I hadn’t had much luck making dinner rolls from scratch—until now. These Sourdough Dinner Rolls are light, fluffy, and buttery, with a soft crumb and plenty of sourdough flavor. They’re surprisingly quick: in just a few hours you can have warm, homemade rolls on the table. Let’s get baking.

Sourdough Starter Rolls

These rolls rely on an active sourdough starter for flavor and texture. The starter adds a gentle tang and a pleasant chew while still keeping the rolls soft and tender. For best results use a fed starter that’s been refreshed the night before. You’ll need a starter for this recipe.

If you want detailed starter tips, check the Sourdough highlight on my Instagram profile where I explain how to create, feed, and maintain a starter, and share tips for keeping it healthy and ready to bake with.

Other sourdough recipes you might enjoy include sourdough pancakes and an easy sourdough pizza crust—great ways to use and enjoy your starter.

Why are the rolls touching in the pan?

Baking the rolls close together in a smaller pan helps them stay soft all around. When they bake touching one another they rise up and stay tender on the sides while developing a golden bottom crust.

You can use round or square pans—two 8- or 9-inch pans work well. If you prefer separate rolls, spread them out on a baking sheet instead. The pull-apart presentation is lovely, but either method yields tasty results.

How many Sourdough Dinner Rolls will this recipe make?

This recipe yields roughly 13–16 rolls depending on how large you shape each dough ball. For larger, bakery-style rolls make fewer; for more servings, divide the dough into smaller pieces to stretch it to 16.

Like this recipe and want to save it for later? Pin it to Pinterest here!

Yield: 16 dinner rolls

Sourdough Dinner Rolls

These sourdough rolls are soft, buttery, and full of flavor. They come together with minimal fuss and bake up beautifully for dinner or any gathering.

Prep Time
10 minutes

Cook Time
24 minutes

Additional Time
3 hours

Total Time
3 hours 34 minutes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup fed sourdough starter*
• 1 cup lukewarm water
• 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup dry milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix until a shaggy dough forms. If the dough seems too sticky or dry, add a little extra flour or water until it is soft and workable.
2. Change to the dough hook (or turn the dough onto a floured surface) and knead for 3–5 minutes until the dough is smooth and elastic.
3. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let it rise at a warm room temperature until nearly doubled in size, about 60–90 minutes.
4. While the dough is rising, lightly grease two 8-inch baking dishes.
5. Divide the dough into 13–16 pieces depending on desired roll size. Shape each piece into a smooth ball and place the dough balls in the pans; at this stage they should not be touching.
6. Cover the pans with a towel and let the rolls rise for about one hour, until puffy and nearly doubled.
7. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) while the rolls finish their second rise.
8. Bake the rolls for 24–26 minutes, until the tops are a light golden brown.
9. Remove the rolls from the oven and brush with butter while still hot. Serve warm.

Notes

*”Fed” sourdough starter means the starter was refreshed the night before and left at room temperature. For this recipe, feed your starter with 1/2 cup flour and 1/2 cup water the night before. The next day reserve 4 tablespoons of starter for future use, measure 1/2 cup for the recipe, and discard any excess.