The holidays are the best excuse for binge baking. The end of the year is marked by that unique time when being chained to your oven is considered normal—nay, it’s even encouraged! As you might imagine, it’s my favorite time of the year. As Thanksgiving and Christmas approach, I can’t seem to help myself as all kinds of bread-baking ideas swirl in my imagination, taking me in this direction and that, and lengthening my “Things to Bake” list to unhealthy measures.
For the great meals of the holiday season, I always have a favorite loaf of bread or two earmarked for the dinner table, but often I also include a (sourdough) pie, sometimes a sweet bread, and always an experimental loaf. Last year, I served a variation of this roll recipe, and while they were great, they’ve come a long way through subsequent tests and trials. They’ve matured into these soft sourdough rolls, firmly on the menu for this year’s holiday meals (especially Thanksgiving).
These soft sourdough dinner rolls (which are also in my cookbook!) are incredibly light and, for lack of a better adjective, squishy. Let me take you on a quick trip.
Remember your last visit to the state fair, where you ordered that massive cone of cotton candy—for me, this was many years ago, yet the memory is still quite vivid. Now pull off a large tatter of that soft, cloud-like sugar puff and watch it come apart into thick sheets, floating in front of your face. This image is similar to the delicate, yielding texture of buttery dinner rolls.
Video: Watch Me Make These Sourdough Rolls
Here’s my video of me making these rolls from start to finish!
Flavorwise, these rolls are what you want and expect from a dinner roll: slightly buttery, a smidgen sweet, and with only the slightest touch of sourness (if any). The flaky salt on top is like a lightning bolt to the taste buds, waking them up and sharpening the bread’s flavor. And let’s not forget a very important purpose of rolls at any meal: to soak up all sauces (gravy! salad dressing! au jus!) on the dinner plate. And yet, they also shine when you keep it simple and plain, enjoying them as-is or simply with a pat of warm butter.
Let’s look at which flour I used for this recipe and how tangzhong helps us achieve that cotton-candy-like tenderness.
Flour selection and tangzhong
This recipe calls for standard all-purpose flour and higher protein bread flour (King Arthur brand will work well for both). The bread flour brings extra protein and strength to the mix that helps these rolls rise a little higher and have more structure. But also, using only white flour helps keep the sourness to a minimum. In testing, the rolls were even softer and more tender without the bread flour, but I found that the added high-protein flour helps keep them sturdy when used for dipping.
This sourdough dinner roll recipe uses a pre-cooked flour mix-in, also called tangzhong, to add extra tenderness. I use this same technique in my Hot Cross Buns and Sourdough Shokupan. The tangzhong technique is straightforward and takes only a few minutes in the first steps of the breadmaking process: you warm the flour and milk in a saucepan over medium heat until the mixture thickens, then let it cool. Then add this cooled gel paste (similar to a milk roux) to your mix as you would any other ingredient.
See my guide to the Tangzhong technique for a more in-depth discussion →
Baking Schedule
These super-soft sourdough rolls can be made in a single day (skipping the overnight levain) or they can be retarded (refrigerated) in proof to bake the next day, right before dinner. This recipe is extremely flexible, and you can adjust the timeline to fit the rolls into your cooking schedule.
For example, if you’re making these for Thanksgiving, you can make the rolls the day before and proof them in the fridge. Then on Thanksgiving day, take them out a few hours before the big meal, finish proofing on the counter if necessary, and bake them so that the rolls are warm for dinner.
Be sure to use your levain when it’s ripe: it should be extremely bubbly, frothy, and well-risen. As mentioned in my guide to baking dough in the winter, the cold weather may slow the dough’s proofing; give it extra time if necessary.
Baking equipment
I’ve tested these super soft sourdough rolls with several baking pans, and below are my two favorites.
Round pan choice: LloydPans 10×2.25-inch round pan.
