Sourdough Discard Dinner Rolls
Texas Roadhouse who? These soft and fluffy sourdough dinner butter rolls are ridiculously good and surprisingly easy to make. They bake up golden and buttery with the perfect pull-apart texture—and they’re even better served warm from the oven.
Brush them with melted honey butter and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt right before serving. They’re an easy way to use up sourdough discard and the perfect homemade dinner roll for weeknight dinners, soups, holidays, or anytime you need a quick and simple bread for the table.
These dinner rolls are a great way to use up sourdough discard without making the recipe complicated. The discard adds flavor while commercial yeast does the heavy lifting, so you get reliable, pillowy rolls without an all-day fermentation.
Warning before continuing, you may accidentally become the person who's required to bring the rolls to every holiday from now on.
SHAPING YOUR ROLLS.
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. For extra-even rolls, weigh the entire dough and divide the weight by 12.
Shape each piece into a smooth ball by pulling the edges underneath and rolling against the counter with a slightly cupped hand.
Arrange the rolls in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish.
Don't over-flour the dough. This is probably the biggest secret to soft dinner rolls. The dough should feel a little tacky. If you're adding flour until it no longer sticks whatsoever, you've probably added too much.
Check your milk temperature. You want it comfortably warm, not hot—around 100–110°F is perfect. Milk that's too hot can damage the yeast.
Let the dough tell you when it's ready. Rise times are estimates. A chilly kitchen might need considerably longer than a warm one.
Give them room to get puffy. Don't rush that second rise! You want the rolls looking plump and cozy in their baking dish before they go into the oven.
Brush while they're HOT. Melted butter brushed onto the rolls immediately after baking gives you that gorgeous soft, buttery top.
Overnight Option
You can also make these ahead for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Sunday dinner.
Prepare and shape the rolls, arrange them in the baking dish, cover tightly, and refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove them from the refrigerator and let them sit at room temperature until puffy and properly risen, usually around 1–2 hours depending on your kitchen.
Then bake as directed.
How to Store Leftover Sourdough Discard Dinner Rolls
Let the rolls cool completely before storing them. Place them in an airtight container or zip-top bag and keep them at room temperature for 2–3 days. I prefer room-temperature storage over the refrigerator because refrigeration can make homemade bread dry out faster.
To freeze: These rolls freeze beautifully! Place completely cooled rolls in a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months. You can freeze them individually, too, which makes it easy to grab just one or two for dinner.
To reheat: Warm individual rolls in the microwave for about 10–15 seconds or wrap several rolls loosely in foil and warm them in a 300°F oven for 10–15 minutes.
Sourdough Discard Dinner Rolls
Courtney Moody
12
10 minutes
25 minutes
180
American
Texas Roadhouse who? These are perfect for weeknight dinners, holidays, or alongside a cozy bowl of soup, these homemade rolls are simple enough for everyday baking but delicious enough for the holiday table. Serve them warm with salted butter, honey butter, or use the leftovers for little sandwiches the next day.
Ingredients
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2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
3/4 cup warm water
1 tbsp honey
Wet ingredients
1/2 cup sourdough discard
1 large egg
1/4 cup honey
3/4 cup milk, warm
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4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
4 tbsp softened butter
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2 - 3 tbs melted butter
1 tbs honey
flaky sea salt
Directions
In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the ¾ cup warm water, 1 tbs honey, and instant yeast. Stir gently until the yeast is dissolved and let sit for 5 minutes to bloom.
When the yeast mixture looks frothy add your egg, ¼ cup of honey, milk and sourdough discard to the bowl and whisk to combine.
With your stand mixer on low, gradually add in the all-purpose flour and salt.
When your dough begins to come together, add the softened butter 1 tbs at a time on low speed and continue to knead the dough in the bowl for about 8-10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. The dough should be slightly sticky but manageable.
TIP: if you don’t have a stand mixer, you can do this in a mixing bowl and knead with your hands!
TIP: If you’re dough is too sticky to manage, add 1 tbs of flour at a time while kneading until it is workable.
Place the kneaded dough into a greased bowl, cover it with a bowl cover or clean kitchen towel, and let it rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.
After the dough has risen, punch it down gently to release the air. Divide the dough into 12 equal pieces and shape each piece into a round ball.
Arrange the dough balls in a greased 9x13-inch baking dish, spacing them evenly. Cover with a towel and let them rise again for about 30-45 minutes, until puffy and nearly doubled.
Preheat your oven to 390°F. Once the rolls have risen, bake them in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown on top and cooked through. The internal temperature should reach 190°F.
Remove the rolls from the oven and brush the tops with melted butter, honey and salt for extra flavor and shine. Allow them to cool slightly before serving, but they are best warm and fresh from the oven!
