These fan favorite sourdough dinner rolls are perfectly crusty with a soft and fluffy crumb. They are made with a no-knead dough so they're super easy, and they need just two ingredients: flour and sourdough starter.
The perfect crusty sourdough dinner rolls
These really are the perfect sourdough dinner rolls. They have a delicious crackly crust and a soft and pillowy crumb that's perfect to soak up stews and curries with! An active, bubbling sourdough starter and an overnight first rise gives these rolls amazing flavor and texture. If you don't love sourdough but want to eat it for its immense health benefits, you might like the fact that the flavor is obvious but not overwhelming.
As the baker, my favorite part of this sourdough dinner rolls recipe is that I need just two ingredients - flour and sourdough starter - and I don't need to do any kneading. At all. Just put the ingredients in a bowl, mix them up into a dough, proof overnight, shape the rolls, let them stand again for a couple of hours, and bake! Breadmaking doesn't get any easier than that.
If you have a very robust starter and you fed it a about a week ago you can use it to make these sourdough dinner rolls (I have, with good results). But using a recently fed, active sourdough starter will give you the best rolls. I fed my starter, George, who has been lounging in the refrigerator most of this summer, about eight hours before I made the dough and he bubbled up nicely in that time.
P.S. If you are looking for sourdough dinner rolls with a softer crust try this recipe.
Have been trying different sourdough recipes and this one is probably one of the easiest! No drawn-out kneading or meticulous measuring. Followed the instructions exactly, got good dough rise. Recipe makes 12 medium-large rolls that look professionally made (especially if you score them as instructed). I baked for 25 min and they were perfect. -Stephanie
Recipe card
Crusty Sourdough Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups bread flour
- 1 ¼ cups warm filtered or distilled water
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup active sourdough starter (made using my recipe linked here. If using sourdough with a different hydration, you will need to adjust the amount of water)*
Instructions
Make the sourdough dinner rolls dough
- Place all the ingredients in a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix in the stand mixer or with your hand until a consistent dough forms. The dough can be slightly tacky but it shouldn't be wet.
- Cover the bowl with cling wrap or a tight lid and let the dough stand overnight or for 8-10 hours on the countertop, if warm, or in a cold oven with the light on.
Shape the rolls
- Punch down the risen dough and shape the dough into 12 equal-sized balls. Place the rolls 2 inches apart on a generously floured or parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Dust the tops of the rolls with more flour, cover with a kitchen towel, and set aside to rise for 2 hours.
Score and bake the rolls
- Fifteen minutes before the rise is done, preheat the oven to 425℉/220℃.
- Just before putting the rolls in the oven, score the top of each roll using a sharp knife. Make the cut fast, to prevent the roll from deflating. Scoring gives the gases that form in the bread escape while baking and helps the rolls rise.
- Place the rolls in the hot oven and bake 25-28 minutes or until the rolls are a light golden-brown and sound hollow when tapped. Remove the rolls from the oven and continue cooling on a rack.
Notes
Nutrition Information
To print recipe card without images, uncheck "instruction images" after clicking the "print recipe" button.
How to make sourdough dinner rolls
- Place all the ingredients in a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Mix in the stand mixer with the dough hook attachment or with your hands or a ladle until a consistent dough forms. It can be slightly sticky but it shouldn't be wet.
- Cover the dough with cling wrap or a tight lid and let it stand overnight or for 8-10 hours on the countertop, if warm, or in a cold oven with the light on.
- Punch down the risen dough and shape it into 12 equal-sized balls. Use flour on your palms to roll, if the dough feels sticky.
- Place the shaped rolls two inches apart on a generously floured or parchment paper lined baking sheet.
- When the rolls have risen, score the top of each roll using a sharp knife or a bread lame (an implement designed to score bread). Make the cut fast, to prevent the roll from deflating. Place the rolls in a 425 degrees Fahrenheit/220 degrees Celsius oven and bake 25-28 minutes or until the rolls are a light golden brown color. Remove from the oven and continue cooling the rolls on a wire rack.
Top tip
Score the rolls before baking! Scoring allows the gases that form in the sourdough to escape in the oven and helps the rolls rise. If you don't score the rolls the gases will find an outlet at a weak spot in the dough and cause a split there, which might not look great. Scoring ensures your sourdough dinner rolls look artisanal. For the best look, score from end to end - the rolls will puff up like little balls!
Sourdough rolls FAQ
Yes, click on the "metric" tab in the recipe box for precise weight measurements.
Yes. Bread flour will result in a fluffier crumb and a crustier crust, but if all-purpose is what you have, you can use it.
