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I don’t think that this is an unpopular opinion but I wholeheartedly believe that a homemade roll is SO much better than a store-bought one. And these One Hour Sourdough Discard Rolls mean that you can mix them, shape them and bake them, all within about an hour.
Perfect for a busy night or last-minute side to your dinner! You guys already love my one-hour burger buns and I knew we needed a roll recipe that is fast, easy and delicious to match. This is it!
If you’re looking for something a little softer and more bakery-style, try my Soft and Fluffy Sourdough Discard Dinner Rolls. They take a bit longer but are extra tender.
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Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love One Hour Sourdough Discard Rolls
- SO FAST: You can’t beat how fast this one-hour recipe is!
- Texture: These rolls are soft, tender and fluffy—I know you’ll love them!
- Sourdough Discard Recipe: Including discard adds flavor to these rolls—if you prefer, you can make my one hour yeast rolls instead, without the sourdough.
Important Ingredients
- Sourdough Discard – I use 100% hydration sourdough discard. You can use fresh discard or refrigerated discard in this recipe.
- Water – Warm water works best in this recipe. I try to use water that is between 98-100°F.
- Instant Yeast – In order to give these rolls a quick rise, these rolls require commercial instant yeast.
- Granulated Sugar – Sugar gives a little sweetness that balances the delicious flavor of this bread.
- Salt – Salt enhances flavor. Don’t forget to add it!
- Egg – Use an egg to enrich this dough and another egg for an egg wash before baking these rolls.
- Unsalted Butter – Melted and cooled unsalted butter allows you to control the salt content in the dough and gives these rolls a rich flavor.
- Bread Flour – Bread flour keeps these rolls chewy and gives a good rise. If you want to substitute all-purpose flour instead you can. Add a little vital wheat gluten for best results.
Substitutions
- Instant Yeast: Dry active yeast can be substituted, but it needs to be activated in water for about 5 minutes before adding to the dough. The dough will also take longer to rise.
- Egg: If you have an egg allergy, leave the egg out of the recipe and decrease the flour just a bit.
- Sourdough Discard: Bubbly, active starter can be substituted in these rolls if you don’t have discard on hand, or make this 100% sourdough dinner roll recipe.
- Flour: If you don’t have bread flour on hand, you can substitute with all-purpose flour.
Why This Recipe Works
This recipe is great for when you are short on time and want to make homemade rolls. After the dough is kneaded, you do not need to let the dough rise. Instead, immediately shape the dough into rolls and set them in a baking pan. Give the rolls a quick 30 minute proof in a warm place and then bake them for about 25 minutes. You have eliminated the first rise and some of the second rise and are relying on the fast-acting power of the yeast and the heat from the oven for some perfect rolls.
How to Make Sourdough Discard Rolls in ONE HOUR
Mix & Knead the Dough
Add warm water (around 100ºF) and sourdough discard to the bowl of a stand mixer. Warm water helps compensate for cold sourdough discard (if your discard comes straight from the fridge). Mix together. Add the sugar and instant yeast. Allow yeast to activate – you will notice a yeasty smell and the yeast will start to clump together. Add the egg, melted butter and salt. Mix again.
With the dough hook running, add the bread flour, reserving about a cup of flour to add in at the end so you don’t over-flour the dough. Dough should be tacky and not overly sticky. Knead for about 5-7 minutes until the dough forms a cohesive ball and is smooth and elastic. Alternatively, if you don’t have a stand mixer you can knead dough for 7-8 minutes by hand until smooth.
Shape and Proof (Rise)
Turn the dough out of the mixer and onto the countertop. Cut the dough into twelve equal pieces, about 85-90 grams each. Shape each piece of dough into a ball by taking each piece of dough and pull/pinching up the sides until it forms a ball. Roll the ball on the counter, holding your hand in a cupping shape to seal the balls and create tension.