I use these round LloydPans for many things in my kitchen: from my sourdough focaccia to sourdough pizza to these dinner rolls. They are nonstick and conduct heat so well that they brown the bottom and sides of whatever is inside just as well as the top. They’re magical, actually.
Square pan choice: USA Pan 9-inch square pan.
I love this square pan because it has a nonstick liner and is extremely versatile. I use it for sweet cardamom rolls, cinnamon rolls, and even cakes or brownies. It bakes rolls that are evenly browned, and cleanup is a breeze.
Super soft sourdough rolls formula
For tips on how to calculate baker’s percentages or how to modify this formula, see my post on baker’s percentages (baker’s math).
| Total Dough Weight | 1200 grams |
| Pre-fermented Flour | 12.5% |
| Levain in final dough | 37.1% |
| Hydration | 43.0% |
| Yield | 16 x 70g sourdough dinner rolls |
Total formula
Desired dough temperature: 78°F (26°C). See my post on the importance of dough temperature for more information.
Milk & butter alternative (vegan): If you want to make these rolls vegan, substitute water, nut milk, or full-fat oat milk for the dairy milk in the roux below. For the butter, go with Earth Balance Vegan Butter or a similar product.
| Weight | Ingredient | Baker’s Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 41g | Tangzhong: Medium-protein bread flour or All-purpose flour (~11% protein, King Arthur Baking All-Purpose) | 7.00% |
| 166g | Tangzhong: Whole milk (see vegan options above) | 28.00% |
| 402g | Medium-protein bread flour or All-purpose flour (~11.7% protein, King Arthur All-Purpose) | 68.00% |
| 148g | High-protein bread flour (~12.7% protein, King Arthur Bread Flour) | 25.00% |
| 95g | Butter, unsalted | 16.00% |
| 53g | Caster sugar | 9.00% |
| 254g | Water | 43.00% |
| 11g | Salt | 1.80% |
| 30g | Ripe sourdough starter, 100% hydration | 5.00% |
Additional ingredients:
Egg wash: 1 large egg and 1 tablespoon whole milk, for brushing
Coarse sea salt, for topping (optional)
Super soft sourdough rolls method
1. Prepare Levain – 9:00 p.m.
| Weight | Ingredient | Baker’s Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 74g | Medium-protein bread flour (all-purpose flour) | 100.0% |
| 15g | Caster sugar | 20.0% |
| 74g | Water | 100.0% |
| 30g | Ripe sourdough starter, 100% hydration | 40.0% |
Mix the ingredients in the chart above in a container and leave covered to ripen at about 76°F (24°C) for 12 hours overnight.
Like my pumpkin cinnamon sourdough bread, this recipe utilizes a sweet levain, or sweet starter, which calls for a little sugar added to the levain to promote yeast activity and help reduce sourness in the final dinner rolls. See my post on the differences between a starter and levain if the two terms are new to you.
2. Make the tangzhong – 8:00 a.m.
In a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat, add the 41g tangzhong flour and 166g tangzhong milk. Cook, whisking continuously, until the mixture thickens into a paste, 5 to 8 minutes. In the beginning, whisk vigorously to break up any flour clumps, and continue whisking to avoid burning. The mixture won’t seem to do anything for a while, but it will thicken.
Remove the pan from the heat and spread the tangzhong on a small plate to expedite cooling. Set aside.
3. Mix – 9:00 a.m.
| Weight | Ingredient |
|---|---|
| All | Tangzhong (from Step 2) |
| 328g | Medium-protein bread flour (all-purpose flour) |
| 148g | High-protein flour |
| 95g | Butter, unsalted |
| 39g | Caster sugar |
| 181g | Water |
| 11g | Salt |
| 192g | Levain |
I used my KitchenAid stand mixer to mix this dough, but it could also be mixed by hand using the slap and fold technique or a series of folds in the mixing bowl.
First, cut the butter into 1/2″ pats. Set them on a plate to warm to room temperature.
