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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!
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Rise time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

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

Equipment

  • Mixer
  • 9x13 pan
  • Oven

Method
 

  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.
  2. After yeast has proofed whisk in sourdough discard (1/2 cup, 100 g) and 2 eggs.
  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 (see image below).
  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.
  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 60-65 grams each.
  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.
  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.
  8. 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
  • Never toss leftover rolls! Chop them up into bit sized pieces and store in the freezer for a future French toast casserole.
 
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.