These Sourdough Dinner Rolls are super-soft, pull-apart bread rolls with cloud-like centers and a beautifully golden exterior. You’ll love the make-ahead option, so you can serve freshly baked rolls just in time for your dinner or holiday feast. Watch the video tutorial and see how easy these are to make.
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We absolutely love baking homemade bread, and lately, I’ve been hooked on swapping out commercial yeast for my sourdough starter. From crisp Sourdough Crackers to fluffy Sourdough Discard Pancakes and Sourdough Pizza. If you’ve got an active sourdough starter, these recipes are a must-try!
Sourdough Dinner Rolls Video
Want to see just how easy it is to make these pillowy Sourdough Dinner Rolls? Whether you’re a seasoned sourdough baker or just starting out, this video will give you all the tips and confidence you need to bake these rolls to perfection.
Sourdough Dinner Rolls Recipe
I love sourdough recipes for so many reasons—they’re easier to digest, have probiotic properties, and don’t leave me feeling heavy or bloated (TMI, I know, but it’s true!). I also love knowing I’m serving something wholesome to my family.
Over the years, I’ve experimented with countless sourdough recipes, from classic Sourdough Bread to Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls. The entire process, from feeding the starter to shaping the dough, feels so therapeutic to me. It’s like playdough in the hands of kindergartners—sourdough truly is my happy place.
Are You New to Sourdough?
Start your journey by learning How to Make a Sourdough Starter and then How to Feed a Sourdough Starter, and you’ll be well on your way to creating countless tried-and-true sourdough recipes.
Ingredients for Sourdough Bread Rolls
The key to perfect Sourdough Dinner Rolls is using a well-fed, active starter at its peak, ready to rise your rolls into irresistibly fluffy perfection.
- Bread flour – Has a higher protein content than all-purpose flour for the fluffiest rolls with better rise.
- Active sourdough starter – Gives the rolls their rise and signature tangy flavor. Make sure it’s at peak, bubbly, and more than doubled in size.
- Butter – Unsalted, melted. Adds richness and flavor to the dough, keeping the rolls tender.
- Milk – I use whole milk, but you can use almond milk if you prefer. It provides moisture and richness and creates a soft texture.
- Granulated sugar – Feeds the sourdough starter, helps with browning, and adds a subtle sweetness.
- Fine Sea Salt – enhances flavor, balances sweetness, and helps strengthen the dough’s structure.
Optional Toppings
Take your dinner rolls to the next level with these mouthwatering topping ideas:
- Bacon Garlic – see our Pampushki recipe.
- Garlic Butter – Mince fresh garlic, melt butter and brush it generously over rolls
- Butter and Herbs – Blend melted butter with fresh or dried herbs like rosemary, parsley, or chives.
- Honey Butter – For a sweet take on these dinner rolls.
- Parmesan Cheese – Brush with melted butter and then sprinkle with cheese for a cheesy golden brown finish.
How to Make Sourdough Dinner Rolls
- Make the Dough – In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, combine the milk, butter, sugar, and salt, and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
- Knead Dough – Add the flour and active (bubbly, at least doubled in size) sourdough starter, then mix together using the paddle attachment or a sturdy spatula until well combined. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax. After resting, switch to the dough hook attachment and knead on speed 2 (medium speed) for 10-12 minutes (or 8-10 minutes if kneading by hand) until the dough is smooth and soft.
- Bulk Ferment – Cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel and let it sit on the counter at room temperature overnight for 8-12 hours. It should roughly double in size (see tips below for speed proofing).
How to Shape Dinner Rolls
- Form the Rolls – Use a bench scraper or knife to divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. The same way you’d shape traditional dinner rolls, start by pinching the sides together, then loosely cup your hand around the dough and roll it in a circular motion over a clean, smooth surface to improve the surface tension. (The motion is similar to scrubbing your counters). This technique helps shrink the seam on the bottom and ensures the rolls rise better in the oven.
- Second Proof – Arrange the rolls in a buttered 9×13 glass baking dish, cover with a damp tea towel, and let them proof until they’ve roughly doubled in size. This should take about two hours in a warm spot (80-90°F), or 3-4 hours at room temperature, depending on the warmth of your room.
