Sourdough Dinner Rolls (Two Ways)

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The Soft Side of Sourdough

There’s something magical about pulling a tray of freshly baked rolls out of the oven—the golden tops, the pillowy-soft texture, and that irresistible aroma that fills the kitchen. These sourdough dinner rolls are everything you want in a homemade bread: soft and fluffy on the inside, with a hint of tangy sweetness that keeps you coming back for more.

I can’t tell you how excited I am to share these rolls with you—they’re so easy to make, yet the result is unbelievably good. What makes them even better is that I understand not everyone has a stand mixer at home. In this post, I’ll show you how to make these sourdough rolls either with a stand mixer or by hand—both ways give fantastic results!

Let’s roll up our sleeves and bake some magic together!

Why You’ll Love this Recipe

• Two kneading options — whether you’re team hand-knead or prefer the mixer, you’ll get equally soft and fluffy rolls.
• No-fuss sourdough — just time and patience, no complicated steps.
• Perfect for any meal — serve them warm with butter, or use them to soak up sauces and soups.
• That sourdough magic — a subtle tang paired with a hint of sweetness makes them irresistible.

Love these dinner rolls? You’ll also enjoy my sourdough bagels! They’re packed with flavour, surprisingly easy to make, and perfect for breakfast or brunch.

My Go-To Favourites

Dough Whisk

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Dough Scraper

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Cooling Rack

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Schedule of Making Sourdough Dinner Rolls

Option A: With Stand Mixer

Day	Timeline	Steps
Day 1 (Evening)	9:00 pm	Feed Sourdough Starter
Dau 2 (Morning)	9:00 am	Sourdough starter is doubled in volume and active.
	9:30 am	Make the dough.
	10:00 am	Cover it and let it rest for 2 hours or approximately double in volume.
	12:00 noon	Dough has risen. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces. Shape them into either classic rounds or fancy knots.
	12:45 pm	Cover it with a tea towel and rest for 2 hours.
	2:30 pm	Preheat the oven to Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (350°F).
	2:45 pm	Egg wash  (optional: decoration) and bake.
	3:00 pm	Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

Option B: By Hand

Day	Timeline	Steps
Day 1 (Evening)	9:00 pm	Feed Sourdough Starter
Day 2 (Morning)	9:00 am	Sourdough Starter is doubled in volume and active.
	9:30 am	Make the dough into a rough dough.
	9:45 am	Cover it and let it rest for an hour.
	10:45 am	Perform the 1st set of stretch and fold. (10-12 times).
	11:00 am	Rest for 30 mins.
	11:30 am	Perform the 2nd set of stretch and fold. (8-10 times).
	11:45 am	Rest for 30 mins.
	12:15 pm	Perform the last set of stretch and fold. (6-8 times).
	12:30 pm	Rest for 2 hours.
	2:30 pm	Dough has risen.  Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces.  Shape them into either classic rounds or fancy knots.
	3:00 pm	Cover it with a tea towel and let it rest for 2 hours.
	4:45 pm	Preheat the oven to 180°C fan (350°F)
	5:00 pm	Egg wash (Optional: decoration) and bake.
	5:30 pm	Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

If you follow the timeline, either knead by stand mixer or by hand, your sourdough dinner rolls will be ready in the late afternoon – perfect for serving alongside dinner or as a cozy after-school snack.

Remember, sourdough baking really is about planning, not extra effort!  

Watch the Video Tutorial

Ingredients in this Sourdough Dinner Rolls Recipe

At a glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe. Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.

• Active Sourdough Starter – This is the natural leavening agent that gives the rolls their rise, tangy flavour, and signature sourdough aroma.
• Unsalted Butter – Adds richness, softness, and a tender crumb. Using unsalted butter lets you control the salt level more precisely.
• Caster Sugar – Provides a touch of sweetness to balance the tang, and gives the crust a beautiful golden colour when baked.
• Milk – Enriches the dough for a softer, fluffier texture, and contributes to a richer flavour compared to using water alone.
• Oorganic White Bread Flour – The high protein content in bread flour creates a strong gluten network, allowing the rolls to rise tall and hold their shape while staying light inside.
• Sea Salt – Enhances flavour, strengthens gluten, and helps control fermentation so the dough develops structure without over-proofing.

How to Make Sourdough Dinner Roll Dough (Two Ways)

Option A: With Stand Mixer

1. Add the butter, milk and sugar into a saucepan.
2. Start melting the mixture over medium low heat until the butter is completely melted.
3. Remove from the heat.
4. Let it cool and set aside.

5. In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, add 120 g active sourdough starter.
6. Add the cooled butter mixture.
7. Stir until mostly dissolved using a dough whisk, but you can use a silicone spatula or a dough scraper.
8. Add the sea salt and bread flour.

9. Start mixing the salt into the flour first.
10. Mix and stir everything together.
11. Continue to mix until a rough dough forms.
12. When a rough dough forms, it means there is almost no dry bit left.

13. Place the mixing bowl on the stand mixer with a dough hook attachment.
14. Knead at low speed for 10 mins.
15. After 10 mins of kneading, the mixture turns into a smooth and elastic dough.
16. Cover the bowl with a lid, cling film or a tea towel. Leave the dough to rest at room temperature for 4 – 6 hours, until it has become puffy and has risen

17. After the resting period, uncover the lid and the dough has risen beautifully.
18. Lightly sprinkle the visible surface with flour.
19. Use a dough scraper to loosen the edges for easier releasing the dough from the bowl.
20. Turn the bowl upside down on a lightly floured work surface.

21. Allow the dough to fall under its own weight onto the countertop.
22. Gently pull the edges away from the centre.
23. Keep rotating the dough while pulling and stretching the dough.
24. Pull and stretch until you feel the dough is resistant to pull and stretch without tearing it.

25. Start folding the edges back to the centre.
26. With the final fold, gently flip the dough over so the smooth side is facing up.
27. Gradually push the dough toward yourself, tucking the edges underneath as you go to form a smooth ball.
28. Weigh the dough and divide it into 12 equal pieces. For your reference, my dough weighs 796 g, 66 g per piece.

Option B: By Hand

1. Add the butter, milk and sugar into a saucepan.
2. Start melting the mixture over medium low heat until the butter is completely melted.
3. Remove from the heat.
4. Let it cool and set aside.

5. In a large mixing bowl, add 120 g active sourdough starter.
6. Combine the starter with cooled butter mixture.
7. Stir gently until mostly dissolved using a dough whisk.
8. As you can see in the image, the sourdough starter is well mixed into the butter mixture.

9. Add sea salt and bread flour.
10. Mix and stir well.
11. Until a rough dough forms. 
12. Cover the rough dough with a lid and allow it to rest on the countertop for an hour.

13. After an hour, perform 3 sets of stretch and fold, spaced 30 minutes apart, recovering the bowl between each set.
14. To perform a set, slightly wet your hand with water.
15. Pick up the dough on one side and stretch it up.
16. Place it over itself.

17. Turn the bowl a quarter and repeat. Pick up the dough on one side and stretch it up.
18. Place it over itself.
19. You feel the dough is resistant so that you are unable to stretch it without tearing it.  You should be able to stretch around 10-12 times for the first set.
20. When you finish this set, cover it and let it rest for 30 mins.

21. After 30 mins, you should notice the dough looks smoother and has puffed up slightly. Start performing the 2nd set of stretch and fold. Pick up the dough on one side and stretch it up.
22. Place it over itself. Then rotate the bowl 90 degrees and continue to stretch and fold the dough.
23. You should only be able to stretch and fold about 8–10 times.
24. When you finish this set, cover it and let it rest for 30 mins.

25. After 30 mins, the dough should look smooth and puffy.
26. Start performing the final set of stretch and fold.
27. You should only be able to stretch and fold about 6-8 times.
28. When you finish this set, cover it and let it rest for 2 hours on the counter.

29. After 2 hours resting, the dough should almost double in size, light and airy. Sprinkle the visible surface with flour.
30. Slightly loosen the sides with your hand to help release the dough easily.
31. Turn the bowl upside down and allow the dough to fall under its own weight onto the slightly floured surface.
32. Do not sprinkle any flour on top of the dough. We will need this sticky side to form a smooth ball in the next step.

33. Gently pull the edges away from the centre.
34. Then fold them back to the centre again.
35. With the final fold, gently flip the dough over so the smooth side is facing up.
36. Gradually push the dough toward yourself, tucking the edges underneath as you go to form a smooth ball.

37. The dough should have a very smooth top and well-shaped at this stage.
38. Weigh the dough using a kitchen scale, my dough is 796 g.
39. Use a dough scraper to cut the dough in half. Cut each half into 2 pieces, giving you 4 portions. Then, cut each portion into 3 equal pieces.
40. You’ll end up with 12 even pieces of dough, each piece is 66 g.

How to Shape Sourdough Dinner Rolls (Two Shapes)

Option 1: Classic Round

1. Start by finding the smooth top.
2. Gently pull downward to stretch it over and create a smooth surface all around.
3. Pinch the ends of the pull-downs together at the bottom.
4. Place the dough on the work surface and use the palm of your hand to shape it into a smooth, round ball.

5. Gently lift the smooth dough ball.
6. Place it in a lightly greased baking dish. For your reference, the size of my baking dish is 8″ x 12″.
7. Continue to shape the rest of the dough and space them evenly out.
8. Cover with a tea towel.  Rest at room temperature for about 2 hours or until they are just touching.

