These pillowy sourdough rolls require no added yeast, just your well-fed sourdough starter. Serve them for breakfast, lunch or dinner. You'll be hooked.
I've long preached baking with sourdough on this blog, and hooked many of you into this healthful and rewarding tradition, especially with my no-knead crusty sourdough dinner rolls and sourdough sandwich bread recipes. For you, I have today these pillow-soft sourdough rolls that are sure to become a favorite at dinnertime.
I've loved baking with sourdough for as long as I can remember, but in past years I found it challenging to keep my sourdough starter alive and as a result I'd end up discarding batches after long periods of neglect. All that changed the more I learned about sourdough and how it is nearly impossible to actually kill the starter. No matter how long you've failed to feed it, it's always possible to bring it back to life.
My current sourdough starter, George, has been kicking around for nearly three and a half years now. I don't feed him on any regular basis -- I usually pull him out of the refrigerator and start feeding him a few days before I have a baking project in mind. And because I've been really busy at work these past few months, that has been rarely, except for the occasional sourdough waffle or sourdough pancake.
Even if your sourdough starter looks awful when you pull it out of the back of the refrigerator, with discolored, strong-alcoholic-smelling liquid collected on top and a dark top skin, you can revive it. Here's what I do: I pour out the liquid, carefully scrape off the discolored top with a spoon, and then use about half a cup of the clear starter underneath to begin a new starter in a clean container. It always works. When you do this, though, be sure to feed your starter twice a day for a few days to bring it back up to strength.
And don't worry -- there are tons of recipes you can make with sourdough discard, the portion you would throw out when you feed your starter.
This bread roll needs a well-fed starter, though, so be sure to use one you that is ripe and has been fed up to six hours before you start making the bread dough.
Tips for making the softest sourdough dinner rolls:
- Like I just said, you will need a freshly fed sourdough starter for this recipe. Feed it the night before or the morning of -- at least six hours before you start making the dough.
- You need aquafaba (chickpea brine) in this recipe, and a nondairy milk, to add softness and lightness. I use almond milk, but you can certainly use any other nondairy milk if you'd rather be nut-free.
- I use unbleached all purpose flour for these rolls. Sourdough keeps this bread healthy, by digesting complex starches before you put the bread in your tummy. But if you want to make them healthier, you can sub half the flour with whole wheat.
- Because we are making the rolls without any added yeast, the rise time for these rolls is on the higher side, about four hours for each of two rises. You can also do an overnight rise for the first rise, in the refrigerator.
- If you want your bread to rise faster, add some yeast to the recipe -- one and a half teaspoons of active dry yeast should do the trick. If using yeast, mix it with the nondairy milk first and make sure it blooms.
- The proportion of nondairy milk in this recipe works perfectly for me, and I add in all the ingredients all at once to the bowl and then mix. But bread dough tends to behave differently in different climates. So if you'd rather, you can mix all the ingredients except the milk first and then drizzle in the milk until you get a smooth dough. You may need more milk if you're working in an especially dry climate.
- You don't need to knead this dough much -- just enough to make it soft and smooth and pliable. You can do this in a stand mixer or by hand.
- This recipe makes 12 rolls. You can bake them in two round cake tins or in a rectangular 12 by 13 pan.
- These bread rolls need to cool in the pan for at least 20 minutes after baking, and you can then remove them from the pan and continue cooling them on a rack. It is not hard to get them out of a well-oiled pan, but you might need to help them with a spatula. Otherwise, sprinkle on some cornmeal on the baking pan before you place the rolls in it, which should make unmolding them a breeze.
Ingredients for Soft Sourdough Rolls:
- Sourdough starter
- Unbleached all purpose flour
- Aquafaba (chickpea brine)
- Sugar
- Vegetable oil
- Nondairy milk
Looking for more sourdough recipes?
- No Knead Sourdough Bread
- Vegan Sourdough Blueberry Pancakes
- Herby, garlicky Sourdough Focaccia
- Vegan Sourdough Waffles
- Sourdough Pretzels
- The Best Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Soft Sourdough Rolls Recipe
Soft Sourdough Rolls
Equipment
- Stand mixer or large bowl
- 13 X 9 inch baking pan or rimmed baking sheet
Ingredients
- ½ cup sourdough starter (recently fed)
- 2 ½ cups unbleached all purpose flour
- ¼ cup aquafaba (chickpea brine)
- 1 ½ teaspoon salt (can adjust to your taste)
- 2 tablespoon sugar
- 6 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ cup nondairy milk (I used almond, but use any nondairy milk of your choice)
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients except the nondairy milk in a bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Drizzle in the milk as needed until the dough comes together. Knead it just until it's soft and pliable and smooth.