Make-Ahead Option:
Once the rolls are shaped and placed in the baking dish, cover them with oiled plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8-24 hours. The next day, about 3-5 hours before baking, remove them from the fridge to bring to room temperature and allow them to proof until visibly puffed (they’ll rise more quickly in a warm spot). Optionally, score the rolls before baking.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the rolls in the top third of the oven (this helps the tops brown evenly) and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the internal temperature reaches 190°F. Once out of the oven, brush the hot rolls with melted butter and serve.
Can I Speed Up the Proofing Process?
I know what you’re thinking, Natasha, I want these rolls NOW. Sourdough recipes look long, but it’s a whole lot of hurry up and wait, most of it is hands-off. Since we’re skipping instant yeast, we need to give the sourdough cultures time to work their magic… but don’t worry, there are a few ways to speed things up if you’re in a pinch!
- First Proofing (Bulk Fermentation) – I definitely prefer to leave the dough on the counter for 8-12 hours to allow the sourdough to break down gluten, develop flavor, and create a fluffier roll, but you can speed things up. Place the dough in the oven with the light on for 2-3 hours or until it has doubled.
- Second Proofing – After shaping the rolls and placing them in the baking dish, you can speed up their rise by putting them in a warm spot to help the dough rise twice as fast. Just be sure to keep the temperature below 100°F to avoid exhausting the yeast.
What is the Best Flour For Sourdough Dinner Rolls?
I used King Arthur Organic Bread Flour, and it worked wonderfully. I’ve also tested this recipe with organic all-purpose flour, which worked well, although the rolls weren’t quite as tall or as fluffy.
What is the Best Baking Pan for Bread Rolls?
The dish you use matters and affects the baking time.
- Glass Baking Dish – I prefer a glass baking dish for sourdough bread rolls because it allows me to see how the rolls are baking on the sides and bottoms. Glass retains heat well, ensuring they heat evenly and achieve those beautiful golden tops.
- Ceramic Baking Dish – Distributes heat evenly and retains it well. They also hold moisture effectively, preventing the rolls from drying out.
- Metal Baking Dish – These produce a faster bake for a crispier crust but can result in uneven browning. Check your rolls 5 minutes earlier.
- Cast Iron Baking Dish – gives the rolls a crusty bottom, rustic feel, and deep golden color. Check on your rolls 5 minutes earlier.
What Should I Serve Dinner Rolls With?
Let’s be serious—bread is the ultimate addition to any dinner menu. Here are some of our favorite meals to serve alongside these rolls:
- Spaghetti and Meatballs – This would be the perfect time to brush garlic on top!
- Soups – Serving these rolls with our Chicken Noodle Soup, Tomato Soup, or Beef Stew would make any night feel cozy!
- With a Protein such as Spatchcock Chicken, Roasted Pork Tenderloin, or Baked Salmon.
- Sliders – Make Cheeseburger Sliders or French Dip Sliders.
How to Store Dinner Rolls
- At Room Temperature: Once the rolls are cooled, place in a resealable plastic bag for up to 2 days to keep them soft. Refrigeration is not recommended since it can make the rolls hard and dry.
- Freezing: Allow rolls to cool completely, and if possible, remove from the baking dish while they are still conjoined. Place in a freezer bag and remove as much air as possible before resealing and freezing. If you freeze them the same day they are baked, they will taste fresh when reheated.
- To Reheat: Thaw frozen rolls at room temperature. Place in microwave for a few seconds. You can add a damp paper towel to retain the moisture. You can also reheat in the oven at 350˚F for 7-10 minutes. These rolls reheat beautifully.
Enjoy these rolls on for a casual dinner at home, or dress them up for a holiday buffet. Either way, I hope you’ll love this wholesome and flavorful take on dinner rolls as much as my family does!
More Homemade Bread Recipes
If you love this Sourdough Dinner Roll recipe, then you won’t want to miss these other tasty homemade bread recipes. They’re the perfect homemade swaps for store-bought bread, made fresh and effortlessly in your own kitchen!
