I’m a sucker for super soft rolls.
Before I knew how to bake, I’d buy a bunch of Rhodes Rolls to keep in my freezer and make those whenever I had a classic chicken dinner planned. They were soft, they were easy, and they went well with just about anything.
But now, I have a recipe that I love to make more than Rhodes Rolls. These super soft sourdough discard rolls are flavorful, simple, and fast. Top them with melted butter or jam, and you have the perfect side for a variety of meals.
This recipe also works well if you don’t have any sourdough starter on hand or if you don’t like that telltale tang of sourdough. Simply replace the sourdough starter with equal amounts flour and water (so 113 grams of each), and you’re good to go.
Soft Sourdough Discard Rolls
Ingredients
- 600 Grams Warm Water (2 1/2 cups)
- 18.6 Grams Dry Active Yeast (2 Tablespoons)
- 226 Grams Sourdough Starter Discard (1 Cup)
- 1020 Grams All-Purpose Flour (8 1/2 Cups)
- 50.25 Grams White Granulated Sugar (1/4 Cup)
- 12 Grams Salt (2 Teaspoons)
- 54.5 Grams Vegetable Oil (1/4 Cup)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a standing mixer, combine the warm water and the yeast. Stir and then let the yeast sit for 10 minutes to proof.
- Add the sourdough starter and stir until well incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt.
- Add the flour mixture to the yeast mixture and the vegetable oil to the standing mixer bowl.
- On a low setting, use the dough hook of the standing mixer to knead everything together. Continue to mix until the dough pulls away from and cleans the sides of the bowl.
- Turn out the dough onto a lightly greased surface and shape into a round.
- Place round in a lightly greased container with a lid. Let dough rest until double in size, about 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on kitchen temperature.
- Turn dough out onto lightly greased surface and punch down. Divide the dough into 24 pieces and shape into balls. Each ball should weigh about 80 grams.
- Place dough balls onto a greased baking sheet. Cover and let rest for 30 to 45 minutes until double.
- Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit (204° Celsius) and bake for 16 to 18 minutes.
- Brush with melted butter and serve warm.
Notes
Did You Try It?
I love these super soft bread rolls, and I love how easy they are to make for my family. But what did you think of the recipe? Did you like it? Did you adjust it to make it better?
Share your baking experience in the comment section below!
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe! Just did it yesterday and I appreciated how simple it was and the delicious taste + texture of the rolls — also how versatile they are. For example, last night we ate them as dinner rolls but today we’re using them as hamburger buns. Have you ever shaped them into other forms than rolls, like loaves?
I haven’t tried making them into loaves but that’s a fantastic idea! I’ll have to play around with it and see what happens. I have made them into buns and they were excellent 🙂 I’m so glad you tried them and liked them.
Love this recipe. I make my balls a little smaller so I get about 30. I have added rosemary and garlic powder sometimes because we love the flavor too.
Oh those are fun flavors to add in! I’ll definitely have to try those next time because that sounds delicious. Thank you for your helpful suggestions 🙂
Can you make these right up to the “ready for the over stage”and then put in fridge to slow them down? Id like to pause until ready to bake so I can serve them hot at a friend’s dinner.
I’m not entirely sure? You could give it a try, but I worry they might over proof in the fridge. I guess it depends on how long you keep them chilling before your friend’s dinner. Maybe keep an eye on them to make sure they don’t get too puffy.
Hi there! Can I use organic unbleached bread flour (I have King Arthur brand) instead of all purpose flour? Thanks!
Sure! Bread flour should work just fine. In fact, it might have even better texture than all purpose. Happy baking!
Could you turn these into sweet cinnamon rolls? Suggestions?
I bet I could! Oh my goodness – I will definitely have to try and share what happens. Thank you for the suggestion.
It is a great recipe. Thx
These were AMAZING. My fridge was completely bare (yet here I am making bread – says something about my life!) and so I especially appreciated how this recipe didn’t call for eggs or milk. 10/10 would make again in a heartbeat.
Yay! I’m so glad you loved them. Thank you for the positive feedback 🙂
Hello! I used about 1 cup less flour than the recipe called for. Is that normal? Also should I add more salt and sugar when this happens since it is premixed with the flour?
