Soft & Flaky Sourdough Discard Dinner Rolls Recipe
There is nothing better than the smell of fresh baked bread floating through the farmhouse. My kids come running when they smell this sourdough discard dinner rolls recipe in the oven, and I know yours will too!
I love a good staple recipe. Any time I can add to my recipe box (that’s where the best of the best recipes go to live), I am one happy homemaker! There’s just nothing better than a stack of tried and true recipes you know you can depend on.
This sourdough discard dinner rolls recipe is one of those recipe box keepers. I have been making them for years and use a variation of this dough in so many other recipes.
Having a reliable recipe for a staple like dinner rolls is a game changer. You know that you can depend on them to turn out every time and eventually you will have them committed to memory, meaning you can whip up a batch without even thinking about it!
Homemakers have plenty to think about in our day to day, we shouldn’t have to stress about finding a new recipe every time we want to make a simple meal for our families. You will absolutely love this sourdough discard dinner rolls recipe, and I have a feeling it’ll end up in your recipe box too!
Why You Will Love This Sourdough Discard Dinner Rolls Recipe
Quick – Thanks to the yeast, this recipe comes together super quickly! Any time you need a last minute side for a meal or something delicious and homemade to take to the potluck or cookout, this recipe is a winner!
Simple – Only using staple ingredients I always have on hand, I know I can always fall back on these rolls.
Delicious – Because they use rich ingredients like eggs, milk and butter, these rolls are super soft and flaky. They remind me of a delicious brioche bread dough, but without the extra labor that brioche requires!
Freezer friendly – I love making a double batch of this sourdough discard dinner rolls recipe and then freezing them in meal-sized portions in the freezer. It makes my future dinners even more simple when I know all I have to do is pull them out, stick them in the oven and have fresh, warm rolls to serve my family with no extra effort!
Ingredients
Flour – all-purpose or bread flour works well for this recipe
Sugar – gives the dough a brioche like taste
Butter – creates flaky layers in the dough
Milk – adds richness and a soft texture
Yeast – active yeast is what I use. I like to purchase it in bulk from Azure Standard. See “yeast options” below for other leavening options.
Sourdough discard – you do not need active starter for this recipe
Eggs – adds another level of richness
Salt
Tools You Will Need
Mixer
9×13 pan
Oven
How to Make This Easy Sourdough Discard Dinner Rolls Recipe
Step 1 – Warm butter (1/2 cup, 113 g) on stovetop until just melted. Stir in sugar (1/4 cup, 55 g), milk (1 cup, 200 g) and active yeast (1 tbsp, 12 g). Cover and allow yeast to proof for 5-10 minutes.
Step 2 – After yeast has proofed whisk in sourdough discard (1/2 cup, 100 g) and 2 eggs.
Step 3 – Pour liquid mixture into bowl of stand mixer and add in flour (4 1/2 cups, 600 g) and salt (1 tbsp, 20 g). Knead on low speed with dough hook until a smooth, elastic dough forms (about 6-8 minutes). The dough should pass the window pane test after kneading (see image below).
Step 4 – Form dough into a ball and cover. Place in a warm spot and allow dough to rise until doubled, about 1-1.5 hr for active yeast.
Step 5 – Once dough is doubled, punch down and place on countertop. Divide dough into 4 equal sections, then divide those 4 sections in 5 individual pieces. For roll size consistency, I recommend weighing out each section. They should weigh about 60-70 grams each.
Step 6 – Roll into balls using tension from the counter top. You should avoid adding extra flour to the dough as not to risk the rolls becoming too dense. Place rolled dough balls into buttered 9×13 baking dish. Cover and allow rolls to double in size, about 30-45 minutes.
Step 7 – Preheat oven to 375°F. Once rolls are doubled in size bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the center rolls internal temperature reach 200°F. If using a glass baking dish, place an aluminum baking sheet on the rack below to prevent the bottoms of the rolls from burning.
Step 8 – Brush hot rolls with butter and allow to cool for 20-30 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy your same day sourdough discard dinner rolls recipe!
For a visual, check out these step by step images!
Warm butter on stovetop until melted.
Once melted stir in sugar, milk and yeast. Cover and allow yeast to proof for 5-10 minutes.
Whisk sourdough discard and eggs in with proofed liquid mixture. Then add to stand mixer mixing bowl with flour and salt.
Mix dough with dough hook on low speed for 6-8 minutes until the dough passes the windowpane test (see next photo).
When dough has been kneaded sufficiently it should be able to be stretched enough to allow light to shine through without tearing.
Form dough into ball and place in an oiled bowl. Cover and allow to rise.
The dough should rise until doubled, about 1-1.5 hrs. This will be shorter with instant yeast.
Punch down dough and transfer to countertop.
Divide dough into 4 equal pieces, then divide those 4 pieces into 5 pieces each, for a total of 20 pieces.
I like to weigh my rolls for consistency. Each roll should be around 60-70 g each.
Roll each piece of dough against the countertop until formed into a tight ball.
Place rolls in buttered 9×13 baking dish and cover to rise until doubled.
Once rolls are roughly doubled in size (about 45 minutes), preheat oven to 375°F.
Bake rolls in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until golden brown with an internal temperature of 200°F. Brush hot rolls with butter and serve warm.
