Sourdough Pull Apart Rolls
These sourdough pull apart rolls are soft and airy with a wonderful hint of tang.
When I started baking with sourdough, I made a wonderful discovery: sourdough takes your favorite recipes to the next level. It enhances the flavors and textures of most baked goods. For example, sourdough pie crust is so flaky and delightfully tangy. Sourdough sandwich bread has a depth of flavor that just isn't there with regular yeast bread. Sourdough waffles are simply sublime.
The same is true for these sourdough pull apart rolls. They're super soft and fluffy, and that hint of tang just adds an extra something special. These are perfect for all of your holiday needs (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, you name it!).
Okay, now let me show you how to make these rolls!
How to Make Sourdough Pull Apart Rolls
Firstly, you want to ensure that your sourdough starter is ready to go. About 8 hours before you plan on mixing together the dough for these rolls, feed your sourdough starter. I keep mine at 100% hydration, which means that I feed it with equal weights, not volumes, of flour and water. If you're new to sourdough baking, you can always purchase a starter online, or refer to my How to Make a Sourdough Starter From Scratch post.
You know when your starter is ready when it doubles in volume and passes the float test. Drop a small amount of your starter into a cup of water. So if it floats, you're good to go!
Now it's time to mix up the dough for these sourdough pull apart rolls!
Place all of the ingredients for the dough in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix until a shaggy dough forms.
Switch to the dough hook and knead on medium-low speed until the dough is quite elastic, about 10-15 minutes.
Transfer to a buttered bowl and allow to rise at room temperature for 8-12 hours. You want it to double in bulk. But how long this takes will vary depending on how active your starter is and how warm your kitchen is.
Plop the dough out onto a work surface.
Forming the Dough Into Rolls
Divide into 16 equal pieces. I find it handy to weigh all of the dough first, divide that by 16, and portion out the pieces that way. For example, each of these pieces weighed about 64 grams.
To shape these sourdough pull apart rolls, grab the corners of a piece of dough. Pull them towards the center.
Flip the ball over so it's seam side down. Roll the dough on an ungreased work surface, creating surface tension.
Next, place the formed balls into a buttered 13x9-inch baking dish. As you can see, I decided to squish one of the balls in between 4 others. If you want them to fit in the pan perfectly, you can form them into 15 instead of 16 rolls. Then you can arrange them in the pan with 3 buns going the short way and 5 buns going the long way.
After that, cover them with a tea towel and let rise for 6-8 hours.
You want the buns to be quite puffy and fill the pan.
Baking/Serving Sourdough Pull Apart Rolls
Bake in a preheated 375° F oven for 20-25 minutes, or until deep golden brown. One challenge with sourdough is ensuring that it gets baked enough. I like to insert an instant-read thermometer into the center of one of the buns. It should register 200° F.
After that, remove the sourdough pull apart rolls from the oven and brush the tops with melted butter.
Serve warm with MORE butter spread on the inside.
It's so fluffy I'm going to diiiiieee! Sorry, it had to be said.
Since these sourdough pull apart rolls are naturally leavened, they take quite a bit longer to rise than rolls made with commercial yeast. Plan to start making them around 24 hours before you want to serve them.
Here's a couple of sample baking schedules:
If you want to serve these rolls at noon (this works best in a cool kitchen):
- 2 nights before you plan on serving the rolls, feed your sourdough starter right before you go to bed.
- The next morning at around 10:00, mix together the dough. Let rise 12 hours.
- That evening, before going to bed, form the dough into rolls. Let rise overnight.
- The next morning, bake the rolls once they rise to fill the pan.
If you want to serve these rolls in the evening (this could also work for serving at noon if your kitchen is really warm):
- The afternoon before you want to serve the rolls, feed your sourdough starter.
- That evening, just before bed, mix together the dough. Let rise overnight until doubled.
- The next morning, form the dough into rolls. Let rise 6-8 hours.
- Bake once the rolls fill the pan.
NOTE: If you're squeamish about letting dough sit out at room temperature because contains milk and eggs, you can always let the dough rise in the refrigerator instead. You'll need to add several hours to the rise time if you choose that method.
Here's a Step-by-Step Video for You:
P.S. I have joined up with a bunch of blogger friends for a Friendsgiving Virtual Potluck!