Nestle the rolls together in a 9 by 13 inch or 12 inch round baking pan. If your pan is not non-stick, use parchment paper on the bottom of the pan. Cover the discard rolls with a kitchen towel and set in a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes. Keep your dough warmer for a quicker rise—if your dough is kept at a colder temperature it will take longer to rise.
Egg Wash and Bake
Once the rolls have risen and are all touching each other and light and fluffy, preheat the oven to 375ºF.
While the oven preheats, mix together an optional egg wash by cracking an egg and adding a splash of water. Whisk together with a fork. Lightly brush the egg wash over each roll.
Bake these One Hour Sourdough Discard Rolls for about 20 minutes until golden brown. Top with melted butter if desired and allow to cool slightly before enjoying warm!
How to Store Leftovers
Leftover sourdough discard dinner rolls can be stored in an airtight container or ziplock bag for a few days after they’ve cooled completely. I like to freeze them for best results.
Amy’s Recipe Tip
This recipe is based on my recipe for quick and easy sourdough discard burger buns. In order for this recipe to work in one hour, make sure that the dough is kept warm throughout the whole process. If you are using cold discard, use warm water in the dough. And if you find your rolls are splitting a little when baking, let them rise a little bit longer before baking them – making the recipe take a little over an hour – TOPS!
Frequently Asked Questions
Most yeast-based recipes call for a bulk rise or first rise. This first rise is especially important if using dry active yeast or sourdough to raise bread. It also gives the dough more flavor and a better crumb. BUT, the question is: How much better? For these quick and easy burger buns, we may sacrifice a tiny bit of flavor/crumb/gluten development but we get a delicious scratch-made yeast bun in about an hour thanks to the instant yeast in this recipe.
If you prefer using a bulk rise, decrease the instant yeast to 10 grams (1 Tablespoon) and allow the dough to rise before shaping into rolls.
Yes! Mix up the dough, shape the rolls and then cover and stick the rolls in the refrigerator to rise. This will slow down the rise time a little bit, but the rolls will be risen and ready to bake straight from the fridge after a few hours. Another option is after mixing the dough, stick it in the refrigerator for about 12 hours. Shape the dough into rolls and let rise before baking.
This just means that they needed to proof a little bit longer. I don’t mind a little roll splitting if I’m trying to make them quickly, but if you have some extra time, give them a little longer to rise.
Yes! You can use it straight from the refrigerator, BUT make sure you use warm water to bring the temperature of the dough up. Keeping that dough warm is key to a quick rise.
Popular Sourdough Discard Roll Recipes
If you tried these One Hour Sourdough Discard Rolls or any other recipe on my website leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Happy Baking!
One Hour Sourdough Discard Rolls
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Equipment
- stand mixer optional – can also knead by hand
- 9 by 13 pan metal is my preference
- parchment paper if desired
Ingredients
- 240 grams water, warmed (98-100ºF), about 1 cup
- 15 grams instant yeast, about 1 1/2 Tablespoons
- 20 grams granulated sugar, about 2 Tablespoons
- 150 grams sourdough discard, scant 2/3 cup
- 1 large egg, about 50 grams
- 35 grams unsalted butter, melted, about 2.5 Tablespoons
- 12 grams salt, about 2 teaspoons
- 540 grams bread flour, about 4 cups
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- splash of water
Instructions
- To the bowl of a stand mixer add warm water (around 98-100ºF) and sourdough discard. Mix together quickly. If your discard is cold from the fridge, it is especially important to use warm water to warm up the dough. Add in the sugar and instant yeast. Watch for the yeast to activate – you will notice a yeasty smell and the yeast will start to clump together. Add the egg, melted butter and salt. Mix again.
- With the dough hook running, add the bread flour, reserving about half a cup of flour to add in at the end so you don't over-flour the dough. Dough should be tacky and not overly sticky. Knead for about 5-7 minutes until the dough forms a cohesive ball and is smooth and elastic. If your dough is overly sticky, add in the reserved flour, a little at a time until the dough is smooth, elastic and just slightly tacky to the touch.Note: This dough can also be mixed together by hand in a large bowl. Knead for 7-8 minutes until smooth.
