Skip to Content

Sourdough Discard Dinner Rolls

Sharing is caring!

Now that you have your active sourdough starter going on the counter, you are going to accumulate discard — which you can use to make these Sourdough Discard Dinner Rolls.

These rolls are the best rolls I have ever made. Of course, my most popular rolls are still those Bobby Flay Parker House Yeast Rolls. But these rolls are right up there as a top favorite of mine!

What is Sourdough Discard?

Once you start making your starter, every day you have to get discard half of the starter so that you can feed it. Instead of throwing that discard out, you can use it to make all sorts of delicious sourdough discard recipes like sourdough bread, cinnamon rolls and more.

I store my discard in a jar in the fridge and pull it out when I want to make a new recipe. It has a slight sourdough taste so you will notice it for sure in all of the recipes you choose to make.

This is the first one I made and my family went nuts for these rolls.

This is a great recipe and is simple to make and I am going to show you just how easy it is to use.

How Soon Can You Use the Discard?

The discard should not be used until about day 4. You want to give it some time to start getting that sour flavor and it takes 3-4 days for that to start developing.

What is the Difference Between Active Starter and Sourdough Discard?

Sourdough starter and sourdough discard are basically the same things. The discard is just the active sourdough starter that you remove when you feed your starter. Once you feed the starter, the wild yeast will allow the starter to bloom and grow.

It is called discard because it is often “discarded” during your starter's feeding.

The recipe is below. I hope you love how easy it is to make these yummy rolls! I have already made about 6 batches of these. These rolls do not require bulk fermentation like regular sourdough does. This is a yeast dough so they will rise pretty quickly.

However, you are free to place them in the fridge once you have rolled them out to bake the next day if you like. Putting them in the fridge will help stop the rising process until you are ready to use.

How to Make Soft Sourdough Dinner Rolls

For this recipe you will need the following ingredients —

  • 2/3 cup of milk slightly warmed
  • 2 teaspoons of active dry yeast or instant yeast
  • 2 tablespoons of sugar
  • 4 tablespoons of melted butter that has been cooled
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 cup of sourdough discard at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons of corn starch
  • 2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

In the cup where you warmed the milk, add in the yeast and the sugar. Mix together and allow the yeast to proof for 5 minutes.

In a stand mixer, add the milk mixture, butter, sourdough discard, salt, cornstarch, and flour.

Using the dough hook, mix together until the dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Set a time for 5 minutes and allow it to mix well. If the dough is still wet you can add a bit more flour but don't add too much flour. It will make the rolls dense and will not allow the dough rise.

Now, add a drop or two of olive oil to a large glass bowl. Shape the dough into a ball and place it into the bowl. Roll the dough around to coat all sides. This will keep the dough from sticking to the sides of the bowl.

Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled in size. The rise time should take about an hour if you let the dough rest on a warm surface.

After the first rise, turn the dough onto the counter and punch it down. Use a knife to cut the dough into 16 equal pieces. You can use a kitchen scale if you want to make sure that each roll has the same weight, but I just eyeball it.

Roll each piece of dough into a ball and place it on a baking sheet , baking dish, or a cast iron skillet. Be sure to leave a little room for the rolls to expand.

Cover the pan and let the rolls have a second rise until doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the rolls for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter using a pastry brush.

If you want to turn these into hamburger slider buns, brush an egg wash on top before baking and add some sesame seeds on top.

These soft dinner rolls go perfect with any meal to serve at the dinner table! Enjoy!

Storing the Rolls

To store the rolls, I like to keep mine in an airtight container, like a bread bag or a plastic container. The bread should stay fresh for 3-5 days.

For all kinds of sourdough recipes, be sure to check them out on the website.

Love Bread? Check Out These Other Recipes

Yield: 16 rolls

Sourdough Discard Dinner Rolls

Sourdough Discard Dinner Rolls

Tender, light, and fluffy dinner rolls made using sourdough discard.

Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Rise Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup of milk slightly warmed
  • 2 teaspoons of active dry yeast
  • 2 tablespoons of sugar
  • 4 tablespoons of melted butter that has been cooled
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1 cup of sourdough discard
  • 2 tablespoons of corn starch
  • 2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

Instructions

  1. In the cup where you warmed the milk, add in the yeast and the sugar. Mix together and allow the yeast to proof for 5 minutes.
  2. In a stand mixer, add the milk mixture, butter, sourdough discard, salt, cornstarch, and flour.
  3. Using the dough hook, mix together until the dough is pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Set a time for 5 minutes and allow it to mix well.
  4. Now, add a drop or two of oil to a large glass bowl. Shape the dough into a ball and place it into the bowl. Roll the dough around to coat all sides. This will keep the dough from sticking to the sides of the bowl.
  5. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled in size.
  6. After the first rise, turn the dough onto the counter and punch it down. Use a knife to cut the dough into 16 equal size pieces.
  7. Roll each piece of dough into a ball and place it on a baking sheet or a cast iron skillet. Be sure to leave a little room for the rolls to expand.
  8. Cover the pan and let the rolls rise until doubled in size.
  9. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake the rolls for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Top with melted butter. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 120Total Fat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 177mgCarbohydrates: 19gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 3g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment on the blog or share a photo on Instagram

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Elly

Thursday 17th of October 2024

I made this recipe and followed the instructions to the T. The dough rises, I baked and it didn’t come out right. It was very dense and it was almost flat. Didn’t know what happened.

Jennifer Sikora

Friday 18th of October 2024

Not sure what you did wrong. I have made them a million times as well as others and they always come out perfect every time.

Sheila

Sunday 5th of May 2024

What is the purpose of the cornstarch?

Jennifer Sikora

Sunday 5th of May 2024

The corn starch ensures the dough will be tender and soft and it helps to reduce the protein in all purpose flour.

Susan

Friday 29th of March 2024

I just baked them! They turned out perfectly golden and delicious! Just for the record, I took a chance on a 12” cast iron skillet; it worked out wonderfully. My husband and I love them! The batter was fabulous and easy to work with; of course, I bake with sourdough all the time. Maybe my experience kicked in!!

Jennifer Sikora

Saturday 30th of March 2024

So glad you liked it!!

Susan

Thursday 28th of March 2024

What dimension for a cast iron skillet?

Jennifer Sikora

Saturday 30th of March 2024

I have the larger size skillet, but any size will work.

Linda K

Thursday 29th of February 2024

I made these tonight. They are delicious!! My hubby really liked them and I did too! Thanks for sharing the recipe and you for the concise instructions -short and to the point.

Jennifer Sikora

Friday 1st of March 2024

You are so welcome!! So glad you loved them.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Skip to Recipe