You can, but make sure it was recently fed and is strong.
Use a recently fed, bubbly sourdough starter for best results. I have sometimes had good results with using discard from a healthy starter fed no more than a week before I make the rolls. But if you want foolproof rolls I recommend using recently fed starter.
That could be due to one or all of three things: you let the first rise go on for too long, the strength of your sourdough starter and the weather conditions in your area. Make sure your starter is robust and also don't let the first rise go on and on - no longer than 10 hours. The rolls won't rise a lot after shaping, during the final rise, but they will "spring" in the oven (see my photos in the step-by-step instructions - the rolls haven't quite doubled). Finally, make sure the rolls are sitting in a warm spot. If you take care of all these elements, follow rise times, and score the rolls, rest assured the rolls will rise in the oven.
My sourdough starter uses a 1:¾ ratio of flour to water. If you use a greater proportion of water in your starter, use just 1 cup of water in the sourdough rolls recipe below and slowly trickle in more water into the dough if needed. If your starter has a lower proportion of water than mine, start with the same amount of water as the recipe but trickle in more water into the dough, a tablespoon at a time, if needed. The final dough should be slightly tacky but not wet.
This dough is slightly tacky - it will stick a bit to your fingers and the countertop - but it should not be wet. If the dough turned out very sticky, you likely used a starter with a different water-to-flour ratio. See the question above for how to tweak the dough to your specific starter.
There are two possible reasons: your sourdough starter has a different water to flour proportion, or you are working in a drier climate or at a higher altitude than I am. If your dough is not coming together, add more water a little at a time. The dough should be shaggy and very slightly tacky but not overly sticky.
I always make these rolls with bread flour so I can't say for sure, but one reader commented he has tried these rolls with ½ cup rye, ½ cup whole wheat flour and rest all-purpose flour, and they turned out nicely.
Yes, place them side-by-side in a 9 X 13 inch baking dish or a cast-iron skillet (which will give you a crustier roll). The rolls will join together as they rise and bake.
More sourdough bread recipes
Emily Leishman says
These are now a household staple! A crispy crust and a soft sourdough center, they’re perfect for family barbecues!
Vaishali says
So great to know!
Samantha says
Do these freeze well after they’ve been baked?
Linda A Mckaskle says
I want to bake sour dough rolls today. What must I do so that I can have homemade rolls tonight?
Laurie Furry says
Can this recipe be used to make a single loaf? If so, how long would it bake? My dough is resting overnight in the oven with the light on. Came together nicely using my Kitchenaid with dough hook.
Natasha says
This was the first recipe I ever made with my new sourdough starter and they turned out perfectly! I will be coming back to this recipe again and again.
Vaishali says
Awesome!
Audry says
Can I make these with all purpose flour? That's what I have and trying to avoid stores.
Vaishali says
Yes, you can use all purpose!
Courtney says
I am in the same boat, I only have AP flour and it is impossible to find bread flour nowadays due to all the baking going on. My starter is on Day 3 so I have several days before I can test it. Due to social distancing, I will be making and eating these alone and would like to halve the recipe, partly to reduce the amount of bread and partly because I don't want to have wasted flour if my starter fails me and I end up with little rocks. Will halving the recipe still work ok?
Maria says
I don’t see why not!!
Cara says
I freeze my bread/rolls, they come out great! It’s an excellent way to preserve homemade bread/rolls
sean says
Thanks for another excellent sourdough recipe, Vaishali! I was hoping to avoid going to the store during the pandemic madness, and knew you'd have a good recipe for rolls on here. This one was so easy, and is another great use for all that starter discard. It literally took less than 15 minutes of prep time, including mixing the dough the night before and forming the rolls the next morning.
Paul B says
This is a great recipe. I've been making sourdough loafs for a while and wanted to try making rolls. It worked perfectly first time. Thanks.
Anonymous says
Baked those today - they are wonderful. Thank you for the recipe.
Mary says
Just made your sourdough dinner rolls. What a surprise ,went into the oven quite flat but soon sprung up. I rested my dough overnight in the fridge. Took it out at 7,30am and folded dough a couple of times then shaped them after resting for 3hrs baked them and wow. Only thing i will do next time i will make 8 instead of 12 so we can have them for lunch.wish i could post a pic.
Margaret says
Do you stretch and roll like the sourdough bread - each roll individually.
Going to try baking rolls for first time.
Cara says
Thanks for the tip! I’m making these tomorrow but I too, want them for lunch rolls. I’ll make 8 instead.
Kathy says
Unbelievably good !
RBG says
Weird question..