That is normal if you have a stiff starter! Since it’s only about a cup, you don’t need to add more salt or sugar unless you want to adjust the flavor and make the dough more savory or more sweet. Just keep in mind that salt slows the rise time and sugar can speed it in small amounts so you’ll want to keep an eye on your dough.
So good- I only had a half hour to let them rise and they still turned out tasty and fluffy.
A keeper for sure!
woohoo! I’m so happy to hear that. Thank you 🙂
DELICIOUS! I made these last night to freeze for Thanksgiving. My husband and I ate 2 each so I’m working on another half batch to make sure there is enough. I’m sure we’ll have to test this batch too.
I’m so glad! I make these for thanksgiving every year, too. It’s become a family tradition. Thank you for your positive feedback. 🙂
If I wanted to make it ahead, could you tell me how/when to put the dough in the refrigerator?
That is an excellent question. This recipe has a lot of yeast, so the dough rises quickly. I have not made these in advance because it’s a fairly quick recipe. If I were to take a guess, however, I’d say put the rolls in the refrigerator overnight right after shaping. If they haven’t risen fully, let them sit on the counter for a bit until puffy. Otherwise, bake them as usual.
I love this recipe, it’s simple and a great way to use up sourdough discard. I was wondering if you have any tips on freezing the dough balls so I only have to make the recipe once, but then we can enjoy them throughout the month.
Hey Anna – thanks for the feedback. I have not tried freezing this recipe because we tend to eat our rolls pretty fast at my house. However, if I were to take a best guess about how to go about freezing them, I would try this: after shaping, put the rolls on a large, parchment lined cookie sheet and place in the freezer for 3-4 hours. Then, transfer the frozen rolls to a zip-top freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to one month. When ready to bake, place the frozen dough balls on a lightly greased pan and cover with plastic wrap sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Let thaw and rise until puffy, and then bake as per usual.
This is exactly what I do! I make some larger for buns and some the normal 80g for rolls and then I can just take out and let rise before baking and I always have fresh as needed. Works GREAT!
Oh wonderful! I’m so glad this works great for you 🙂 Thank you so much for your feedback.
These rolls are to die for! wow! so fluffy and soft. My old/other discard recipe makes hard biscuits like one would imagine cowboys on the trail choking down with beans and coffee. Jennibee’s recipe is life-changing to this old boy scout. bravo!
Thank you so much! Your feedback made my week 🙂 Happy baking and enjoy!
I started by making a half recipe of this one, because it is very abundant and I wanted to try it first. I loved it! I just made a full recipe and got over 3 dozen cloverleaf rolls with it.
That’s wonderful! I’m so happy you enjoyed it 🙂
I first made these on Thanksgiving and after I placed them in the oven I was cleaning up and realized I’d (blush) forgot to add the starter. To my delight they turned out great! Made them again at Christmas, remembered the starter, and they turned out even lighter and fluffier! I also had extra so I popped it in a bread pan and had the most beautiful loaf of bread. And the flavor is fantastic!! We have also used leftovers for hamburger buns and they are the best. After reading the comments I am excited to try making cinnamon rolls and try freezing dough for later. New favorite recipe. Thank you!!
Thank you so much for sharing. I’m so happy you enjoyed my recipe. Your kind comment really made my day!
I used this recipe to make sourdough rolls for the first time ever, tonight. We paired them with chicken salad, and it was a perfect combination! They were the best rolls we’ve ever eaten, thank you!
That’s fantastic! I’m so happy to hear that. Thank you so much for the feedback. Happy baking 🙂
I was wondering if you have tried to freeze them after punch down> then take as needed and let raise
I haven’t tried it! But I think it should definitely work. Maybe give it a try and let me know how it goes?
Unbelievably easy and they kept for days without drying out. I froze a bunch and they heat up just as soft and moist as they did when first made. Thanks for this recipe!
Wonderful to hear! Thanks for the feedback 🙂
Delicious ????
Turned out great. And the texture is perfect. Great recipe.
Thank you so much for the feedback! I really appreciate it 🙂