Sourdough Dinner Rolls Recipe
These Dinner Rolls made with sourdough starter are not just soft, but also tasty. Perfect to serve as a side with lunch or dinner, or why not use them to make sliders!?
Who doesn’t love some bread with their dinner? Warm from the oven, smothered in buttered? Nothing better in my opinion, I could probably make a meal just with bread. And these Sourdough Dinner Rolls are the perfect example.
Table of Contents
Recipe Ingredients
- Flour – I like to use bread flour or a strong flour with at least 12% protein.
- Sourdough Starter – make sure your starter is active.
- Milk – I usually use 2% and it should be lukewarm, around 90F (32C). Using milk rather than water will help make a softer crumb.
- Butter – Is used not just for flavor but also for a softer crumb.
- Sugar – it also helps make it soft and tender by absorbing some of the liquid and slowing down the formation of gluten strands.
- Salt – adds flavor to the baked goods.
What is a sourdough starter?
A sourdough starter also known as a Levain is a combination of flour. All purpose, bread, rye or even whole wheat flours are often used along with water. Together they attract the wild yeast that is in the air and surroundings. After about 6-8 days it becomes strong enough to produce breads and other baked goods, such as these dinner rolls.
How to feed the sourdough starter
To start baking with your refrigerated starter, first remove the Starter from the fridge there will probably be no activity since it is dormant, if there is liquid on top then either remove or stir into the starter either way be sure to stir the starter, then leave ½ cup (120 grams) of starter in the jar, discard the remainder, then add 1 cup (125 grams) of flour (all purpose, unbleached) and ½ cup (125 grams) water.
Stir well, cover lightly and place at room temperature for 12 hours then repeat the feeding, until it has almost tripled in volume. Make sure once your starter has risen to it’s peak it stays there for 3-4 hours that means it is strong enough to leaven the bread, if it peaks but only stays for an hour or so it is not strong enough, repeat the feeding.
Remove the amount you need for your recipe, then feed the remaining starter, leave it at room temperature for about 1-2 hours then refrigerate, most of the time I don’t even feed it, I just put it in the fridge and it’s fine. Repeat as above whenever you wish to make fresh bread.
How to make it
In a mixing bowl add the milk and active starter, combine with a whisk or flat beaters.
Add the sugar and flour, start to knead with the dough hook on speed #2 for a couple of minutes.
Add the salt and butter, continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Move the dough to a flat surface and form into a ball, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, rolling the dough to lightly cover in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic and let rise until doubled.
Remove the dough and divide into 9 portions, shape each portion into a ball. Place the rolls in the prepared pan. Cover and let rise until doubled.
Brush the dough with a little milk, then bake until golden. Brush with melted butter and serve or move to a wire rack to cool completely.
Tips for making the best dinner rolls
- Make sure you use an active starter.
- Rising time also depends on the heat of your kitchen, mine is quite cool this time of year, so I heat the oven just until warmish on the lowest heat for about 5 minutes, making sure it isn’t hot just a bit warm, and I let the dough and rolls rise in the oven.
- To make these into overnight dinner rolls, let the dough rise (first) in the fridge overnight 8-12 hours. Then continue with the recipe.
How to store them
As long as you keep them tightly wrapped your homemade dinner rolls will keep for up to three days. Although, they’re so delicious warm from the oven they might not last longer than a day!
How to freeze them
Freeze the completely cooled buns in a freezer safe bag or container, they will last up to three months in the freezer. You can also freeze the dough before baking but after the first rise. Wrap the dough in plastic, place it in a freezer safe bag or container and freeze, it will keep up to a month.
Before baking leave the dough wrapped in the plastic and let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Remove the dough from the fridge, stretch and fold a couple of times, form into buns and continue with the recipe for the 2nd rise.
Instead of making some yeast dinner rolls this year for your Holiday celebration why not try some Sourdough Dinner Rolls instead? Enjoy!
More Delicious Dinner Roll recipes
- Perfect Dinner Rolls
- Soft Dinner Rolls Recipe
- Homemade Olive Oil Bread Rolls
- Homemade Pest Dinner Rolls
Sourdough Dinner Roll Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup active sourdough starter*
- ½ cup 1 ½ tablespoons milk (lukewarm – I used 2%)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 cups bread flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1¾ tablespoons butter (softened)
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl add the milk and active starter, combine with a whisk or flat beaters. Add the sugar and flour, start to knead with the dough hook on speed #2 for 2 minutes. Add the salt and butter, continue to knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, approximately 7-8 minutes.
- Move the dough to a lightly floured flat surface and form into a ball, place it in a lightly oiled bowl, rolling the dough to lightly cover in oil. Cover the bowl with plastic and let rise in a warm draft free area until doubled, approximately 3-4 hours.
- Remove the dough and divide into 9 portions, shape each portion into a ball. Place the rolls in a lightly greased & floured square 9 inch (22 cm) pan. Cover and let rise in a warm draft free area until doubled, approximately 2 hours.
- Pre-heat the oven to 350F (180C).
- Brush the dough with a little milk, then bake until golden about 20-25 minutes. (Internal temperature should be about 200-205ºF (93-96ºC)). Brush the just baked buns with melted butter if desired and serve immediately or move to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy!