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).
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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
Maurizio, these rolls were a big hit at the Thanksgiving dinner table yesterday! I followed your process to the letter other than adding a bit of vital wheat gluten to boost my AP flour protein content. The rolls turned out soft, pillowy, tall, and delicious! I don’t have a Lloyd pan, so I called on my 12″ Lodge CI skillet, and that worked out perfectly. Here’s a link to a couple of pics I was able snap…. https://flic.kr/s/aHsmXfp3pe Thanks for another winner!
So glad to hear that, Rich! Yes, those look absolutely perfect—nailed it!
I am trying these for the first time and have followed the recipe to a T. However, after 3 1/2 hours my dough still seems a little loose and too hydrated. I used Earth Balance for the butter in the same amount and Oat milk instead of Regular milk as the recipe calls for. Could this be the issue? And how would you correct this? Any help is appreciated.
You could chill the dough before shaping to make it easier, then shape as tightly as possible! Even if a little over hydrated, they’ll be wonderful and easier to shape after the dough cools.
Thank you. I did do that. Left in fridge about an hour and then tried to shape. Had to use a floured surface though to get them to shape up. But came out good in the end. Very soft.
Glad to hear they turned out well, Sue!
Thanks so much for this recipe; it looks great! One question: as I’ve been scaling back on my sugar intake, I find I’m super sensitive to sweet flavors in breads and tend to scale back on the sugar when baking bread as a result. Is it possible to include sugar in the levain but skip the rest?
You’re welcome, Kerry! Unfortunately, changing where the sugar is in the recipe will affect fermentation rather drastically. I would say these are definitely not sweet rolls, though!
Thanks so much for letting me know! I’ll make it as written, then. I’m super looking forward to these!
You bet. I’m not huge on overly sweet stuff so I think you’ll find these are just right! Let me know how you like them, Kerry. Happy baking 🙂
I have “perfected” these at sea level… but am planning to bake for family in Reno over the Christmas holiday. Any tips on baking at higher altitudes? I attempted sourdough loaves when we were there in 2019 and they were gummy… ick.
Awesome, Dani! You’ll likely need to bake them longer and potentially hotter. Check out my guide to baking at high altitude for more tips!
One more question: What are your thoughts on freezing the rolls after they’ve been formed – for a day or two prior to baking? Is this possible? I’m trying to figure out timing for rolls for a family gathering that we are traveling to. I would much rather bake day of and share vs baking a few days before, freezing, thawing and sharing… But, I’ve never attempted it.
Any thots on freezing these before baking.
@maurizioleo:disqus
I can’t wait to make these but would like to use oat milk instead of whole milk. Is this an option? I’m thinking I need the fat content in whole milk.
A full fat oak milk will work (as I talk about on my guide to tangzhong)!
This recipe is amazing and has never failed. People can’t believe it is sourdough. I just wanted to say a huge THANK YOU for all the energy you put into sharing your knowledge.
Happy to help and so glad to hear my recipe worked so well for you!
I made a double portion last year on Thanksgiving and they were spectacular. I did not double the recipe, just made two batches, we needed leftovers, of course. I also went a little crazy making them the day of…phew. So I’m thinking of baking one batch on Wednesday and refrigerating the second and baking on Thanksgiving. And I’ve run out of my Central Mill organic bread flour (which I use for all baking) and will have to buy King Arthur. So buy King Arthur bread flour and All purpose?
Thank you…
Janet
Really glad to hear that! Yes, KA BF and AP will work very well with this recipe, I’ve made it several times with those flours. Enjoy and happy baking!
I am making this bread right now and found the dough is super sticky and soft after 5-8 mins kneading while putting in the butter. Should I continue kneading until it is less sticky?
I am rather new in this sourdough bread game but managed to bake a few other recipes with it and got me addicted. Your blog has helped me a lot so far. 🙂 Please help, and thanks so much!
I’d probably knead a bit longer, yet. But, this is a sticky dough! My feeling is it’ll probably smooth and firm up during bulk fermentation, I hope that’s the case. Let me know how they turn out!
I love these rolls and made them several times last holiday season. I have learned so much from your posts! If I bake the rolls this Tuesday and bring them to my family’s Thanksgiving on Thursday, what’s the best way to reheat them so they are warm and fresh tasting (but not burned on top!)? Thank you!
