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Twelve golden-brown Sourdough Dinner Rolls Bakery Style baked together in a glass dish and brushed with butter.

Sourdough Dinner Rolls Bakery Style

Make soft, bakery-style sourdough dinner rolls from scratch using an active starter. This recipe involves a few steps for feeding the starter, mixing the dough, and two rising periods before baking.
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Prep Time 45 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
First Rise Total 4 hours
Total Time 5 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 12 rolls
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For Active Sourdough Starter
  • 1 tablespoon sourdough starter
  • 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour (50 g)
  • 3.5 tablespoons water (50 g)
Dough Ingredients
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 cup milk (240 g)
  • 3 tablespoons sugar (or 2 tablespoons of honey)
  • 1 teaspoon salt (5 g)
  • 1/2 cup active sourdough starter (100 g)
  • 3 cups + 2 tablespoons bread flour (375 g)
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter for brushing the top of the rolls after baking

Equipment

  • Small saucepan
  • Mixing bowl
  • Glass baking dish

Method
 

  1. Feed starter 12 hours before mixing dough: Add the starter ingredients to a clean jar. Stir until combined, loosely cover the jar, and let the starter rise at room temperature until it has doubled in size and is bubbly.
  2. Melt butter: In a small saucepan, melt the butter, milk, sugar, and salt together over low heat. Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl and let it cool to room temperature.
  3. Mix the dough: Add the flour and active sourdough starter to the cooled butter mixture in the bowl. Stir with a spatula until the ingredients combine and no dry bits remain. Cover the bowl and let it rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
  4. Perform the first rise: Complete 3 sets of stretch and folds spaced 30 minutes apart. Between sets, keep the bowl covered. To stretch and fold, pick up the dough on one side, stretch it up and over itself, turn the bowl a quarter turn, and repeat until you have turned the bowl a full circle. After the final set, cover the dough and let it rise for 2 hours or until it has increased by 50% in size.
  5. Shape and second rise: Turn the dough onto a floured surface. Divide it into 12 pieces, about 65 grams each. Shape each piece into a smooth ball by gathering the sides and pinching them together, then turn the dough over so the seam side is down. Arrange the rolls in a lightly greased glass baking dish. Cover the dish with a tea towel and let them rise for 3-4 hours.
  6. Bake: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) about 20 minutes before baking. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. The internal temperature should reach 190°F. Brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter and serve.

Notes

If you are not using a stand mixer, the mixing process described in step 3 is sufficient. The total rise time for the second rise is 3-4 hours, which allows for flexibility in your schedule.