To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the water, flour, ripe levain, sugar, tangzhong, and salt. Mix on low speed (STIR on a KitchenAid) for 1 to 2 minutes until the ingredients come together and no dry bits remain. Increase the mixer speed to medium (2 on a KitchenAid) and mix for 4 to 5 minutes until the dough starts to strengthen and clump around the dough hook. It won’t completely remove from the bottom of the bowl, and it will still be shaggy.
Let the dough rest in the bowl for 10 minutes.
Turn the mixer to low speed and add the room-temperature butter, one pat at a time, waiting until each pat is fully absorbed before adding the next. Adding all the butter will take 5 to 8 minutes. After this, mix on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes, until the dough is smooth and clings to the dough hook.
In the end, the dough will still be very soft, and it will not completely remove from the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a bulk fermentation container and cover.
4. Bulk Fermentation – 9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
At a warm room temperature, 74-76°F (24°C), bulk fermentation should take about 3 1/2 hours. If your kitchen is cooler, place your bulk container in a small home dough proofer, or extend the bulk fermentation time to give the dough more time to ferment.
In the image below (tap/click to zoom in), you can see my dough at the start of bulk (left) and after 3 1/2 hours (right). The dough is ready when it has risen in the container, smooths, and is puffy to the touch.
Give this dough three sets of stretches and folds during bulk fermentation at 30-minute intervals. The first set begins 30 minutes after bulk fermentation starts. For each set, wet your hands, grab one side, and stretch it up and over the dough to the other side. Rotate the bowl 180°, then perform another stretch-and-fold (this forms a long rectangle in the bowl). Then rotate the bowl 90° and repeat the stretch and fold. Finally, turn the bowl 180° and do one last stretch and fold. The dough should be neatly folded up in the bowl.
After the third set, let the dough rest, covered, for the remainder of bulk fermentation.
5. Chill Dough – 1:00 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.
At this point, your dough should have risen in your bulk container, be puffy to the touch, and have smoothed out. If the dough still feels dense and tight, give it another 15 minutes and check again.
Uncover your bulk container and place it in the refrigerator for 15 to 25 minutes. Chilling the dough will help it firm up, making shaping and transferring to the pan much easier. Note that the longer you chill the dough in the fridge, the longer it will take to proof (because it will have to warm up that much more).
If your dough is extremely soft, keep the bulk container covered and chill the dough for up to 1 hour.
Overnight fermentation option: At this point, you can choose to place the covered bulk fermentation container into the fridge to retard the dough overnight and bake the next day. The next day, take the dough out of the fridge, let it warm up for 30 minutes, and then resume with the Shape step below.
6. Shape – 1:15 p.m.
Butter your baking pan (even if it’s nonstick) to ensure that the rolls come out cleanly after baking.
Remove the bulk fermentation container from the fridge, lightly flour the top of the dough in the bowl, and gently scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. The dough will be cool to the touch but still very soft. Lightly dust the top of the dough and divide it into sixteen 70g pieces (or fourteen 85g pieces for larger rolls).
Because the dough is so soft, I prefer to use my bench knife to shape each roll. Use the knife to drag the dough toward your body as your other hand rounds the dough, tucking the edge down under the ball. Repeat this dragging-and-tucking motion with the knife and your other hand until you have a uniformly round ball. Place the ball in the prepared baking pan. When using a round pan, I prefer to start by placing the rolls along the outside in a ring, then work inward as each ring fills.
For more shaping instruction, see my guide page to shaping buns and rolls.
Cover the pan with a large, reusable plastic bag and seal it shut.
7. Proof – 1:45 p.m. 4:15 p.m. (2 to 3 hours)
At a warm room temperature of 74-76F (23-24 °C), this dough should take 2 to 3 hours to fully proof. If your kitchen is cooler, expect it to take longer.
When fully proofed, the dough should be well-risen in the pan and very soft to the touch. Uncover your dough and gently press the tops of a few rolls. You shouldn’t feel any dense spots or tight areas—the dough should be very light and airy. If you do, cover the bowl and let your dough proof for another 15 to 30 minutes, then check again.