- Turn the dough out of the mixer and onto the countertop. Cut the dough into twelve equal pieces, about 85-90 grams each. Shape each piece of dough into a ball. Take each piece of dough and pull/pinch up the sides until it forms a ball. Roll the ball on the counter, holding your hand in a cupping shape to seal the balls and create tension.You can see how I shape rolls here.
- Nestle the rolls together in a 12 inch round (or 9 by 13 inch) baking pan. Use parchment paper on the bottom if your pan is not non-stick. Cover the rolls with a kitchen towel and set in a warm place to rise for about 30 minutes.This quick rise is going to be very dependent on the temperature of your dough. Keep your dough warm if you want them to rise quickly. If you don't notice much rise, leave them for a few minutes longer. Sometimes I will leave the rolls in the oven with the pilot light on (do not turn the oven on) to encourage a good, quick rise.
- Once the rolls have risen and are all touching each other and light and fluffy, preheat the oven to 375ºF (pull the rolls out of the oven if you are proofing them in the oven BEFORE you turn the oven on).
- While the oven preheats, mix together an egg wash if desired: crack an egg and add a splash of water. Whisk together with a fork. Lightly brush the egg wash over each roll.
- Bake the rolls for about 20 minutes until golden brown and reach 190ºF inside. Brush the tops with melted butter if desired and allow to cool slightly before enjoying warm!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I have made these rolls twice in a month and both times they have turned out beautiful and absolutely delicious. My husband raves about them. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the review. I’m glad you’ve got a new favorite recipe!
I was asked to make rolls for our Family Easter Dinner. I made 3 dozen which was not to difficult at all. I’m saying this because I only made these once before and I’m new in making Sourdough bread! Everyone LOVED them! Light, fluffy and delicious tasting!
I’ve tried other recipes of yours and find them easy to understand and very delicious. I Love your cookbook along with all the information and suggestions in it!
Thank you Amy💕💕💕
I’m glad the rolls turned out great for Easter! Thanks for the review.
These were SO quick and easy, SUPER fluffy and delicious! I had some discard and thought I’d give them a go to have some bread with our soup for dinner, as I didn’t have much time. They turned out perfect. Will be a new staple in our house for sure.
I’m glad they turned out great! Enjoy!
I would rate them a 10 if I could! I will be making these regularly. Hard to believe they only take an hour!!
Thanks for the review!
I made these rolls for Easter dinner, they were a hit with the whole family. I love how easy and fast they are to make, but taste like you’ve slaved all day!
Thank you for sharing!
Thanks for the review! I’m glad they turned out great.
Hi Amy! Is 10 day old discard kept in the fridge too old to be used for these rolls? Tx in advance!
It should be fine, but just be aware that older discard will add a more pronounced “sour” sourdough flavor.
The lightest most fluffy rolls I have ever made! Needless to say I am now in charge of the rolls every holiday!! Thank you so much
Thanks for the review! I’m glad you’ve got a new holiday go-to.
Made your One-Hour Sourdough Discard Rolls for Easter dinner, and they were amazing. Mixed the dough the night before before and refrigerated, then shaped the next morning. It took about 90 minutes for them to rise (including the 30-minute drive to my destination!). Worth the wait, as they were picture-perfect.
Thanks for the review! I’m glad they turned out great!
Super easy! Loved this recipe and these rolls!
I’m glad the rolls turned out great! Thanks for the review.
Wow!! I’m new to the sourdough game and this was my first recipe/attempt at any sort of rolls. Holyyyy cow. These are absolutely delicious. Sprinkled some garlic powder in the melted butter to top it and…yummm! Can’t wait to serve these at Easter dinner shortly!!
So delicious! Thanks for the review.