Soft, Buttery Sourdough Discard Dinner Rolls

Sourdough Discard Dinner Rolls are mixed and baked to perfection in only a few hours, perfect to add to any dinner menu! They are light, fluffy, and full of buttery goodness!

There's nothing better than a soft dinner roll. It might be the best part of any dinner! Slathered with some butter, I mean, come on!

Sourdough discard adds a tang to the sourdough dinner rolls that you don't get from regular dinner rolls like brioche dinner rolls, though I love those too! If you don't have time to wait hours and hours for your sourdough dinner rolls to rise, these sourdough discard dinner rolls are for you.

In less than four hours, you'll have perfectly baked dinner rolls ready to impress! The active yeast makes the rise quicker, and the sourdough discard adds that signature sourdough tang we all love. You can also make the dough ahead of time and let it hang out in the refrigerator until you are ready to bake it. More on that later!

If you have a little extra time, give these Sourdough Hawaiian Rolls or sourdough dinner rolls a try too! Be sure to join our sourdough Facebook group to share tips and tricks and learn from other sourdough enthusiasts!

Why You'll Love This Recipe

1. They are a great use for your sourdough discard. If you are like me and you bake a ton of sourdough, you always have a lot of sourdough discard. You can use that discard to make sourdough banana pancakes or even sourdough biscuits, but why not use it to make the softest dinner rolls possible!
2. They use only a few simple ingredients. These ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen. You likely can make these on a whim when you want to impress your guests.
3. They are easy to make! If you are new to sourdough, some of these sourdough recipes might be intimidating. Not this one! They are easy to make and pretty fool proof.

What is Sourdough Discard?

Sourdough discard is the portion of your sourdough starter that is removed or "discarded" during the feeding of your sourdough starter. A sourdough starter needs to be fed with equal parts flour and water to keep it active and healthy and ready to bake bread with.

During the feeding process, a portion of the existing starter is discarded before adding fresh flour and water. This discarded portion is called "sourdough discard". Keep the discard in a mason jar or an airtight container in your refrigerator to make lots of delicious sourdough discard recipes.

Ingredients to Gather

• Sourdough discard. If you are new to sourdough, you'll need a sourdough starter. You can make your own sourdough starter, buy one, or get one from a friend. After you feed your starter, you'll have some leftover starter, and that is called the discard.
• Active dry yeast. One packet or 2 ¼ teaspoons.
• Liquid. We'll be using both milk and water. The milk helps give the rolls their light and fluffy texture. The fat from the milk is what keeps the rolls soft.
• Butter. Like the milk, the butter gives the rolls their soft, fluffy texture. Make sure the butter is room temperature so it combines into the dough easily while it is being mixed.
• Honey. Honey feeds the wild yeast, but also adds a bit of sweetness to the dough. You can use granulated sugar or maple syrup instead of honey if you prefer.
• Flour. We are using all purpose flour that is unbleached. Do not use bleached flour. You can use bread flour if that is what you have. There's a few important differences between bread flour and all purpose flour, but both will work in this recipe.

Be sure to check out the printable recipe card for full recipe information on ingredients and quantities.

How To Make Soft Sourdough Discard Dinner Rolls

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the water and milk. Sprinkle the top of the liquid with the yeast. Let it sit for 2-3 minutes or until it starts looking foamy.

Add the flour, sourdough discard, cubed butter, honey, and salt. Turn the mixer on medium and mix for 2-3 minutes or until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl. After the dough is mixed, turn the stand mixer off and cover with a damp kitchen towel. Let it rise for 60-90 minutes.

After the dough has risen, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut the dough into 12 pieces and shape each piece into a ball.

Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan with butter and place the dough balls into the prepared baking dish. Cover the baking dish with a damp kitchen towel and let it rise again for another hour. The dough balls should touch and look puffy when they are ready.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the buns for 30-35 minutes or until the top of the buns are golden brown.

Tips and Tricks

• Don't have a stand mixer? No worries! Mix all the ingredients by hand and let the dough rise in a large mixing bowl.
• Make sure your yeast is not expired. Your yeast should be fresh and not expired or it won't do what it needs to in order to make the dough rise. You'll end up with dense rolls instead of light and fluffy rolls.
• If you are making these rolls and your kitchen is warmer, it might only take 60 minutes for the rolls to double in size. If you are making these in the winter and your kitchen is a little colder, it might take up to 2 hours for the dough to rise. Don't go by time, go by how the dough looks.

Storage Info

Let your dinner rolls cool completely at room temperature. This step is crucial because if you store them while they're still warm, condensation can form, making them soggy or possibly making them moldy.

If you plan to eat them within a day or two, just put the rolls in an airtight container or a resealable plastic bag. Keep them at room temperature on your counter. They'll stay soft and delicious for a couple of days this way.

How To Freeze Sourdough Dinner Rolls

If you need to store them for longer, freezing is your best bet. Wrap each roll individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Then, place them all in a freezer-safe bag or container. They can last in the freezer for up to three months but to be honest, I've frozen them for even longer than that.

When you're ready to enjoy your rolls again, take them out of the freezer and let them thaw at room temperature. To warm them up, pop them in the oven at 350°F for about 10 minutes. You can also microwave them for about 20-30 seconds, but be careful not to overdo it, or they might get tough.

Frequently Asked Questions

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