- Form the dough into a smooth ball and place in a bowl to rise, turning over the dough once to coat the top with the oil. Cover the bowl with a tight lid or cling wrap and let stand in a warm place for four hours or overnight in the refrigerator, until the dough has doubled. This dough won't rise as fast or as much as a bread dough with added yeast would, but that's fine.
- If you placed your dough in the refrigerator, and it hasn't doubled overnight, let it stand in a warm place in your kitchen until it does.
- Knead the risen dough, and divide into 12 portions. Shape each into a smooth ball by stretching the dough and tucking the sides underneath. Place in a well-oiled 13 X 9 inch baking pan. The rolls won't touch at this point but that's okay because they will as they rise and bake.
- Cover the pan with a kitchen towel and place in a warm spot, like the oven with just the pilot light turned on, for four hours or until they are all puffy and are touching each other.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (make sure you remove the rolls from the oven if they are rising in there while the oven preheats)
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake 30 minutes until the rolls are golden-brown on top. Let them stand on a rack 20 minutes, then remove from the rack and continue cooling.
Nutrition
Keely
Have you ever tried making these then freezing before baking? Hoping to do some prep before Christmas.
Vaishali
Hi Keely, you can freeze the dough after the first rise. Thaw the dough to room temperature, then shape and let the rolls rise before baking.
Robin
Very tasty rolls! Did not add yeast, but will probably try next time to speed up the rise. Thanks for the recipe and clear directions
Vaishali
So happy you loved them, Robin!
Kyle
Could you mist with water during the bake as in a regular loaf recipe for a crispier crust? Or are these meant to have a thinner crust to emphasize the pillowiness of the bread?
Vaishali
You can most water. Or search for my recipe for crusty sourdough rolls in the search box on the page.
Eve
Hi Vai, what is a good substitute of aqufaba? Can I use flaxseed ground?
Thanks in advance.
Vaishali
Just sub with an equal quantity of nondairy milk.
Eve
Thank you for your reply. Will try this.
Fily
Hi:
I would love to make these oil-free. Do you think they would be OK if I left out the oil?
Thanks for your wonderful recipes!
Vaishali
Hi Fily, you can leave out the oil --they'd be crusty though and not as soft. If you want a no-oil, crusty sourdough rolls recipe I have one on the blog! Search for it using the search box.
Marcy
Hi there, is there another oil other than vegetable oil that could be used? I know this is a vegan blog but could butter be used?
Vaishali
Yes, or use any other oil of your choice, including olive oil.
Charmsley88
I made these rolls and they turned out wonderful! My daughter who is a picky eater absolutely loves them! Thanks for the easy, simple and delicious recipe!
Vaishali
So happy to hear.
Vicki
Hi, thanks for recipe. First time trying these. I didn't use all the soya as it was quite wet (my flour seems to use less water when making loaves).
This morning my dough hadn't risen much and the top had crusted?! Perhsps as a result of putting oil on the top?
I kneaded the dough and weighed each one to 85g but only could make 8, plus one 45g one.. ..how much should each one weigh?
I'm proving in the oven now and hope to have light fluffy buns soon!
Thanks for your advise in advance.
Linda jones
Can I use water instead of the chickpea water?
Vaishali
Yes, that's fine.
Layean
What happen to the bread when it cools down ? Soft or hard ? I have tried the recipe and it turns out hard like a stone when cool down. Please advise. Thanks
Vaishali
Hi, I am not 100 percent sure why this could be happening, but one thing you could do to soften the bread after it cools and before you eat is to spritz the rolls with some water and return them to the oven until they warm through. That should help soften the crust.
Linda DeAngelo
This just the best recipe for a dinner roll I’ve ever made!
Vaishali
So happy to hear!
Sandra
Yes, is there a gluten free version of this wonderful recipe? I have a gluten free starter but failed last week and came out with bricks! Help! I am doing this for my co worker who doesn't do well with gluten but loves these rolls!
Vaishali
Hi, I'll test our a gf recipe soon! Stay tuned. 🙂
Melissa
Did you do this??
Vaishali
Not yet!
Kate Ragotte
If I wanted to make 6 buns instead of 12, would I need to adjust the baking time?
Vaishali
Add 10 more minutes and check that it's done, or give more time.
Nancy
These sound wonderful but I'd like to find a sourdough sandwich roll with no oil, sugar or egg or is that impossible??
Janice Marela
Hello. I am wondering if you have suggestions for converting this to GF. I really need a good roll recipe for this weekend and the last sourdough GF rolls that looked like this turned out like door stops. H th e loaf I baked yesterday from your site GF sourdough sandwich bread had great crumb and it might have overpriced too much. It the crumb is great, so I really want to make the above rolls but GF. Sorry for he long winded comment.
Vaishali
Hi Janice, I don't have one specifically for rolls, but you could try adapting this gf sourdough sandwich bread recipe. I'd make 12 rolls, divide the dough into muffin tins, and bake for 30 minutes. I'll test out a gf recipe soon!
