These sourdough dinner rolls have no yeast, a perfect crust, a chewy crumb, and are so easy to make! Pile them high in a bread basket and slather them with the best butter you can find! The best part is you don't have to knead them!
I started my sourdough journey the Summer after I had my son. I've always wanted to learn how to make my own bread and have my kids enjoy homemade bread. My daughter calls my sourdough "mommy bread" and she eats it's all the time!
The first book I bought to learn about sourdough was Emilie Raffa's Artisan Sourdough Made Simple. This recipe is inspired by the sourdough dinner rolls that are in that book. I've made these rolls thousands of times! Every time I make them, everyone loves them!
With the Fall here and Winter in New England just around the corner, you better believe I'll be giving my sourdough starter a good workout! These would be perfect to dunk in New England clam chowder, Roasted Broccoli and Cauliflower soup, or our favorite roasted cherry tomato soup.
Jump to:
- Why You'll Love This Sourdough Rolls Recipe
- What Makes Sourdough Rolls Different?
- Ingredients for Sourdough Rolls Recipe
- Example Baking Schedule
- How to Make Sourdough Rolls
- How to Make Sourdough Rolls Ahead of Time
- Tips and Tricks
- What to Serve With Sourdough Dinner Rolls
- How to Store Sourdough Rolls
- Sourdough Rolls Recipe FAQs
- Other Recipes To Try!
- 📖 Recipe
Why You'll Love This Sourdough Rolls Recipe
- You don't need any crazy equipment! These rolls are no knead! No need to break out the stand mixer either. You'll mix everything by hand or with a spoon.
- You don't need any yeast! These are no yeast rolls! An active, bubbly sourdough starter is essential in making these dinner rolls or our Hawaiian sourdough rolls. Check out this post about how to keep your starter happy!
- They are great to make ahead! This dough can be made ahead of time and then baked off, or you can bake the rolls and keep them stored for a few days, reheating when ready to serve.
What Makes Sourdough Rolls Different?
Sourdough tends to be more nutritious then regular bread. That's because the long fermentation of the natural yeast makes the gluten in bread easier to digest. Whenever possible, I try to make sourdough bread for my family. Making bread in my own kitchen eases my mind that my family isn't getting all the preservatives and extra unnecessary ingredients that are often in store bought breads.
Sourdough is super healthy, easy to make, and delicious! You'd be amazed what a little bit of patience and some high quality ingredients will get you.
Ingredients for Sourdough Rolls Recipe
- Sourdough Starter- It should be bubbly and active. This dough is best to make on a Saturday night, so your starter should be fed Thursday and Friday so it's ready to go by Saturday afternoon. You can make your own sourdough starter from scratch, buy it, or get one from a sourdough friend.
- Flours- I like to use a combination of whole wheat flour and bread flour. You can use all bread flour if that's what's available.
- Honey- Granulated sugar is a good substitute if you don't have honey.
- Milk- Creates a velvety, rich crumb. Whole milk is great but I have also used almond milk and they come out perfectly.
- Water- Warm water is best. It should be around 100 degrees, or a little above room temperature.
See printable recipe card for full recipe information on ingredients and quantities.
How To Measure the Ingredients
It's best to measure the ingredients on a kitchen scale. Baking is science, so you want to be as accurate as possible to get the best results. If you don't have a kitchen scale yet, I'd suggest buying one. You'll get a lot of use out of it when making sourdough bread.
Example Baking Schedule
- 10:00PM- Feed sourdough starter
- 8:00AM- Mix together starter, warm water, warm milk, and honey. Add flours and salt. Let the dough rest.
- 8:45AM- Form the dough into a ball and let it rest for 8 hours until doubled in size.
- 4:00PM- Cut the dough into 12 dough balls and place them on a baking sheet. Let them rest until puffy.
- 5:00PM- Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake.
- 5:30PM- Serve
How to Make Sourdough Rolls
Step 1: Mix together the warm water, warm milk, active sourdough starter, and honey.
Step 2: Add the flours and salt to the bowl. With your hands or a fork, mix well.
Step 3: The dough will look very shaggy, but that's ok! At this time, the dough needs to rest for 45 minutes to relax the gluten in the dough.
Step 4: With your hands, work the dough into a ball in the bowl and cover the bowl with a damp towel. Place the bowl in a warm, draft free place, such as an off oven. Allow the dough to rise for 8-10 hours.
Step 5: After 8 hours and once the dough has doubled in size, place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Stretch the dough to an 8x11 rectangle and cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. You can either eyeball equal sizes, or you can grab your kitchen scale and weigh out the dough balls to ensure they are equal in size.
