Quick Sourdough Dinner Rolls (Yeasted Sourdough)

Looking for a fast sourdough roll recipe that doesn’t take all day? These quick sourdough dinner rolls use both sourdough starter and commercial yeast to create soft, fluffy rolls in a fraction of the time. If you love the tang of sourdough but need a shortcut, this recipe is for you!

At a Glance

🕒 Ready in: Under 2 hours
🌾 Uses: Sourdough starter + yeast
🥖 Texture: Soft, fluffy, crisp on the outside
🍽 Perfect for: Weeknight dinners, holiday meals, bread baskets, sandwiches

Can I Merge Yeast and Sourdough Starter? 

To be honest, the idea of adding yeast to my sourdough breads seemed, well, like cheating. I know that a lot of sourdough purists would never think of doing such a thing! But I was looking at making a soft pull apart dinner roll, much like my Tangzhong Milk Bread, and knew that it needed a lighter consistency. 

So, I did what I always do: I improvised. Instead of water, I used warm milk. To that, I added my starter. Then I stirred in a packet of instant yeast and a bit of sugar. What happened next? 

Well, you’ll just have to see for yourself. I will simply say that this recipe is so delicious, so easy, so perfect that you’ll use it again and again. And you won’t even feel guilty about the yeast. . .I promise! 

Sourdough Rolls Ingredients

You will find a full printable recipe card at the bottom of this post but here’s a quick peek at what you’ll need to make these delicious rolls. These are simple ingredients you might already have on hand in your kitchen. If not, you’ll find them at your local grocery store. 

• 240 grams active sourdough starter (about a cup)
• 390 grams of warm milk (about 100 degrees (1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons)
• 1 packet (2 ½ tsp) instant yeast
• ¼ cup sugar
• 550 grams bread flour (about 4 cups)
• 10 grams salt, (1.5 teaspoons)
• 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil

How to Make Sourdough Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls

These come together so easily and they’re beyond delicious! 

Combine warm milk and starter sugar in a large bowl. Mix well.

Add instant yeast and sugar.

Use a bread whisk to mix until smooth. 

Allow to sit for five minutes until yeast begins to activate. 

Add flour and salt and stir until combined. Make sure you get the lumps out. 

You will end up with a shaggy dough. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.

Time to let the dough rest. Cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and set aside in a warm spot for 30 minutes for the first rise. 

While the dough is proofing, pour 1-2 tablespoons of the olive oil into the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside. 

After the thirty minutes is up, do three rounds of stretch and folds with the dough, fifteen minutes apart. 

After the third stretch and fold turn out the dough onto a lightly floured surface.

Divide the dough into 15 balls of dough, rolling tight. A bench scraper will come in handy for this process.

I weighed my dough with a kitchen scale before dividing and then calculated how much each dough ball should weigh. Just make sure they are equal pieces.

Place the dough balls in the prepared baking dish. (Time for another dough rise!)

Cover and set in a warm place for an hour to rise. 

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

Once rolls have risen, use a pastry brush to brush them with olive oil. 

Place baking dish in hot oven and bake for 20 - 22 minutes or until golden brown. Baking times may vary, depending on your oven and the rack you choose. 

Remove and place on wire rack to cool. 

If you like, you can brush the tops of these soft sourdough rolls with melted butter before serving. 

Serve and enjoy! 

Store leftovers (what leftovers?) in a bread bag or basket with a cloth top. Make sure they are room temperature. If you try to seal these up while warm they will get gummy. They should stay fresh for 2-3 days. You can refrigerate or freeze these if you want them to keep longer. 

Note: If you want to prep these to back the next day, that's fine! Just put the rolls into the fridge overnight. Allow them to come to room temperature the following day to continue their final rise.

What to Expect from This Recipe

Friends, this is a simple, delicious dinner roll, one you will be proud to serve your guests. The addition of the milk makes them light and flaky. That egg on top gives them a lovely golden color.

And the crisp edges? They’re over-the-top! I ate one with butter and flipped out over how good it was. We also used these to serve burgers (sliders) and they were perfect for that, as well. I made some for a friend and she served them as ham and cheese sliders.

I love the fact that these are soft sourdough dinner rolls. You don't often hear about sourdough being soft, but this recipe sure is!

Really, the possibilities are endless. You will return to this simple and delicious sourdough dinner roll recipe time and time again, I feel sure! 

Other Delicious Bread Recipes from Out of the Box Baking

We have so many bread choices at Out of the Box. I’ll have a host of sourdough recipes coming soon, but here are some of my yeasted breads: 

• Rustic Artisan Bread (with Ranch Dressing)
• Soft Butter Rolls from Scratch
• Easy Italian Herb Bread from Scratch
• Flaky Crescent Rolls from Scratch
• Simple Garlic Knots

That’s it for this post, friends! I hope you enjoyed this delicious pull-apart sourdough dinner rolls recipe.

If you make these rolls and love them, don’t forget to leave a review and a comment below. And while you're at it, go ahead and pin some photos to your Pinterest boards!

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About the Author

Janice Thompson is an author, baker, and all-around mischief maker! She has overcome a host of baking catastrophes, including a toppled wedding cake, to learn more about the baking process. Janice has published over 165 books for the Christian market but particularly enjoys writing recipes and baking devotions. To learn more about Janice or to drop her a note, visit her About the Author page.