Sourdough Dinner Rolls

Name: Sourdough Dinner Rolls
Prep time: 40 minutes
Total time: 8-10 hours
Yield: 12 rolls
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 450g bread flour; 200g whole milk (warm); 90g active sourdough starter; 55g unsalted butter (softened); 1 large (about 50g) egg; 30g honey; 8g salt; for brushing after baking melted butter

IntermediatePrep: 40 minutesTotal: 8-10 hoursYield: 12 rolls

These are the dinner rolls that make people ask for the recipe. Enriched with butter and a touch of honey, they've got a soft, pillowy crumb with just enough sourdough tang to be interesting. Bake them touching in a pan so they stay soft on the sides and golden on top.

Ingredients

450gbread flour(100%)
200gwhole milk (warm)(44%)
90gactive sourdough starter(20%)-- fed 4-8 hours prior, at peak activity
55gunsalted butter (softened)(12%)
1 large (about 50g)egg(11%)
30ghoney(6.7%)
8gsalt(1.8%)
for brushing after bakingmelted butter

Instructions

1
Combine the flour, warm milk, starter, egg, honey, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
2
Add the softened butter in small pieces and knead for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth, soft, and slightly tacky. It should pull away from the sides of the bowl cleanly.
This is an enriched dough, so it takes longer to come together than a lean dough. The butter makes it feel like it's falling apart before it suddenly comes together.
3
Cover and bulk ferment at room temperature for 3-4 hours, then refrigerate for 4-8 hours. The cold firms up the butter and makes the dough easier to shape.
4
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into 12 equal pieces (about 75g each).
5
Shape each piece into a tight ball: cup your hand over the dough and roll it in a circular motion against the counter. The bottom of the dough should grip the surface while the top stays smooth. Don't use flour for this step -- the friction is what creates the tension.
6
Place the balls in a greased 23x33cm (9x13") baking pan, 3 rows of 4. They should have about 1cm of space between them.
7
Cover and proof at room temperature for 1.5-2.5 hours. The rolls should puff up and press against each other.
8
Preheat your oven to 190C (375F). Optionally brush the tops with an egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of milk) for extra shine.
9
Bake for 22-28 minutes until golden brown on top. The internal temperature should reach 88C (190F).
10
Brush with melted butter immediately out of the oven. Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then serve warm. Pull them apart at the seams for the softest sides.

Tips

The butter brush after baking isn't optional. It gives the crust that restaurant-quality sheen and keeps the rolls soft.
For garlic rolls, mix 3 minced cloves of garlic into the melted butter you brush on after baking. Add chopped parsley and a pinch of flaky salt.
These reheat perfectly. Cover with foil and warm at 150C (300F) for 8-10 minutes.
Make them ahead: shape the rolls and refrigerate the pan overnight. The next day, pull them out 2-3 hours before baking to finish proofing at room temperature.
If the rolls in the center are pale, tent the pan with foil for the last 5-7 minutes and lower the oven by 10 degrees. The outer rolls insulate the center ones.

Sourdough Dinner Rolls

IntermediatePrep: 40 minutesTotal: 8-10 hoursYield: 12 rolls

Ingredients

450gbread flour(100%)
200gwhole milk (warm)(44%)
90gactive sourdough starter(20%)-- fed 4-8 hours prior, at peak activity
55gunsalted butter (softened)(12%)
1 large (about 50g)egg(11%)
30ghoney(6.7%)
8gsalt(1.8%)
for brushing after bakingmelted butter

Instructions

1
Combine the flour, warm milk, starter, egg, honey, and salt in a large bowl. Mix until a shaggy dough forms. Let it rest for 15 minutes.
2
Add the softened butter in small pieces and knead for 8-10 minutes until the dough is smooth, soft, and slightly tacky. It should pull away from the sides of the bowl cleanly.
This is an enriched dough, so it takes longer to come together than a lean dough. The butter makes it feel like it's falling apart before it suddenly comes together.
3
Cover and bulk ferment at room temperature for 3-4 hours, then refrigerate for 4-8 hours. The cold firms up the butter and makes the dough easier to shape.
4
Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into 12 equal pieces (about 75g each).
5
Shape each piece into a tight ball: cup your hand over the dough and roll it in a circular motion against the counter. The bottom of the dough should grip the surface while the top stays smooth. Don't use flour for this step -- the friction is what creates the tension.
6
Place the balls in a greased 23x33cm (9x13") baking pan, 3 rows of 4. They should have about 1cm of space between them.
7
Cover and proof at room temperature for 1.5-2.5 hours. The rolls should puff up and press against each other.
8
Preheat your oven to 190C (375F). Optionally brush the tops with an egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon of milk) for extra shine.
9
Bake for 22-28 minutes until golden brown on top. The internal temperature should reach 88C (190F).
10
Brush with melted butter immediately out of the oven. Let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then serve warm. Pull them apart at the seams for the softest sides.

Tips

The butter brush after baking isn't optional. It gives the crust that restaurant-quality sheen and keeps the rolls soft.
For garlic rolls, mix 3 minced cloves of garlic into the melted butter you brush on after baking. Add chopped parsley and a pinch of flaky salt.
These reheat perfectly. Cover with foil and warm at 150C (300F) for 8-10 minutes.
Make them ahead: shape the rolls and refrigerate the pan overnight. The next day, pull them out 2-3 hours before baking to finish proofing at room temperature.
If the rolls in the center are pale, tent the pan with foil for the last 5-7 minutes and lower the oven by 10 degrees. The outer rolls insulate the center ones.