Step 6: Form the pieces of dough into balls. Take the edges of the dough and roll them into balls. Place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Cover the baking sheet with a damp cloth and allow the dough to rise for an hour, until the balls are light and puffy.
Step 7: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Score each dough ball to allow for them to expand. Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 30 minutes until the rolls are golden brown.
How to Make Sourdough Rolls Ahead of Time
This dough is perfect to make ahead of time! You can make the dough ahead of time, or you can bake the rolls ahead of time and then reheat them when you are ready to serve the,
Making the dough
Once the dough has been mixed and risen for 8 hours, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator. This will also allow the dough to ferment for a few more hours and deepen the tangy, sourdough taste. You can keep the dough refrigerated for up to 24 hours before you will need to bake the dough.
Making the rolls
Bake the rolls as you normally would and allow them to cool completely. Place the cooled rolls in a Ziploc bag. Just before you are ready to serve the rolls, place them in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. That will heat them through. Pile them high in a bread basket and serve!
Tips and Tricks
- It is essential that your sourdough starter is active and bubbly. Feed your starter at least once before you are ready to bake with it.
- The temperature of your kitchen will depend on how fast the dough will rise. If it is the middle of winter when you are making this recipe and the temperature in your kitchen is in the 60s, the dough will take longer to rise. The best place to keep the bowl of dough is in an off oven. It's warm and draft free and will give the dough the perfect environment to rise.
- The water and milk should be room temperature or warmer when you add it to the starter. Cold milk and cold water will take more time to rise and instead of 8 hours, the dough might take 12 to double in size.
What to Serve With Sourdough Dinner Rolls
Sourdough dinner rolls are super versatile, so you can serve them with just about anything! They’re perfect alongside soups, stews, or chilis because they’re great for dipping. They also pair wonderfully with roasted meats like turkey, chicken, or beef, making them a staple at holiday dinners. For something simple, serve them warm with butter, honey, or even a little garlic herb spread for a yummy side dish.
How to Store Sourdough Rolls
To keep sourdough dinner rolls fresh, let them cool completely before storing. Place them in an airtight container or a resealable bag at room temperature, and they’ll stay soft for about 2–3 days. For longer storage, you can freeze them. Just wrap each roll in plastic wrap or foil, then place them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy, warm them in the oven for a few minutes for the perfect warm, dinner roll.
Sourdough Rolls Recipe FAQs
Yes! Use granulated sugar instead of honey, and use almond milk instead of whole milk. Almond milk is a perfect substitute for whole milk in this recipe.
Yes! Once they are completely cooled, place them in a Ziploc bag and freeze them for up to 3 months. To thaw, place them on the counter and allow them to come to room temperature. When you are ready to serve them, place them on a baking sheet in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.
They do have a little tang to them. If you allow the dough to hang out in the refrigerator overnight and bake the dough the next day, the sour flavor will be more prominent.
Other Recipes To Try!
Did you love this Sourdough Dinner Rolls, no yeast? I'd so appreciate it if you would give this recipe a 5 star review! That will help other hungry readers find my recipes!
And don't forget to tag me on Instagram or Facebook and share this recipe on Pinterest! Thanks for sharing this journey with me and enjoy these delicious recipes!
- Sourdough Pizza Dough
- Sourdough Apple Cider Donuts
- Pumpkin Sourdough Muffins
- Light and Crisp Sourdough Waffles
📖 Recipe
Best Sourdough Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
- 125 g Sourdough Starter Active and Bubbly
- 250 g Warm Water
- 80 g Warm Milk Whole or 2%
- 24 g Honey
- 260 g Bread Flour
- 240 g Whole Wheat Flour
- 12 g Fine Sea Salt
Instructions
- In a large bowl, mix together the starter, water, milk, and honey. Use a whisk or a fork to mix.
- Add the flours and salt to the bowl and mix again. One the dough gets to hard to mix with a fork, use your hands to finish mixing everything together.
- Cover with a damp towel and allow the dough to rest for 45 minutes in a warm, draft free environment. An OFF oven is a great place to allow the dough to rest. Feed the rest of your starter while you wait for the dough to rise.
- After 45 minutes, mix the dough with your hands and form it into a ball. This should take about 20 seconds.
- Cover the dough again and allow it to rise for 8-10 hours, depending on the temperature of your house.
- The next morning, or 8 hours later, place the dough on a lightly floured surface and stretch it into a small rectangle, about 8x11 inches. Cut the dough into 12 pieces, 3 rows down, and 4 rows across.
- Shape each dough pieces into a ball by folding the edges the dough ball. Once a ball is form, place the dough on a parchment lined baking sheet and cover the baking sheet with a damp kitchen towel. Allow it to rise one more time, for one hour.