8. Bake – 4:15 p.m. (pre-heat oven around 3:45 p.m.)
Place an oven rack in the middle of the oven, and preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
Make an egg wash: In a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg and 1 tablespoon whole milk.
Remove the pan from the bag, evenly brush the egg wash over the tops of the rolls, sprinkle with coarse sea salt (optional), and slide the pan into the oven.
Bake for 20 minutes. Rotate the pan 180° in the oven and reduce the temperature to 350°F (175°C). Bake for an additional 20 minutes until the tops of the rolls are golden and the internal temperature is around 204°F (95°C).
Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for 30 minutes before eating.
These are wonderful warm from the oven, but I like to let them cool for at least 30 minutes before eating. These rolls are best the day they’re made, but are still great the day after (if stored according to my post on storing bread).
Print
Super Soft Sourdough Rolls (with Tangzhong) Recipe
- Prep Time: 24 hours
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 24 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 16 rolls
- Category: Buns, Rolls
- Cuisine: American
Description
These super soft sourdough rolls are the perfect accompaniment to any dinner table (especially Thanksgiving!). They’re slightly buttery, a little sweet, ultra-tender, and the perfect counterpart for soups, stews, and any holiday meal.
Ingredients
Levain
- 74g medium-protein bread flour (all-purpose flour)
- 15g caster sugar
- 74g water
- 30g ripe sourdough starter, 100% hydration
Tangzhong
- 41 grams medium-protein bread flour (all-purpose flour)
- 166 grams whole milk
Main Dough
- All the tangzhong
- 328g medium-protein bread flour (all-purpose flour)
- 148g high-protein bread flour (bread flour)
- 95g butter, unsalted
- 38g sugar, caster
- 181g water
- 11g salt
- All the levain
Instructions
- Prepare levain (Day One, 9:00 p.m.)
Mix the following ingredients in a container and leave covered to ripen at about 77°F (25°C) for 12 hours overnight. - Pre-cook flour (Day Two, 8:00 a.m.)
To a medium saucepan, add the tangzhong flour and milk. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook, whisking continuously, until the mixture thickens and becomes like a paste, about 5-8 minutes. Set aside. - Mix (9:00 a.m.)
Cut the butter into 1/2″ pats. Set them on a plate to warm to room temperature. To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, add the water, flour, ripe levain, sugar, tangzhong, and salt. Mix on low speed (STIR on a KitchenAid) for 1 to 2 minutes until the ingredients come together and no dry bits remain. Increase the mixer speed to medium (2 on a KitchenAid) and mix for 4 to 5 minutes until the dough starts to strengthen and clump around the dough hook. It won’t completely remove from the bottom of the bowl, and it will still be shaggy. Let the dough rest in the bowl for 10 minutes. Turn the mixer on low speed and add the room temperature butter, one pat at a time, waiting to add each pat until the previous one is fully absorbed. Adding all the butter will take 5 to 8 minutes. After this time, mix on medium speed for 1 to 2 minutes until the dough smooths and clings to the dough hook. In the end, the dough will still be very soft, and it will not completely remove from the sides of the bowl. Transfer the dough to a bulk fermentation container and cover. - Bulk fermentation (9:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.)
Give the dough 3 sets of stretch and folds at 30-minute intervals, where the first set starts 30 minutes after the start of bulk fermentation. - Chill dough (1:00 p.m. to 1:15 p.m.)
Place the bulk fermentation container, uncovered, in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to make shaping easier. - Shape (1:15 p.m.)
Butter your pan. Divide the dough into sixteen 70g pieces (or fourteen 85g pieces for larger rolls) and shape each as a very tight ball. Place the balls in the buttered pan to proof. - Proof (1:45 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.)
Cover the pan with dough and let proof for 2 1/2 hours. - Bake (4:15 p.m.)