My friend Julie from The Little Kitchen invited me to her virtual Friendsgiving Potluck, and of course I wanted to join in the fun! Be sure to check the recipes below out for wonderful Friendsgiving and Thanksgiving recipe and craft ideas - you might find a new favorite!
Appetizers
Baked Brie with Honey & Walnuts from Kelley of Mountain Mama Cooks
Bacon Ranch Cheese Ball Bites from Nicole of I am a Honey Bee
Reindeer Bacon Cheddar Cheese Ball from Julie of Julie Blanner
Salads
Sauteed Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad with Cranberries and Walnuts from Shashi of Savory Spin
Creamy Brussels Sprouts Salad from Faith of An Edible Mosaic
Main Dishes
Savory Vegetable Crisp from Bree of Baked Bree
Rosemary Lamb Steaks from Danyelle of The Cubicle Chick
Turkey Pot Pie from Kelly of Eat Picks
Side Dishes
Fried Brussels Sprouts from Erin of The Almond Eater
Cheesy Horseradish Mashed Potato Casserole from Renee of Kudos Kitchen by Renee
Cranberry Cream Cheese Dip from April of April Golightly
Sauteed Garlic-Butter Mushrooms from Linda of Simply Healthyish Recipes
Easy Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole Recipe from Mel of Adventures of Mel
Cornbread Stuffing with Chorizo from Isabel of Isabel Eats
Bacon Brussels Sprouts from Kara of Kara J. Miller
Crockpot Sweet Potato Casserole from Jennifer of Show Me the Yummy
Amazing Gluten Free Thanksgiving Stuffing from Sommer of A Spicy Perspective
Pumpkin Caramelized Onion Gratin from Denise of Chez Us
Crockpot Mac & Cheese from Leanette Fernandez of Funtastic Life
Cheesy Brussels Sprouts au Gratin from Rachel Gurk of Rachel Cooks
Drinks
Spiced Pumpkin Margarita from Sharon of Cupcakes and Cutlery
Breads
Sourdough Pull Apart Rolls from Erica of Buttered Side Up
How to Make Homemade Butterhorn Rolls from Mel of Flour on My Fingers
Sweet Dinner Rolls from Jocelyn of Grandbaby Cakes
Parker House Rolls from Irvin of Eat the Love
Desserts
Sugar Pie from Julie of The Little Kitchen
Oatmeal Apple Crisp from Julie of Peanut Butter Fingers
Pumpkin Pie Milkshake from Eden of Sugar and Charm
Strudel Pastry from Justine of The Typical Mom
Tahini Hawaij Pumpkin Pie from Amy of What Jew Wanna Eat
Turkey Cookies from Meaghan of The Decorated Cookie
Mini Apple Pie Bites from Lynsey of MoscatoMom
Kabocha squash pie from Hilah of hilahcooking
Pecan Pie Cupcakes from Courtney of Pizzazzerie
Coconut Cream Pie from Schnelle of Brooklyn Active Mama
Chocolate chip cheesecake from Jeannette of Hispana Global
Chocolate Pecan Pie from Kate of I Heart Eating
Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes from Chelsea of Someday I'll Learn
Cinnamon Apple Crisp from Erica of The Crumby Kitchen
Turkey Donut Race Cars For Thanksgiving Treats from Theresa of Chewable Structures
Crafts and Centerpieces
Cinnamon Stick Holiday Candle Place Setting from Alli of Made with HAPPY
Metallic Pumpkin Luminaries from Amy of As The Bunny Hops
Easy centerpiece that will stun + party favor from Noelle of Oh Happy Play
Sourdough Pull Apart Rolls
Pull apart rolls get an upgrade with sourdough starter!
Ingredients
- ¾ cup whole milk, warm (105°F)
- 1 cup active sourdough starter (220 grams) - see note
- 3 ½ cups organic all-purpose flour (465 grams)
- ¼ cup grass-fed butter, melted
- ¼ cup raw honey
- 1 large egg
- 1 ½ teaspoon unrefined sea salt
- 1 tablespoon grass-fed butter, melted (for brushing tops of buns)
Instructions
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Place all dough ingredients in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until a rough dough forms. Switch to the dough hook and knead on medium-low speed until the dough is quite elastic, about 10-15 minutes. Resist the urge to add more flour - you want the dough to be very soft.
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Transfer the dough to a large, buttered bowl. Cover and allow to rise at room temperature for 8-12 hours, or until doubled.