Above, it offers to convert from US Standard to Metric. But, it's a change from volumetric to gravimetric, and I was wondering which way the recipe was created? Just used to baker's percentages by grams and while they're baking beautifully as we speak, i was wondering how it originated so I can adapt it going forward.
Cheers!
RBG
Amy Wahl says
Could you use gluten free flour?
Sarah P says
Hello!
Newbie sourdough baker here with a question: in an earlier comment, someone asked about using unfed starter for these, and you said it would work. Does that mean sourdough discard would also work if it's relatively recent discard?
Thanks in advance for your answer. These rolls sound delicious, and I'm excited to try making them to go with our Christmas dinner.
-Sarah
Vaishali says
Hi Sarah, sourdough discard when you are just beginning your sourdough starter will not work because it's not yet strong enough.
Sarah Pennington says
Ok. Thanks! Just thought I'd ask.
Robin kouri says
Wonderful!! Wish I could post a pic, they came out perfect. Thank you!
Toni says
Do these freeze well? Has anyone tried that?
Janice Sherwood says
Can these rolls be made in a dutch oven?
Vaishali says
Yes, if you can fit them.
Rochelle says
I made these this morning! I never thought I would be able to bake sourdough in a home oven, not using a Dutch oven! I only needed to add a bit more water. I did 3 stretches, formed, then into the fridge overnight. Took out about 6:00 a.m. and was having my first roll for breakfast couple of hrs later! I really liked these rolls and so did my office? Thank you for sharing.
Jacob says
I'm making these a second time in the run up to Thanksgiving in hopes of being confident in my ability to serve them then. First batch, rose beautifully but was super sticky as another user noted. (I'm a bread novice, so please judge my lack of skills and not the recipe based on this).
I ended up adding an extra 1.5c flour, bit the rolls turned out dense (probably from over mixing).
I have the second batch going, and I used the stand mixer only to incorporate the ingredients and hand kneaded as another commenter suggested. This looks more like dough and less like batter and I am hopeful this batch will be an improvement.
Comments I can make about the recipe despite my shortcomings as a baker:
The rolls have a beautiful sourdough flavor and just the right amount of crunch to the outside and moisture on the inside. I'm looking forward to making these often.
Theresa says
Turned out beautiful....I made 12 of them this morning and we have 4 left for tomorrow - we couldn't resist them - are then between meals....highly recommend!!!thank you Vaishali!!!
leigh golden says
These rolls turned out great. Very easy. Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Diane says
How much time is your "overnight"? Can the first rise ever be too long?
Vaishali says
8-10 hours.
Katy Chen says
I made this a few days ago, it was great! What I did differently was adding some walnuts luxury!
I did reduce the temp. to 200 degree without longer baking time to make it softer and less chewy. .
Beth says
Could you let the first rise go longer? Say until afternoon?
Eli says
This recipe is great. Everybody in the family gathers around when the buns come out. Thank you. I've been making these almost every day since I discover this recipe.
Karen says
How much should I work the dough when forming into balls? MIne came out tough on the outside. Maybe I worked the dough too much.
Xenia says
I made these twice over the holidays and they came out great both times. Wonderful sourdough flavor and texture. They rose beautifully (I used fed starter from the night before). This will be my go to quick and easy rolls for the future. Thank you, Xenia
Samantha Berthelette says
Is the dough supposed to be incredibly wet and sticky? After letting it rise overnight, the consistency is almost like batter... 1 and 1/4 c water seems like a lot.
Vaishali says
It shouldn't be that wet. Is it possible your sourdough could have been too runny?
Susan Hurley says
It’s my personal call that maybe the dough could use a little kneading. It’s a quick way to know if the dough is oversaturated and also will help with the “density” issue described by another baker.
Brian Gruner says
How did you recover? Mine seems very wet as well.
Denise says
Hi Vaishali,
Made these last week. They tasted really good but they split at the base instead of the top where I scored so I have to solve this problem. They also didn’t spring in the oven which means they were quite dense. Didn’t share these with the neighbours!!! I will try again soon. Today I am making the herby garlicky focacia, I will let you know how it goes.. Thank you for the recipes.
Colleen E Kiley says
Hello! I recently found your blog when looking for a vegan sourdough sandwich bread. I've made it twice and so love it!
For this recipe are you using unfed starter? I usually feed my starter the night before I plan on baking, allowing it to sit out overnight and grow in size. Should I skip that step for this recipe? Thanks!
Vaishali says
Hi Colleen, Yes, unfed starter is fine here -- no need to feed it the night before.
Shobhana says
Can I make this in a table top oven?
Vaishali says
Hi Shobhana, I would think so, especially if you have one that distributes heat evenly.