- Fluffy Biscuits
- Pita Bread
- English Muffins
- Sourdough Bread
- Hamburger Buns
- Irish Soda Bread
- Focaccia Bread
Sourdough Dinner Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted, plus more to brush the pan
- 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
- 2 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 3 cups bread flour, or all-purpose flour
- ½ cup Active sourdough starter
- 1 tsp salted butter, to brush over rolls
Instructions
- Make the Dough – In the bowl of a stand mixer or a large mixing bowl, add milk, butter, sugar, and salt, and stir together to dissolve the sugar.
- Knead the Dough – Add the flour and active sourdough starter and mix together with the paddle attachment or a firm spatula until well combined. Cover with a damp kitchen towel and rest for 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax. Knead on speed 2 with the dough hook attachment for 10-12 minutes until you have a smooth, soft dough (or knead by hand for 8-10 minutes).
- First Proofing – Bulk Fermentation: transfer dough to a buttered mixing bowl, cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel and leave it on the counter overnight, 8-12 hours.* It should rise to nearly double in size.
- Form the Rolls – Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces (approximately 65g each) with a bench scraper or knife, and shape them into balls by pinching the sides together. Then, gently cup your hand around each ball and roll it over a clean, smooth work surface to tighten the outside of the rolls (this seals the seam on the bottom and gives the rolls better spring in the oven).
- Second Proofing – Place the rolls into a buttered 9×13 glass baking dish, cover with a damp tea towel, and proof until about doubled, about 2 hours in a warm place (80-90°F), or about 3-4 hours at room temperature, depending on the temperature of your room. You can make them ahead at this point – see make-ahead option below*.
- Bake – Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake in the top third of the oven (this gives the tops better color) of a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and the internal temp is 190°F. Brush the hot rolls with melted butter when they come out of the oven and serve.
Notes
*Make-Ahead Option: As soon as the rolls are formed and placed in the baking dish, cover with a sheet of oiled plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8-24 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 3-5 hours before baking to bring to room temperature and proof until visibly puffed (they will puff faster in a warm place). Optionally, score the rolls before baking.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
Hello Natasha, so I’ve just made my dough and I’ll let it rise overnight for 8 hours. Tomorrow morning I’ll form dough balls and at this point I can put them in the fridge for 24 hours and bake them the following day?
Hi Rebecca! Yes, you’ll remove them from the refrigerator 3-5 hours before baking to bring to room temperature and proof until visibly puffed, then bake.
I usually let my sourdough bread ferment for 48hrs to reduce gluten before shaping and baking. For these rolls would I ferment the 48hrs for the 1st proofing (bulk fermentation) or for the second proofing?
Hello! If you prefer to ferment the dough for 48 hours, I think it’s best to do this during the bulk fermentation stage. You can ferment the dough in the fridge for up to 48 hours. After shaping, allow the rolls to proof until they’ve roughly doubled in size, following the time guidelines provided in the recipe. Hope that helps.
Can I make the dough ahead of time and then refrigerate before baking?
Thanks
Hello! This Make ahead part is in the recipe too “*Make-Ahead Option: As soon as the rolls are formed and placed in the baking dish, cover with a sheet of oiled plastic wrap and refrigerate for 8-24 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 3-5 hours before baking to bring to room temperature and proof until visibly puffed (they will puff faster in a warm place). Optionally, score the rolls before baking.” Hope that helps.
I tried your recipe today and my rolls came out wonderful. Great flavor! My family enjoyed them. Thanks for sharing
What would be the difference why this recipe doesn’t have eggs?
Hi Andrea! This recipe uses other ingredients to enrich and add moisture to the dough such as milk and butter. Eggs are not added in this version.
Hello, do you have a recipe for rolls without using sourdough? Thanks
Hi yes! Here’s my recipe for Soft Dinner Rolls. Hope you love it!
Hey how do I search for my Favourites folder? When I go to the site, I can’t see where to log in and then search for it. Thanks
Hi Erin, You should see the heart icon on the left hand side of the page, once you click on that it will prompt you to log in. I hope that helps!
The dough was a sticky wet mess straight from the get go, even with a few tbsp extra flour. Wondering if the issue is that I weighed my flour (as you’re supposed to when baking) but the measurements here are the vague American “cups”- the listed metric weight for 3 cups of flour is also off by 15 grams. Literally laughed when I got to the part about rolling in the counter to “increase surface tension”. It was like trying to roll glue that hasn’t dried yet. When placed in the pan they essentially “melted”. Should have stuck to my usual recipe.