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Gently deflate the dough and divide it into 16 equal pieces. Grab the corners of one of the pieces and pull it towards the middle. Roll the ball, seam side down, on your work surface to create surface tension. Place in a buttered 13x9-inch baking dish. Repeat with the remaining dough.
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Cover the pan and allow to rise at room temperature for 6-8 hours, or until the rolls are quite puffy and fill the pan.
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30 minutes before you plan on baking the rolls, preheat your oven to 375° F. Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes, or until they're deep golden brown and register 200° F when an instant read thermometer is inserted into the center of a roll.
-
Remove from oven and brush the tops of the rolls with the melted butter. Serve warm with grass-fed butter.
Recipe Notes
An active sourdough starter means that it has been fed 8-12 hours beforehand and is bubbly and passes the float test.
Great recipe! I made it according to your recipe and the taste is great! Everyone in the family likes it, it makes me happy. Thank you, love Erica
My rolls came out beautiful and super fluffy. It only took 4 hrs to rise - I put the towel covered pan in a slightly warmed oven. The rolls are very tangy but perfect with some butter & jam. Excellent recipe!!
I'm going crazy with sourdough recipes lately as we've all had a lot of time on our hands these last 6 months! This recipe looks fabulous and I made the dough and first rise in my bread machine. i am freezing the rolls individually to make with dinners and have knotted a number of them for garlic knots. Thank you so much!
I got zero rise from the overnight refrigerated ferment, so I left them on the counter for about 4 hours and then in my electric oven with the light on for a few more. I then shaped and put back in the oven with the light on for another few hours and then baked. They came out great.
So happy you enjoyed them! Yeah, they usually don't rise much in the fridge. But then they rise well for the second rise, and have a nice oven spring!
We will be camping for Thanksgiving this year and I was wondering if there was possibly a way to freeze these and still have them turn out for Thursday? I didn’t know if the uncooked dough would freeze perhaps. We will have a fridge/freezer in our cabin. We won’t be getting there till Wednesday morning (it’s not far from my house, but too far to cook at my house and bring food up there).
Hi, Amber! I haven't experimented with freezing sourdough dough very much - I should get on that! I have heard that you can freeze a sourdough starter, so I don't know why you wouldn't be able to freeze the dough for short amounts of time. I think if sourdough is in the freezer for too long it can kill the yeast/bacteria, though. You could refrigerate the dough for about 5 days if you have the space in your fridge!
Oh I may have room!! Thanks!! Do you think I could refrigerate after I divide and shape into my pan?
Yes, that should work! Though you might want to let them rise at room temperature for a while before you're going to bake them. You might get some good oven spring if you bake them cold, or you might not.
They turned out perfect. Thank you for sharing this excellent recipe!
You're welcome! So glad you enjoyed them! ✨
Thank you for the wonderful recipe. I am attempting them for thanksgiving dinner. I fed my starter last night and mixed the dough which is now prooving. I do not have a stand mixer so I kneaded it by hand (which took quite a while). I found my dough to be too dry for an enriched dough even though I followed the recipe and quantities. I tried adding a bit more milk but was worried it would mess up the dough. It is elastic but it is definitely not at all a sticky dough. It is weird because I usually find that my starter is rather wet, but it has been much drier around here these days... So much depends on the environment...
I was thinking of letting it do a short first rise (1 hour) and then add some water and fold it in and then let it prove until doubled in size. Do you think it will work? Any other tips on how to solve the problem?
Hi Luiza (love your name!),
Yes, the amount of flour/water you need can vary depending on the humidity! Does the dough seem really dry? If it's only a bit drier than the photos show, I would go ahead and use it as is. Did you watch the video? The dough came out a little drier for me that time (vs in the photos), and they still turned out wonderful! Just make sure they get a really good rise so they puff up enough to be fluffy.
If they do seem overly dry, you could try to add in some extra liquid as you said. It should absorb it eventually.
Thank you so much for the quick response, Erika. I added some water but I had to knead it a bit to incorporate it. Now let's see what happens. I am letting it prove with a damp towel on top as well. I will let you know how they turn out and worst come to worst I'll have learned something for my second attempt.
Wish you a nice holiday.
Hope you had a happy Thanksgiving, Luiza!
Hi! I tried this recipe, but the dough did not rise. It looked exactly the same as when i got it out of the Kitchen Aid. I also tested my sourdough and it was active.