Preheat your oven to 400°F (220°C). Whisk together one egg and a splash of whole milk for the egg wash. When oven is preheated, brush on the egg wash and bake for 20 minutes. Then, rotate the pan 180° in the oven and reduce the temperature to 350°F (175°C). Bake for an additional 20 minutes until the tops are well-colored and the rolls have reached around 204°F (95°C). Remove from the oven and let cool in the baking pan for 10 minutes. Then knock the rolls out to cool on a wire rack. Let rest for 30 minutes, then enjoy.
Notes
Do ahead: you can prepare the tangzhong the night before. Cook the flour and milk as instructed and let cool to room temperature. Cover the tangzhong and keep in the fridge overnight. The next morning, take it out to let it warm some (to room temperature would be ideal) and proceed to add it during the mix as instructed.
Do ahead: you can prepare the dough and proof them overnight to bake the next day at any time. When chilling the dough, keep the covered bulk fermentation container in the fridge to retard the dough overnight. The next day, take the dough out, let it warm for 30 minutes, then continue with the Shape, Proof, and Bake steps. Alternatively, shape the dough into small balls and place them into the proofing pan. Cover the pan and put it into the fridge overnight. The next day, take them out 3 to 4 hours before you want to bake them and proof them on the counter until puffy and ready to bake.
To make these rolls vegan, substitute the milk for a full-fat nut or oat milk, and instead of an egg, use a flax egg.
What’s Next?
These super soft sourdough dinner rolls are now my go-to for all holiday meals, especially Thanksgiving. They’re just the right mix of buttery, sweet, savory (thanks, salt!), and squish-in-your-hand tender.
If you’d like to explore the ideas in this recipe even further, check out my sourdough shokupan loaf (which also uses tangzhong) or my sourdough pumpkin dinner rolls for a different take on rolls!
And if you are making these during the holidays, check out the Bread Baker’s Gift Guide for gifts for your favorite baker (or yourself!).
647 Comments
Awesome, Hudson! It’s hard to say without more details, perhaps the dough needed more time in bulk fermentation or proof—and this could certainly be the case as temperatures have dropped, requiring either a warming of the mixing liquid or longer time in each step.
I made these for the first time tonight. OMG- the PERFECT roll. I did an overnight bulk ferment and used a springform pan got baking; and on release, a beautiful crust all around. Nice crispness with a soft fluffy inside. I can honestly say, it is the absolute best roll I’ve ever eaten. A definite repeat recipe!
Just wonderful to hear that, Nancy! Great idea using the springform pan as well! Enjoy 🙂
Making these for the second time in a week! I’m really happy with these. I did sub caster sugar for local honey, and swapped about 100 g of white flour for rye flour. I made mine in a cast iron and it worked beautifully. This batch I’m going to try what another commenter did and freeze some to bake later.
Right on, Shalyn! I am planning to do a whole grain version of these in the future as well… Happy baking!
Hi Shalyn, do you thinkthe rolls are softer when you made it with the honey instead of caster sugar?
I just wanted to make a comment on a test I did. Made the rolls and at the point of just short of full proof, I put them in the freezer. I took them out a week later, thawed, finished the proof and baked them. Worked great! I am splitting the dough between 2-9″ round pans. Lined one with foil so I could easily remove them from the pan to put into a bag to freeze. Next time I need to butter the foil so they don’t stick. Also found that the foil kept the sides and bottoms from browning too much which made them extra soft.
Thanks!
Wow, that’s just awesome. I haven’t tried freezing these but I know others have successfully frozen sourdough pizza dough recipe with great results. Next time I might double this batch and freeze one for easy rolls the week after! Thanks for reporting back and happy baking 🙂
Wonderful recipe, we enjoyed this for Thanksgiving as well. Have you tried experimenting with whole wheat flour ratios, or with adding seeds or grains? I would love to try, but wouldn’t want to lose the lovely fluffiness in this roll. Thank you!
I haven’t yet but it’s on my to-do list! I think adding some whole grains will be really great. You’ll likely eke out a bit of sourness, but because these have such low sourness to start, it’ll probably be a flavorful addition.
