Description
These fluffy sourdough discard dinner rolls are soft, airy, and perfect for any meal. Made with a combination of sourdough starter and active yeast, these rolls have a subtle tangy flavor and tender crumb. Easy to prepare with simple ingredients, they rise beautifully and bake to a golden perfection, making them a delightful addition to your dinner table.
Ingredients
Scale
Dough Ingredients
- 4 cups all-purpose flour (or bread flour for extra fluffiness)
- 1.5 teaspoons salt (fine to mix evenly)
- 1.5 cups milk (warmed to 110°F)
- 1 tablespoon sugar (can substitute with honey)
- 0.5 cups sourdough starter (active or discard)
- 2.25 teaspoons dry active yeast (7 g packet)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened to room temperature)
Instructions
- Heat milk: Warm the milk in a medium saucepan over low to medium heat until it reaches 110°F, which is the optimal temperature to activate the yeast without killing it.
- Mix yeast and starters: Stir the dry active yeast, sourdough starter, and sugar into the warm milk. Let the mixture sit until it becomes frothy, indicating the yeast is active and ready to leaven the dough.
- Combine dry ingredients: In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, blend the flour and salt together evenly to prepare the dry base for the dough.
- Add wet ingredients and knead: Slowly add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and mix on low speed for about 7 minutes until the dough turns soft and elastic, developing gluten structure necessary for bread texture.
- Add butter: Incorporate the softened unsalted butter into the dough by mixing until fully absorbed, which enriches the dough and adds tenderness.
- First proofing: Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour until it expands by about 50%, allowing fermentation and flavor development.
- Prepare pan: Lightly grease a 9×13 inch baking pan with cooking spray and set it aside in preparation for shaping the rolls.
- Divide dough: Cut the dough into 12 equal portions, each approximately 97 grams for consistent sizing of dinner rolls.
- Shape rolls: Roll each piece into a smooth ball by gently pulling the dough’s sides together and pinching them at the top to create tension on the surface for a smooth finish.
- Arrange rolls: Place the shaped rolls evenly spaced in the greased pan in a 4 by 3 layout, ensuring enough room for the rolls to expand during the second rise.
- Second proofing: Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise again for 30 minutes until they puff up noticeably.
- Preheat oven: While the rolls are rising, preheat your oven to 375°F to ensure it’s at the ideal baking temperature once the rolls are ready.
- Bake rolls: Remove the plastic wrap and bake the rolls for 30 to 35 minutes or until they turn a beautiful golden brown on top, indicating they are fully baked and deliciously fluffy inside.
Notes
- Use bread flour instead of all-purpose flour for extra fluffy rolls due to higher protein content.
- If you don’t have sourdough starter, you can omit it, but the rolls will lack the subtle tangy flavor and may rise slightly less.
- Milk temperature is critical; too hot will kill yeast, too cold will slow fermentation.
- Butter should be softened to room temperature to blend seamlessly into the dough.
- Letting dough rise in a warm environment speeds up fermentation and improves texture.
- These rolls freeze well; wrap cooled rolls tightly and freeze for up to 3 months.