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Score the dough balls with a sharp knife or a lame.
- Place the baking sheet in the oven for 30 minutes until the rolls are golden brown.
- Serve the rolls warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- A kitchen scale is essential in baking, that's why we are using grams instead of cups and measuring spoons.
- To make this recipe vegan, substitute Almond Milk instead of whole milk. Granulated sugar is a perfect substitute for honey.
PattiD says
Great recipe! Second time baking these rolls. First try, bottoms were a little too done. However, they tasted good. My granddaughter and son loved them. Second try, I placed a pan with water underneath. Better result. Thank you for posting this recipe.
Leila says
Absolutely perfect. Made the dough yesterday and baked today and they exceeded my expectations. An attempt from King Arthur was a total failure so I was really nervous about this one. Followed the recipe exactly as written with the exception of shaping the dough first before placing in the refrigerator for overnight proofing. I did allow the shaped rolls to proof for one hour at room temperature before placing in the oven.
Lynn Polito says
I am so happy to hear that! I love making this recipe too!
Jane H says
My first try on this recipe just cooled enough to try one--classic, delicious! Full of the taste of the whole wheat, with a wonderful texture and very slightly crisp crust. The recipe is simple to follow, and the only thing I changed was taking one commenter's suggestion to put a pan of water on the oven bottom to add a bit of steam. Next time I may try the recipe's suggested extra time in fridge to make the sourdough tang more pronounced. These rose beautifully, behaving exactly as you'd want, and giving me rolls high enough to slice horizontally--so they could be used to make a small sandwich or use as a veggie burger (in my case) slider style bun. Thank you, Lynn!
lynnswayoflife says
Fantastic! Thank you so much for making my recipe! I am so glad you enjoyed them!
Brittney says
I’ve turned this into my quick go to recipe. I simply add some instant yeast to the flour, and I have quick sourdough rolls ready within a few hours. 30 min rest, 1-2 hour rise, shape and rise 30 min. Bake the same way as described above (but I put hot water in the bottom of the oven). These rolls are great! Awesome recipe!
lynnswayoflife says
Oh I love to hear that! What a great idea to make them faster! Thanks for making my recipe!
Wayne says
How much dry yeast did you use did you use?
Lynn Polito says
There is no dry yeast in this recipe. The rolls rise using your sourdough starter.
Elaine Garrigan says
Amazing recipe. I’ve never made bread from scratch. Someone send me a sourdough starter and I was really nervous to try a whole loaf. I read the directions about 15 times before I tried it. Love all the notes. My kids are obsessed with these rolls!!! Thank you!
lynnswayoflife says
I am so happy to hear that! Thank you for making my recipe!
Emily says
If I make these one evening and do the bulk rise overnight, it sounds like they would need to be cooked in the morning. How would you suggest I reheat them for dinner that evening?
lynnswayoflife says
You can keep them in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake them. I've kept them in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours and they are still great, even a little more sour. If you want to bake them in the morning, to reheat them, place them on a baking sheet and place them in a 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes to warm the through.
Sachi says
These sour dough rolls were a big hit at Sunday dinner.
Sherry says
I am a bread snob and these sourdough dinner rolls were amazing!!
laura says
Maybe the BEST way to use sourdough?? So tasty and fresh!!
Kim says
These were do delicious!!
Jennifer says
These are terrific! Such great flavor without all the hassle of dealing with yeast!
Cindy says
I love a good sourdough. This recipe did not disappoint. Highly recommend!
bryan says
Great, easy recipe! Just one thing, the bottoms of my rolls got super dark and the tops didn’t brown much. Any tips??
lynnswayoflife says
Thanks for trying my recipe! Were you able to bake them on a silicone mat? Sometimes when you bake them directly on a dark cookie sheet they might get a little too brown on the bottle.
Robin Donovan says
Looks amazing! Can't wait to try this recipe!
Christina Williamson says
These turned out beautiful! The height of the tops is just like a bakery! My boys ate them up! Thanks for the great recipe!
Ali says
Hi! If it's pretty cool in our house (65 and will be cooler overnight) is it ok to let them rise for almost 24 hours?
lynnswayoflife says
I haven't tried, but I don't see why not! Keep an eye on them once you hit about 18 hours and if they still look like they need some time, then let them continue to rise.
andrea russell says
Could I make them with my whole wheat starter and only whole wheat flour, and no sugar or use monkfruit?
Lynn Polito says
You would probably have to adjust the hydration level since whole wheat flour tends to take on more water than all purpose or bread flour.
Mandy Applegate says
These look amazing! I'll be making them tomorrow!