Same Day Sourdough Dinner Rolls

These Sourdough Dinner Rolls are super soft, fluffy, and full of buttery flavor. They can be made in one day, making them a quick and easy sourdough recipe! Made with just 7 simple ingredients these rolls are sure to become your new go-to dinner roll. 

Reasons you will love this recipe

• This Sourdough Dinner Roll recipe can be made in one day, or you can refrigerate the dough to make them ahead of time. See notes in the sample schedule.
• These rolls are the soft, buttery dinner rolls you know and love, but with a slight sourdough tang and all the extra fermentation benefits. 
• This recipe is made with an active sourdough starter, so there is no commercial yeast required!
• These Sourdough Dinner Rolls are the perfect addition to your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner and go great with any meal you have, including turkey or ham.

More Sourdough Holiday Recipes

One of the many reasons to love the holiday season is all of the delicious holiday baking recipes! These Sourdough Dinner Rolls are the classic rolls that are always enjoyed during the holiday season. You could also switch things up and make Sourdough Garlic Knots, Artisan Sourdough Bread, or Sourdough Focaccia. And don’t forget the classic dishes with a sourdough twist like this Sourdough Corn Casserole or Veggie Sourdough Macaroni and Cheese made with sourdough discard. 

Helpful tools to make Sourdough Dinner Rolls

Kitchen aid stand mixer or Bosch Mixer – Either one will work just fine, but I find that the Bosch mixer does better with mixing bread dough, and I highly recommend the investment if you bake often. 

9×13 pan – The rolls are baked in a 9×13 baking pan. 

Kitchen Scale –When making sourdough bread, I always recommend weighing your ingredients on a kitchen scale for more accurate measurements.  

Tips for Success

• Make sure to allow the dough to rise and become puffy. This is what helps create a soft and fluffy texture in the sourdough rolls. 
• If the dough is rising too slowly at room temperature, use a bread mat (use code country10 for 10%) or proofing box to keep the dough warm to ensure it will rise properly. You can also try leaving the dough in the oven with the light on, above the refrigerator, or near a heating vent.
• Divide the dough into equal pieces so that the rolls will rise and bake evenly. 
• The egg wash is used to create a beautiful golden brown top on the rolls, so be sure to not skip this step. 
• Use your sourdough starter at peak. Using a bubbly and active starter will set you up for success and help your dough rise properly. 

Sample baking schedule

The total time that the rolls will take to rise and bake can vary depending on a few factors. The temperature of your dough, kitchen, humidity, and strength of your starter will all impact the times, so while this will give you an estimate, it is best to look at the signs the dough is ready to move on. 

Same Day Schedule

To have rolls same day and in time for dinner you need to find a warm spot for your dough. At 80F it took my dough about 5 hours to double in size. I use a bread mat (use code country10 for 10%) or proofing box to keep the dough temperature warm but you can also try placing it in the oven with the light on. Alternatively, if you want to keep it in the mid 70sF you can let the dough rise overnight in about 8-12 hours. 

Fridge Schedule

Alternatively, you can prep these rolls ahead of time and put them in the fridge to bake later. Once they are puffy and about ready to bake cover and place in the fridge. I wouldn’t recommend going longer than 12 hours. This schedule could look something like this assuming a dough temperature around 75-77F. 

Ingredients to make Sourdough Dinner Rolls

• Milk – I like to use whole milk for the extra fat content. This ensures a super soft roll. 
• Butter- Use softened butter so it will mix into the dough easily. To control the amount of salt, use unsalted butter. If you use salted butter, reduce the amount of added salt.                   
• Egg – Using an egg in the dough adds richness to the rolls.                 
• Sugar – The sugar balances out the flavors in the dinner rolls. 
• Salt – You can use any type of salt that you would prefer or have on hand.  
• Active sourdough starter – An active sourdough starter is one that has been recently fed, has doubled in size, and is bubbly.           
• Bread flour – I recommend using bread flour over all-purpose flour because it has a higher protein content and is better at absorbing liquid in a higher hydration dough. 

For topping

• Egg wash– You will brush the tops of the dinner rolls before baking with an egg wash that is made with 1 egg whisked together with 1 tablespoon of water
• Butter- After baking, you will add one tablespoon of melted butter to the tops of the rolls.
• Flaky Sea Salt- Optional but delicious. Adding a little flaky sea salt after adding the butter adds a little something extra to these rolls.

Instructions to make Sourdough Dinner Rolls

Warm the milk and soften the butter. Add all the dinner roll ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer and mix together with the dough hook attachment. I use my Bosch mixer to mix the dough on medium speed. You can use your hands if you do not have a mixer but you will need to knead for a longer period of time. 

Knead the dough on medium speed for 15-20 minutes until the dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl. The dough will seem sticky at first but as it kneads it will come together. You can add a little extra flour if it is too sticky. 

Let the dough rest for 10 minutes. Perform the windowpane test by pulling a section of the dough thin enough to see light through without it tearing. If it doesn’t pass, continue to knead for another 5 minutes. 

Place the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and form the dough into a ball. 

Place into a bowl and cover for bulk fermentation. I prefer to cover it with a lid or dinner plate rather than a tea towel to keep the dough from drying out. Keep the dough at 80F for a shorter rise. At this temperature, the dough will take about 5-6 hours to double in size. Alternatively, if you would rather have the rolls rise overnight, leave them around 75-77F for 8-12 hours to rise. 

Once doubled, punch down the dough and place it on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough ball into 15 even balls (roughly 85 grams each). 

Place the rolls in a greased 9×13 baking dish. Let the dough balls rise at 80F for 2-3 hours for the second proof until puffy and risen. To determine if they are ready, perform the poke test by lightly flouring a spot on one of the rolls and poking the dough with your finger. If the dough springs back immediately, it needs more time. If the dough doesn’t spring back at all, they are starting to go over and should be baked immediately. And, if they slowly spring back they are just right.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Brush the tops of the rolls with an egg wash to get golden brown rolls. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and rolls have an internal temperature of 190F. 

Remove from the oven and brush with 1 Tablespoon melted butter. Sprinkle the tops with flaky sea salt. 

How to store Sourdough Dinner Rolls

To store the dinner rolls, let them cool completely and then store them in an airtight container or ziplock bag for up to 4 days. The dinner rolls will also freeze well. Let them cool completely, and then add them to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. To thaw, remove them from the freezer and let them defrost on the counter.