HI Ash, it sounds like the proportions of wet to dry ingredients were off. I always try to add specific measurements for baking projects and there is a “metric” button with exact measurements in the recipe card so you can toggle between US measurements and metric. I hope that helps for next time.
I tried these rolls a couple of weeks ago and they were great. Then I tried to double the batch and they were a soupy mess though I was able to eventually form them into balls. I tried the recipe for a single batch and am having the same issue. The way Natasha just grabs the dough out of the stand mixer is not possible with my dough. I also weighed the ingredients using the metric conversion.
HI Mark, I measured the same way. Did you make any substitutions in ingredients? It sounds like the balance of wet to dry ingredients were off. I’m glad it worked out for you eventually.
When starter is ready to use and you make rolls do you leave 100 grams in jar and feed it for another 6-7 days.
Hi Linda! Once your starter is ready to bake with, you’ll feed it and when it’s at peak, you’ll use the amount needed for your recipe. If you bake often (every day or two), you can leave it at room temperature and feed it daily. But if you’re not a frequent baker, you’ll refrigerate it and feed it once a week.
Please see my blog posts on Sourdough Starter and How to Feed Sourdough Starter for more information.
PERFECTION. We love this recipe, turns out great every time. Light fluffy dinner rolls done right. Just a touch of sweet and not too sourdough-y.
I had a question: have you ever tried to make this into a sandwich bread shape loaf? I’m looking for a good sandwich bread recipe for sourdough. The ones they sell in the store have too many chemicals and I love the taste of these dinner rolls. Any idea if it would work? I’m new to sourdough. Thanks!
Hi Nadia! I’m so glad you’re loving that recipe! I don’t have a specific one for sandwich bread but I hope you’ll try our Sourdough Bread Recipe too. It can be used to make sandwiches!
So I ended up trying the sourdough dinner rolls recipe doubled in a large bread pan and our family loves it. It totally works for a good white bread to use from day to day 🙂 I guess we like a softer sweeter bread so it was just what we wanted 😉 Thank you!!
That’s so great, Nadia! I’m so happy you loved it.
Can you provide the weight for the measurements🙏☺️
Hello! If you click Jump to recipe to go to the recipe card, click metric to see them in grams.
Could you use Almond Flour or Coconut Flour to substitute for the Bread Flour?
Hi Sandra! I haven’t tested that to advise.
Hi …Natasha 👋 you are a wonderful person and a great Chef. I love all your recipes and I will order your Recipe Book. Thank you for sharing your recipes…have a great day
Aww, thank you, Rosa! You’re so sweet.
They look gorgeous. Planning to bake them this week. What is the temperature at your home? I’m just trying to understand what should be the proofing time at my home).
Thank you!!
Hi Marina! We try to keep the temp above 70 or close to. The ideal temperature for dough to proof is around 75.
These are so good! I made them yesterday and I am making another batch as we speak and I will add butter and parmesan on top. I love how fluffy they get, and the texture you see when they pull apart.
The US Measurement says
1 tsp fine sea salt
I chose the Metric (I love to use the scale, so much appreciated!) and it says
5 tsp fine sea salt
I thought I should just mention this 😀
Thank you so much for pointing that out. We’ll make sure to fix it!
I baked the buns yesterday and they are really good! We had them with turkey soup and my husband loved them. I also took a few to my neighbour, hot from the oven! I’ll be using this recipe a lot 😀 Thanks!
Can I halve this recipe? I have a small batch yeast roll recipe that is my go to. Would love to make 4 or 5 sourdough rolls!
Hi Margaret! Yes you can. I hope you love the recipe!
Love your recipes and especially like watching bloopers 😁. I’ve been following you for over a year now and have learned a lot and enjoy trying different dishes than I normally cook
Thank you so much, Wayne. I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipes.
Is it possible to do this rolls with wholemeal flour?
Hi Lucia! You’d have to experiment with it. I’m not sure what changes or modifications may be needed for that. Wholemeal flour absorbs more liquid than white flour and generally requires more kneading to develop gluten and possibly a longer rising time. Let us know if you experiment.
Delicious nLight and fluffy ❤️