Substitutions
Milk – If you find you are short on milk, you can use water instead. The rolls won’t be as rich, but they will still be delicious.
Butter – You can sub olive oil or avocado oil in place of the butter, however the rolls will have less of the buttery, brioche taste to them.
Active yeast – you can use instant yeast or active sourdough starter in place of active yeast.
Sugar – 1/4 cup of honey or maple syrup works well in place of the sugar for this recipe.
Yeast options
- Active yeast – this yeast will need to be “activated” in warm liquid for a few minutes (like this recipe calls for) and will take slightly longer to rise than instant yeast
- Instant yeast – you can make this sourdough discard dinner rolls recipe with yeast that is instant instead of active, it will just speed up the rise time and you won’t need to proof the yeast.
- Active sourdough starter – you can skip the yeast and use active sourdough starter in this recipe. The rise time will vary quite a bit depending on the temperature of your kitchen, but follow the same dough-doubling instructions
Tips for making the best sourdough discard dinner rolls recipe
Sourdough Discard Dinner Rolls Recipe FAQ
What if I don’t have any sourdough discard on hand?
If you find you don’t have enough sourdough discard, you can simply add a little extra flour and milk to the recipe.
Can I make this sourdough discard dinner rolls recipe ahead?
You can absolutely make these rolls ahead! You can either refrigerate or freeze the dough after forming the rolls and then allow them to do their second rise when removed from the fridge/freezer, or you can fully bake them and reheat when you’re ready to eat them (nobody will even know they weren’t baked fresh).
Can I use water instead of milk for these rolls?
You can use water in place of milk, but the rolls will not be as rich and brioche-like.
How do I know when the rolls are done baking?
The rolls will be golden brown on top and have an internal temperature of around 200°F when they are fully done baking.
How to store leftover rolls?
Store in a ziplock bag for 4-5 days. I would recommend reheating the rolls before serving if using leftovers.
How do I reheat leftovers?
Reheat leftover rolls wrapped tightly in foil for 25 minutes at 300°F.
What can I do with stale rolls?
If your rolls have gone stale but haven’t spoiled, you can use them to make bread pudding or a French toast casserole. Because this is a brioche-style dough, it lends itself very well to repurposing like this!
Can I freeze these sourdough discard dinner rolls?
You can absolutely freeze these rolls! Just wrap them tightly in aluminum foil, store in an a freezer bag and then reheat per reheating instructions.
Homemaker Tip
Double this sourdough discard dinner rolls recipe if your mixer can handle it (or knead by hand if not). This will give you two 9×13 pans (about 40 rolls). Once baked and cooled, seperate them into portion sizes for your family, then wrap tightly in aluminum foil and store in the freezer in a ziplock bag. Then simply pop them in the oven at 300 F for 20 minutes and you’ll have fresh, hot rolls for your next dinner without dirtying up your mixer!
Sourdough Discard Dinner Rolls Recipe
Equipment
- Mixer
- 9×13 pan
- Oven
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter 1 stick, 113 g
- 1/4 cup sugar 55 g
- 1 cup milk 200 g
- 1 tbsp yeast 12 g
- 1/2 cup sourdough discard 100 g
- 2 eggs
- 4 1/2 cups flour 600 g
- 1 tbsp salt 20 g
Instructions
- Warm butter (1/2 cup, 113 g) on stovetop until just melted. Stir in sugar (1/4 cup, 55 g, milk (1 cup, 200 g) and active yeast (1 tbsp, 12 g). Cover and allow yeast to proof for 5-10 minutes.
- After yeast has proofed whisk in sourdough discard (1/2 cup, 100 g) and 2 eggs.
- Pour liquid mixture into bowl of stand mixer and add in flour (4 1/2 cups, 600 g) and salt (1 tbsp, 20 g). Knead on low speed with dough hook until a smooth, elastic dough forms (about 6-8 minutes). The dough should pass the window pane test (see image below).
- Form dough into a ball and cover. Place in a warm spot and allow dough to rise until doubled, about 1-1.5 hr.
- Once dough is doubled, punch down and place on countertop. Divide dough into 4 equal sections, then divide those 4 sections in 5 individual pieces. For roll size consistency, I recommend weighing out each section. They should weigh about 60-65 grams each.
- Roll into balls using tension from the counter top. You should avoid adding extra flour to the dough as not to risk the rolls becoming too dense. Place rolled dough balls into buttered 9×13 baking dish. Cover and allow rolls to double in size, about 30-45 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Once rolls are doubled in size bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until the center rolls internal temperature reach 200°F. If using a glass baking dish, place an aluminum baking sheet on the rack below to prevent the bottoms of the rolls from burning.
- Brush hot rolls with butter and allow to cool for 20-30 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
- For the best quality rolls, make sure to knead for enough time. The dough should pass the “window pane” test.
- Add a garlic herb butter to the top of these before baking for a fun Italian-style twist
Substitutions
- Milk – If you find you are short on milk, you can use water instead. The rolls won’t be as rich, but they will still be delicious.
- Butter – You can sub olive oil or avocado oil in place of the butter, however the rolls will have less of the buttery, brioche taste to them.
- Active yeast – you can use instant yeast or active sourdough starter in place of active yeast.
- Sugar – 1/4 cup of honey or maple syrup works well in place of the sugar in this recipe.
Did you make this sourdough discard dinner rolls recipe?
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