These were the BEST rolls ever! I didn’t quite have the right sized pan to do them all, so I cheated by putting a small bread pan into my 9×13 pan. It took up just enough room to let me do the rest. It worked perfectly. Will make these again, and again, and again…
So happy to hear that, Denise!
I misread and left the levain overnight in the fridge, so these wound up being post-Thanksgiving rolls. Oops! My refrigerated levain had a gelatinous texture that had me worried, but these turned out perfect, one of my favorite bakes yet! Fun to pull apart, amazingly buttery, and with a nice hint of a sour finish.
Ah! Oh well, sounds like it still went very well for ya. Thanks for reporting back and happy baking!
I mixed these by hand, and baked in a cast iron pan, and they are the best thing I’ve baked to date! Shaped them after bulk and put the pan in the fridge overnight. Since the pan was very cold from the fridge, it took about 4 hours or so to finish rising the next morning. Took them out of the oven 8 mins early since they were already very brown, then kept in pan for 15 mins before moving to wire rack. So good! Thank you for a great recipe.
Wonderful, Amanda! Your modifications sound right on. Thanks for reporting back and happy to help—happy baking!
These turn out terrific. I let the dough rise in the fridge after bulk as well. Shaped them in the morning and let them rise again. They made terrific turkey sandwiches this morning!
Right on, Mark! Sounds like half the readers retarded the dough in bulk like yourself, or went with a shape retard. Both ways work! Thanks so much for the feedback and that’s exactly what I just had for lunch 🙂 Enjoy!
I did the fridge retard of the dough after bulk but before shaping. It came out great! Simple to shape after taking out of the fridge and let them rise at room temp, then bake. I covered some in everything bagel topping 🙂
Fantastic, Seth! I ended up retarding them in shape overnight, pulled them in the morning and baked after a few hours at warm temp proofing. Came out wonderful. I love the idea of adding bagel topping! Happy Thanksgiving 🙂
Yesterday was the second time I have made these beautiful, soft amazing rolls. I added some asiago cheese; first in the mix prior to fold and stretch, then some on top with 10 minutes left in the bake. Perfection! Thanks for the work you do.
Wonderful, Lewis! Adding asiago sound fantastic, great idea. Thanks for reporting back and enjoy!
These were amazing. I did overnight retard (but it still rose a bit in the fridge). I over proofed a smidge but they still turned out soft and addictively good. Happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful for your wonderful recipes, baking the different sourdough breads has helped tremendously with managing anxiety this year.
Great to hear that! I did the same yesterday, they turned out wonderful. Happy to help and Happy Thanksgiving!
Turned out great. The only snag I had was proofing. I used a proofing box set at 77 degrees and after 2 plus hours just did not rise up to the rim like shown in photo. Once in oven good rise though. I did overnight retard then snapped and proofed filling day. Thanks I was only able to get 80 grams per roll x 14. Very fluffy with a nice crisp crust. Bought the pan the round one through affiliate link. Worked nice.
Wonderful, Robin! Mine took a little longer to proof after the cold fridge as well, ended up around 2.5 hours. It all depends on how they were when they went in! Thanks for buying the pan through my link, I hope you like it—I really love those pans for rolls, buns, pizza, and focaccia!
When retarding these, did you notice some of the rolls growing bubbles on their tops which then darkened much quicker than the rest? This happened to me after I fridge’d them overnight and I can only guess that maybe the butter in them getting too cold caused them to separate inside. Or maybe I just overproofed? Any idea?
I sometimes get bubbles on top like this as well, usually it’s when I push the proof a little too far or when shaping I didn’t degas enough, leaving some large bubbles inside.
Just pulled a double batch of these rolls out of the oven! Perfection! I followed the instructions and did an overnight proof. I changed only one thing and put a large cookie sheet with water in it on the top rack and a large cookie sheet with water in it on the bottom rack. The rolls baked on the middle rack for the first 20 minutes, then I took the cookie sheets out of the oven. The second 20 minutes helped the rolls to turn a beautiful golden brown! They are light, fluffy and absolutely fabulous! Wish I could share a photo!
