fluffy Sourdough Rolls Recipe

The ingredients

Here are the ingredients needed for this sourdough rolls recipe. The amounts are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Active sourdough starter
• All-purpose flour
• Sugar (white sugar, brown sugar, honey all work)
• Salt
• Water
• Whole milk
• Butter – can be salted butter or unsalted butter
• Egg (Just for the egg wash on the tops of the rolls. You can swap this for milk instead)

Step-by-step instructions

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, or a large mixing bowl add flour, sugar, and salt. Add to this the water, milk, and sourdough starter and mix into a shaggy dough.

Knead this on medium speed for around 5 minutes to bring some strength. Add in the softened butter a few cubes at a time and continue kneading for a further 5 or so minutes until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl.

Kneading by hand

Use a slap and fold kneading method to bring the dough together. This is when the dough is slapped down onto the bench and quickly pulled back up and folded over itself. Knead the dough for around 5 minutes, then work in the butter cubes.

The butter is going to make it extra sticky but the dough will have some strength already from the previous kneading. Continue slap and folding for a further 6-8 minutes. The dough won’t be smooth yet but should feel much stronger.

Bulk fermentation

Add the dough to a lightly greased large bowl, cover it and let the dough rise in a warm spot (ideally around 77°F/25°C) for 3-4 hours. Perform 1-2 sets of stretch and folds during the first hour of the fermenting time. If you have a cold kitchen, create a warm and humid spot by placing the dough into a turned-off oven alongside a bowl of boiled water. Replace the water as needed when it cools down.

The dough should feel lighter and puffier and have bulked out by around 40%. In a warm spot 3 hours may be enough (or even less time), but extend the ferment if it’s cooler. For best results, watch the dough and not the clock.

After this period, the sourdough rolls can be shaped, or the dough can be covered and placed in the fridge overnight.

Shaping sourdough rolls

Pull the dough from the bowl onto a floured work surface. If it has been refrigerated overnight, let it come to room temperature for 20 minutes first.

Use a kitchen scale to measure the weight of the whole dough, then divide this by 12 or 16. That’s how heavy each of the dough balls needs to be and using scales ensures they are all equal pieces. Cut the dough into 16, and use the scales to ensure each piece is even.

Shape each piece into a tight ball by bringing all the edges of each dough piece into the middle, then flip it upside down so it’s seam-side facing down. Use the palms of your hands to cup the ball and spin it round and round on the bench, creating some surface tension. The dough will be sticky so use the flour you need to to ensure it doesn’t stick to you.

Place the shaped rolls into a greased 9×9 inch baking dish, or line it with parchment paper. You could also space them apart as individual rolls on a baking sheet, but they won’t be pull-apart rolls.

Leave the sourdough rolls to have their final rise, for 3-4 hours in a warm spot (around 77°F/25°C) until doubled in size. The rise time can be longer or shorter depending on the dough temperature.

Baking

Whisk together the egg and water for the egg wash.

Brush the top of the rolls with egg wash.

Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for around 25 minutes until deep golden brown.

After baking brush the warm dinner roll tops with melted butter. This melted butter creates a soft crust and gives extra flavor.

Serving and storing

Let the buns cool a little bit before serving. These are great rolls to serve alongside dinner, whether it be soups, pasta, or stews, or use them instead of sourdough sandwich bread.

The dinner rolls can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Alternatively, they can be frozen for up to three months.