Linda DeAngelo
You just can not get this texture gluten-free
Adriana
Hi, I was wondering if you could post the weight of the ingredients? I'm new to the "sourdough starter" world but I have noticed that most bread recipes use weight for more accuracy. The recipes I have tried so far have all done so. I would love to try your recipe.
Thank you,
Adriana
Zena Floros
Hello,
What can I use instead of the chickpea brine?
Vaishali
You can leave it out but it makes the rolls softer.
Kanan
Vaishali, you sound interesting ?. I have few questions, do you use instant pot?
What can replace chickpeas brine? Is that in a can of chickpeas? Can I save that brine to use later in the fridge?
Can I mix dough by hand with out machine?
Thanks ?
Kanan (76 y/o)?
Vaishali
Hi Kanan, 🙂
I do have quite a few instant pot recipes on the blog. You can find them by searching with the search bar.
And yes, aquafaba is the brine in a can of chickpeas. You can save it in the fridge --I've kept it as long as a week and it's been fine.
You can certainly mix the dough by hand.
Nicole
This is the 1st comment I’ve ever made on a recipe but I have to say these are fantastic! Family requests all the time... and some are not even sourdough fans. Aquafina... who knew?!!!
Phyllis
Is it possible to do this recipe oil free? Or is there an acceptable substitute?
Thanks in advance!
Linda DeAngelo
The oil is what makes them so soft and rich and delicious
Heather
Could this dough be shaped as buns for veggie burgers? Maybe backed on a flat tray with more room between?
Michael Whalley
What’s the hydration of your starter? 1:1:1?
Cheers.
Jane
I just made these and HOLY COW are they ever perfect! So light! So fluffy! I'm completely impressed.
Sookie
Is the oil supposed to be just for coating the bowl, or in the actual dough? "Form the dough into a smooth ball and place in a bowl to rise, turning over the dough once to coat the top with the oil."
Vaishali
For the bread. You will also need to oil the bowl before you place the dough in it for rising.
Donna
So is there no oil in the dough then?
HolyCowVeganFan
She said "For the bread" so that means it has to be put in the bread...you will also need some (much less) to coat the bowl
Dimdim
I've been waiting for a very long time since the lockdown for dinner rolls recipe with sourdough as in our part of my country it's hard to get things such as yeast and as I've started sourdough starter ...thank you ?but as I've already said that its hard to get things here so can I replace aquafaba and non dairy milk with eggwhites and dairy milk...
Vaishali
Yes that’s fine, use equal quantities by measure!
Elle
Hello, if I started with the GF sourdough starter, can I make these rolls and what other ingredients, if any, do I add? Loving the pancakes and waffles with the starter 🙂
Vaishali
You can make these with gf starter, but not with all gf flour.
Wendy
HI vaishali
I am looking forward to more vegan cooking and the rolls look great. Just one question about s d starter. Mine split. The liquid separated even though I used filtered Spring water warmed in the microwave as it is fall here. Any ideas why?
Jennifer Mcgeehan
Hi, it’s not uncommon for SD starter to split, the liquid on top is called hooch. It just means your starter is hungry and needs fed. Mix it altogether and feed, wait for it to rise and then it’s ready to use.
Linda MacDonald
Ahhh I tried to replace the almond milk with dairy and the brine with egg white and the dough completely refuses to rise! Any save for this?
Vaishali
Hi Linda, it could just be that your starter is inactive. You might need to feed it. Replacing with dairy and eggs should not have that effect of the dough not rising.
Joann
Oh my goodness.....these are heavenly soft!
chris
I read somewhere you can replace the aqua file but I was more non-dairy milk but it says to add the non-dairy milk later so if I do that do I add the quarter cup of it instead of the aquafaba?
What else could I replace it with just water?
Or is that for the egg? Can I replace it with egg?
Sneha
Any replacement for aquafaba please.
I don’t eat egg also.
Adam Greenberg
Thanks a lot for all the great recipes! Do you think the second rise would work overnight in the fridge?
Vaishali
Yes, should be fine!
Virginia (from Australia)
A great recipe, love it. Thank you ?
Candice
This looks great, thanks. I agree totally about how robust sourdough motherdough can be. I'm still working with descendents of my first culture, made 5 years ago. Initially, if I went away for a long trip, I relied on freezing my dough. Now, I find I can easily revive a culture that's been neglected in the fridge for a couple of months, in a similar way to your description. Thanks for sharing.
Andrea
Hi Vaishali, is there a gluten free option you can recommend for these please? My gluten free starter is ready to use tomorrow 😉
Cheers
Vaishali
Hi Andrea, I don't have a good gf sourdough roll recipe yet, but you can check out other gf bread recipes on my sourdough breads page here, including a boule and sandwich bread.