Sourdough Rolls

These sourdough rolls are an amazing way to add a hearty side to any meal. They have a beautiful crust on the outside but are pillowy and soft on the inside.

These rolls are also super easy to make because they’re no-knead! Kneading dough isn’t the hardest thing in the world, but it’s always nice to take a little break from the more laborious parts of cooking.

How To Make Sourdough Rolls

Bread baking is a passion of mine, and recently I’ve really been trying to up my sourdough game. I truly believe nothing beats the smell of freshly baked sourdough bread.

This bread is magical for me—the simple combination of flour, water, salt, and sourdough starter which ends up creating a truly out-of-this-world product blows my mind every time! It has humble ingredients, but with astonishing results. 

However, despite its seemingly simple nature, it takes a few tries to really nail down the art of sourdough. But, with each freshly baked roll, you’ll find your own recipe becoming better and better.

This recipe is a great starting point for anyone looking to get into sourdough, so keep reading to learn how to make your own sourdough rolls in no time!

What Make Sourdough Rolls Sour?

That distinctive sour flavor of sourdough comes from two different kinds of friendly bacteria within the wild yeast starter, lactobacillus and acetobacillus.

These grow alongside the wild yeast in the sourdough culture and help to ferment the sugar in the dough, which ends up creating those nuanced and bright sour notes within the bread. 

The sourness of the bread is also largely affected by the fermentation, the kneading process, and other ingredients used. Sourdough bread can be very sour or it can have a subtle sharpness to it.

This particular recipe strikes a good middle ground between sour and not sour. It has just a touch of sourness to it but it is balanced out by a nice range of sweet, earthy, and yeasty flavors. 

I’ve gone over how to make sourdough starter in the past with my banana sourdough muffin recipe, so check that out to prep your own starter.

Tips For Making Sourdough

Making sourdough is both simple and complex, so here are a few tips to keep in mind when getting your starter and dough ready.

• I recommend that you weigh your ingredients when making sourdough bread or rolls. Not only is this more accurate, but it also makes the process much easier.
• Use the right flour. Don’t go grabbing any old flour from your pantry. Make sure you’re using either plain flour or a mix of plain flour and whole wheat flour. 

No-Knead? No Problem

As mentioned, this is a no-knead sourdough recipe. After trying a bunch of different sourdough recipes, I have become a big advocate of folding the dough instead of kneading it.

Folding is not only less labor-intensive but it also gives the crumb of the bread a better, more chewy structure, due to how folding develops gluten in the dough as opposed to kneading. 

Do I Need A Proofing Basket?

Below you’ll see me using small glass bowls to proof my dough. Proofing baskets help support larger doughs during the final rise, but since we’re working with smaller rolls, glass bowls will do just fine.

If you want to turn this dough into a whole loaf, I do recommend you use a proofing basket to help protect the integrity of the bread.

What’s The Best Temperature For Bread Rising?

Bread is normally raised at room temperature, but if you’re looking to try out some new sourdough-making methods, you can let it rise at room temperature for a few hours and then transfer it to the fridge.

From there you can continue to let it rise for another 48 hours. This process will help the dough ferment for a longer period of time and introduce all sorts of new flavors to the party!

How To Make Sour Dough Rolls

Step 1

Place all the ingredients in a large bowl.

Step 2

Mix until a cohesive dough forms. 

Step 3

Cover with plastic wrap and let rest on the countertop overnight.

In the morning, punch down the dough and shape the mass into six equal balls. 

Place the dough on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet and cut the top of each dough ball with a sharp knife to make a little “x”.

Step 4

Let the dough rise for 2 hours, covered with a clean cloth.

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Bake the rolls for 25-28 minutes or until the rolls are light golden brown.

Cool briefly before serving.

Up Next: White Chocolate Lemon Ganache