Option 2: Knotted Roll

1. Start by finding the smooth top.
2. Gently pull downward to stretch it over and create a smooth surface all around.
3. Pinch the ends of the pull-downs together at the bottom.
4. Place the dough on the work surface and use the palm of your hand to shape it into a smooth, round ball.

5. Repeat the steps 1 – 4 to shape all the remaining dough into smooth ball-shaped dough.
6. Start shaping the knot, place one piece of the dough and lightly dust it with flour.
7. Roll the dough flat into an oval using a rolling pin.
8. Lift it and rotate it 90 degrees.

9. The long end is facing you.
10. Roll it into a rope shape from the long end.
11. Pinch the ends to seal.
12. Roll it into a rope shape (approximately 26-28 cm long).

13. Place the rope around your index and middle finger. Gently pull the dough rope up and over your fingers, creating a loop.
14. Pull the end of the dough through the loop to form a single knot. Carefully slide the knotted dough off your fingers, keeping the shape intact.
15. Place the shaped dough knots onto a lightly greased baking dish, spacing them out evenly.
16. Cover with a tea towel.  Rest at room temperature for about 2 hours or until they are just touching. 

How to Bake these Sourdough Dinner Rolls

1. Towards the end of the 2 hours resting time, preheat the oven to 180°C fan (350°F). After 2 hours, the shaped dough knots have puffed up beautifully.
2. Also, the shaped dough balls are almost touching each other. It means they have risen nicely.
3. Prepare the egg wash by mixing 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of milk.
4. Beat well for easier apply onto the shaped dough.

5. Brush a thin layer of egg wash onto each roll.
6. Sprinkle some white sesame seeds on top of each round dough (can also add to knotted rolls if you wish).
7. Bake for 20–25 minutes or until golden brown (for your reference, mine took 22 mins).
8. Once done, transfer the rolls onto a wire rack by flipping the dish over to cool before serving slightly warm.

9. Light, pillowy sourdough sesame rolls – timeless, simple, and always delicious.
10. Golden, glossy sourdough knotted rolls – simple to make, stunning to serve.

Sprinkle Variations to Make Them Your Own

The first time I made these rolls, I kept it simple with a sprinkle of white sesame seeds—and they were delicious. But on my next bake, I had fun experimenting by topping each roll with a different seed, from black sesame and poppy seeds to sunflower, white sesame, flax and pumpkin. Not only did it make the tray look extra eye-catching, but every roll had its own unique flavour and texture. I encourage you to try this too—it’s such an easy way to add variety and make your sourdough dinner rolls even more special!

How to Serve these Sourdough Dinner Rolls

• Classic with butter – serve them warm with a little butter that melts right in.
• Dinner side – perfect alongside soups, stews, roasts, or pasta dishes.
• Sandwich style – slice them open and fill with ham, cheese, scrambled eggs (my favourite) or roasted veggies.
• Breakfast bite – spread with jam, honey, or cream cheese for a morning treat.
• Snack time – great on their own, soft and fluffy, straight from the oven.

How to Store these Sourdough Dinner Rolls

• To keep your sourdough dinner rolls fresh, store them in an airtight container or a bread bag at room temperature for up to 2 days. Let’s be real—these sourdough dinner rolls are so good they rarely make it past day two in my house. By the third day, they’re usually long gone! But if you do happen to have leftovers, you can always slice and toast them, or pop them in the oven for a few minutes to bring back that soft, fresh-from-the-oven feel.
• For longer storage, you can freeze them—just let the rolls cool completely, then pop them into a freezer-safe bag. When you’re ready to enjoy, simply warm them up in the oven for a few minutes, and they’ll taste just as soft and fresh as the day you baked them.

Tips for Making the BEST Sourdough Dinner Rolls

• Feed your starter the day before – Make sure your sourdough starter is bubbly and active before you begin for the best rise and flavour.
• Watch the dough, not the clock – Fermentation time can vary depending on your kitchen temperature; the dough should be puffy and airy before shaping.
• Shape evenly – Divide the dough into equal portions for uniform baking and a professional look.
• Bake until golden – Aim for a deep golden brown top for maximum flavour and texture.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tried this Recipe

Let me know if you give this recipe a go – I absolutely love seeing your creations! Tag me on Instagram @bakabeecom and be sure to leave me a comment / ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below so I can cheer you on!

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Final Thoughts

There’s something so special about pulling a tray of freshly baked sourdough dinner rolls from the oven—the golden tops, the soft, fluffy centres, and that subtle tang that makes each bite unforgettable. Sourdough baking doesn’t have to be intimidating; it’s really about time and patience rather than effort. Once you taste these rolls, you’ll see it’s worth every minute and you just might fall in love with sourdough.

Thanks for joining me in the kitchen today. Hope you’ll love this! Enjoy and keep baking! 💛

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