Hi Julia,
Sorry it didn't rise! Here are a few troubleshooting ideas:
What temperature was your milk when you added it to the bowl? If it was too hot, it might have killed your starter.
How long did you let it rise during the first rise? Sometimes it can take a few extra hours for it to budge.
How warm was your kitchen? It its really chilly, it can take significantly longer to rise.
Sometimes the first rise isn't super dramatic, but the second rise and oven spring are higher.
Hope that helps!
These were soooo good. I didn’t knead the dough, though. After mixing the ingredients, I kneaded just a few seconds, let the dough rest for an hour or so, did a couple of stretch and folds, rested another few hours, a couple more stretch and folds, and then let it sit overnight. They were so light, fluffy, and flavorful.
I also forgot to butter the tops after taking them out, but still so good.
So happy you enjoyed them, Alyssa! That's good to know that the stretch and fold method works as well. That'd be a great way for someone that doesn't own a stand mixer to still be able to make these!
How do you recommend reheating the rolls to serve warm with a meal? The traditional 350 degrees for 10 minutes (covered with foil)? Will they get moist or dried out this way?
I would personally just put them in the oven along with anything else you're baking for a few minutes to warm. If you're worried about them drying out you could cover them or VERY lightly mist them with some water.
I am making them again for Christmas. My husband loves them. How many net carbs per roll? We are on a strict diet. Thanks
It's difficult to calculate the net carbs in sourdough because, from my research, the act of souring reduces the amount of carbs in bread. Not a huge amount, but it seems to reduce it some? According to my calculations (which I'm sure aren't 100% accurate), each roll contains 31 grams net carbs (32 grams total carbs, 1 gram dietary fiber). You could lower the amount of carbs by leaving out the honey. By cutting out the honey, it reduces the net carbs to 26 grams.
Thanks
Just thought I would let everyone know. I made this recipe and they turned out perfectly. Didn't have whole milk so used 2%. I then tried to freeze the second batch by forming them into the balls and freezing before the second rise. They were in the freezer about a week to a week and a half and then pulled them out into the fridge to defrost and then room temperature to rise. They did not rise very well and then did not rise at all in the oven. They are fairly tasty little hockey pucks but freezing did NOT work for me. The recipe as written turned out great though!
So happy you enjoyed them! Yeah, I've heard that freezing sourdough can be hard on it...
Made your rolls and served them with Christmas lunch. Everybody loved how light and fluffy they were and gave them a big thumbs up so thank you for sharing your recipe. Merry Christmas from Canberra, Australia.
That makes me so happy that you had my rolls for Christmas! Hope you all had a very Merry Christmas as well, and have a Happy New Year!
I haven't made these rolls yet, but I can't wait to try them! I really have high hopes for them! I have one question: (first, you have to know, I don't like washing dishes-or getting them dirty) so, is getting them kneaded by what the instructions say worth the dirty dishes? Or, since I really don't enjoy washing dishes should I just knead them by hand?
One of my readers (Alyssa, who commented above) kneaded the dough for a few seconds, then performed some stretch and folds:
"These were soooo good. I didn’t knead the dough, though. After mixing the ingredients, I kneaded just a few seconds, let the dough rest for an hour or so, did a couple of stretch and folds, rested another few hours, a couple more stretch and folds, and then let it sit overnight. They were so light, fluffy, and flavorful.
I also forgot to butter the tops after taking them out, but still so good."
If you'd like to see the stretch and fold method demonstrated, you can check out my tutorial for artisan sourdough bread on The Pioneer Woman's website HERE.
Hope that helps!
Yes, it does help!
Thanks,
Mari
Hi Erica,
I’m new to bread baking and just wanted to ask if you think I need to alter any of the ingredient volumes if I added some raisins in it?
Thanks!
Hi GLoria,
No, that should be fine to leave everything else the same! I find that it's handy to mix half of the flour in to make a batter-like consistency, mix in the raisins, and then add the rest of the flour. That way they get more evenly distributed!
These are SO yummy! It's January and my kitchen is cool, so it took longer than 8 hours for the 2nd rise, but it was worth the wait! Definitely a keeper!
So happy you enjoyed them! Yes, sourdough takes a lot longer to rise in the winter here. It was especially marked in my old house which was SO chilly in the winter!