Excellent, Shelli! What a great idea using those baking sheets, I’m going to have to remember that! Thanks for reporting back and Happy Thanksgiving!
The printable recipe has a typo stating to shape sixteen 85 gram balls, should be fourteen 85 gram balls. All else is good here.
Fixed, thank you Paula!
Hi Maurizio, Not sure if you’re checking messages today, but I’ve just shaped my rolls and I’m not sure if I should do my bulk ferment now or retard and bulk in the am? Ideally I’d like to just pull them out of the fridge and bake in the am so I’m thinking I should bulk ferment now, and just let them come to room temp for a morning bake? Thanks so much!
Hey, Sara! I’m always checking messages 🙂 I just did the same thing: I just shaped my rolls, placed them in the pan, covered them airtight, and into the fridge they went. In the morning I’ll check to see if they need more proof time at room temperature (possible), let them finish proofing, then bake in later morning or early afternoon. Hope that helps and happy Thanksgiving!
Awesome!! Thanks Maurizio! I decided to do a bulk now so they’re proofing now, and then I’ll pop them into the fridge…hopefully that’ll lead to an early morning bake! And have a great Thanksgiving!!
I’m making these rolls as we speak… Unfortunately, after nearly 3.5 hours of bulk fermentation, my dough hasn’t doubled!!! In fact, I’m not sure if it’s increased even by 30%… 🙁 What could be going on here?? And is this dough salvageable, or is all my effort for naught?
Hey, Stephanie! It’s ok if you don’t see exactly double, but you should see good rise. Was your final dough temp close to what I list above for the recipe? If it’s cool in your kitchen let the dough bulk ferment longer until it looks like the dough in my photos. It might just need more time. Definitely stick with it!
Thanks for the quick response!! I thought my kitchen was warm enough, given that I’ve been baking pies all day…but maybe not. 🤷♀️ I’ll keep plugging along. Will they still be ok with less time in the fridge overnight, due to a set time I need to proof them tomorrow? (Maybe earlier tomorrow is better??) And lastly, if I end up baking ahead of dinnertime tomorrow, will the rolls be ok reheated right before we sit down to eat?
Yes, they’ll be totally fine with less time in the fridge overnight. I’m doing this dough right now as well, and my plan is to take them out in the later morning—they might need a few more hours to proof, it depends on your dough—and bake them several hours before the meal. This way, I can be sure there’s enough time to proof if they need them, and ill have the oven free for other stuff (hey, turkey!). I will be reheating them in a warm oven before serving, just place them in there for a few minutes with whatever residual heat you have from baking.
You’re a lifesaver!! I’ll report back tomorrow for posterity’s sake. 😉 Happiest Thanksgiving!
Thanks for the recipe! I’m in the process of making them right now. I’m using a mixer with dough hook. Right from the start the dough was pretty firm and not shaggy. I’m doing the stretch and folds now and the dough is not flexible. It just breaks when I stretch it. Will these still turn out or should I start over?
Hey, Michelle! I just mixed up the dough myself. The dough should have softened significantly after adding the butter. It sounds like maybe your mix needed a little more water. Stop doing stretch and folds at this point and just continue with the process until bulk fermentation is complete—your dough sounds plenty strong!
Will regular granulated sugar work. If not I will put sugar in coffee grinder and make my own but could save a step if not necessary. Thanks!!
Hey, Robin! Yes, granulated sugar should work just fine. Happy baking!
Thanks. Just finishing bulk fermentation. I can see various methods. Shape the dough then refrigerate or cold retard prior to shaping. Any suggestions for baking tomorrow which method works best?
I’m shaping and retarding. I think it’s going to turn out great! I’ve done bulk retard also, and that worked, but I want less work tomorrow 🙂 I’ll take them out and let them finish proofing before baking.
Thanks. No company tomorrow for us due to COVID so I am under no time pressure tomorrow. I will let you know how turned out. The dough is very nice. I used Bosch mixer and it came together quick.
Hello – We did the best we could without a stand mixer, and they came out really dense. We started with 2 mins with the hand mixer with a spiral attachment. Before it was fully integrated, we dumped it out of the bowl to start the slap and fold technique. Using this method, about how much time does it take for it to come together initially (as the stand mixer would do), and then to incorporate the butter? Since we incorporated the butter using the slap and fold technique, we cut them into small cubes, flattened and spread them into the dough with my hands. Is there a better way to do that? My fear is I overworked the dough throughout the process.
I have a similar question – I don’t own a stand mixer and am mixing these up tomorrow for a Thanksgiving bake. Any pointers or adjustments to make? I do have a little electric mixer, but was kinda thinking I’d do this manually. I enjoy doing slap & fold – thank you for introducing me to that! – but haven’t worked with buttery or sweetened dough before. (I can’t really go by feel based on my experience with garden-variety sourdough bread, can I?)
The key to doing it by hand is to really strengthen that dough with s/f before adding the butter! You want the gluten to be nice and developed so it holds itself together as you slowly work in the butter.
Thanks so much! So far so good. One comment about baking dishes – you note that the 8” square pan can only fit 9-10 rolls, yet the photo of it shows 16 – is that a full batch of smaller rolls, or only part of a batch? (I’m going to try to fit a batch of 16 in my 9” square pan since I’ve wrecked my only round cake pan by keeping it in my oven for baking bread with steam – and my only 9×13 is Pyrex which is probably not right for sourdough! Clearly I need some new bakeware).
Yes, those were divided at 65g each (I fixed that in the post!).
Hey, Whitney! I don’t think you over worked the dough, it’s difficult in a stand mixer and almost impossible by hand. That sounds like a good approach by cubing the butter, should work just fine. My feeling is you likely had a fermentation issue (under proofed?) if you didn’t get enough rise and the dough was not overly weak or sticky.
If the dough was under-strengthened, it would have trouble rising as well, but you’d know this was the case as it would be very difficult to shape and handle when shaping!
If I want to double this recipe, is it ok to double everything and mix one large dough or should I make two smaller doughs and bake them together in just a larger pan? I want to make sure the dough won’t overflow any bowls throughout the proofing process.
I made these for Sunday dinner and they were a hit! I bulk proofed them late Saturday afternoon, and shaped and put them in the fridge before I went to bed Saturday night. I pulled them from the fridge Sunday afternoon and they needed about 3 hours to proof and then I baked them. Now I am requested to double the recipe for our Thanksgiving meal. Absolutely!
Happy to hear that, Mary! I’m going to follow this exact same procedure starting tomorrow. Thanks for reporting back what worked for you and happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Maurizio,
These look amazing! I’m also going to make them for Thanksgiving so I have a similar day-before question. It sounds like you can either retard the fermentation overnight in the fridge before shaping, or you can proof overnight in the fridge once shaped. Would one of these be preferred? And to Madi’s question below, should the timing be adjusted to prevent a too-long stay in the fridge?
Thanks in advance!!!
Just answered her below (and I’m doing the same thing!) 🙂
Hey Maurizio,
This recipe looks great! I am planning to make them for Thanksgiving using the proof overnight option. If I do that, should I follow the timeline you’ve given and just put them in the fridge starting on Wednesday afternoon or should I adjust that time frame so they are not in the fridge for an entire day before I take them out Thursday afternoon?
Hey, Madi! I’m doing this myself, starting tomorrow. I’m going to start them later in the day to reduce their time in the fridge, but honestly, it’ll be just fine what you’re suggesting. The longer they’re in the fridge, the increased chance for more sourness and less rise, but as long as you put the shaped rolls in the fridge right away it should be okay.
Thank you!!!