Ah, so glad to hear all that! I would reheat them in a warm oven, maybe 300F or so. Do keep an eye on them, but that is a low enough temp and it should only take a few minutes! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving 🙂
Thank you so much! Wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving as well! 😊
QQ Retarding Overnight in the Fridge: Should the dough go straight into the fridge after the last stretch and fold? Or proof on the counter for 2 hours first? 🙂 Thanks!
After the full time specified for bulk fermentation 🙂
That’s what I figured. Thanks for confirming! 🙂👍
I have made these delicious rolls in the past and was wondering is there a way to make and freeze some? The reason I ask is because I am having two thanksgiving a few weeks apart and would love to be able to make enough to use at both of them?
Thank you
I haven’t tried this, but I have a feeling they’d probably freeze well! Just be sure to let them completely cool before freezing.
I’d maybe start at 10 or 15% to total flour weight and add them at the very end of mixing. If they’re very dry, you could soak them for a few hours with some of the mixing water.
I have the 12” Lloyd pan so I was just going to make 12 rolls at 100g each. Anticipate any problems with that?
That should work fine – 100g rolls may be change the bake and final proof time. 100g is a relatively large hamburger bun. Coming down to 80-90 grams and baking off your excess as little buns or 2 hamburger buns might work out better.
I just wanted to say the rolls were wonderful. I have been on a quest to find rolls that my grandmother used to make. I would be a ti duplicate the recipe but the end product t was missing something. I was able to come close with your instructions. I thought the directions were forgiving and allowed for error or addition depending on a persons taste. I sprinkled them with garlic salt, rosemary and butter as well as the egg wash. Wonderful. I wish I could bottle the smell. Thanks again.
Thanks so much for the feedback, Darren! Really happy to hear these rolls worked out for you—and oftentimes it’s hard to get things exactly like our grandmothers made, but we can try! Enjoy 🙂
Hi there, I made them into bigger buns for veggie burgers and they were great!
Sounds delicious, Jeni! So glad they worked out for you. Enjoy 🙂
I want to make these as 120g hamburger buns but how would you say I adjust the baking temps and time? I also hand kneaded these for 10 minutes during the phase where I slowly introduced the butter and they came out more like dense rolls than fluffy buns. I don’t think proving time was the issue but perhaps not mixing/kneading properly?
It’ll likely take less time to bake since the buns will be spread out on a baking sheet (if you’re going that route). I’d go with the same temps and times, and adjust as necessary during baking. They definitely need sufficient dough strength for a tall and fluffy bun!
Thanks! I proofed these at 78*F for 6 hours and my dough never rose to look like yours. It definitely grew but wasn’t puffy and soft. Do you know what I could have done wrong? I second proofed them for only a couple hours because I was worried about over proofing them but they still came out very dense and more like dense rolls…
I made these for Easter today and they were fabulous! I am going to have to keep practicing the roll shaping 😁but these are super delicious and soft! I did use my discard for this recipe and the rolls were still fab. Thank you Maurizio!
Glad to hear they turned out great for you, Michelle! Enjoy 🙂
Made them! They are amazing! Fluffy and delicious. Gave a few to a neighbor. Thank you Maurizio!
Just saw all these comments! Glad they turned out great 🙂 Yes, you could bake it as a loaf, that would be wonderful as well. You’ll have to adjust the bake time as necessary (might take longer).
One more question. If I wanted to make this recipe as a bread loaf, would that work? The reason I ask is that I prepared two batches of the dough mixture, flour, sugar salt, etc. Haven’t made the levain yet. So just wanted your opinion.
Thanks, you are an inspiration.
Hi Maurizio. I didn’t get a reply so I went ahead and made my levain, put it in the fridge and took it out and made the dough yesterday. Last night I shaped them and popped them in the fridge. They have been proofing for about 3 hours and I’m about getting ready to put on the wash and bake. I did get 14 rolls but not at 85 grams each. Not sure if I didn’t bulk ferment enough but they were like working with clouds. Lovely!
Hi! So I was trying to scroll through all the comments to make sure you hadn’t answered, but was wondering if I do all the steps right up till baking and then put in fridge overnight (Saturday) to bake the next day before an Easter Sunday brunch. Think if they have proofed and risen up to the point of baking today, then refrigerated overnight, the only thing I would need to do is take out in morning and wait till they are a little warmer (room temp) and then bake? Maybe give it a couple hours -take out at 7a, bake at 9a?
Yes, exactly! Just be sure they’re very fluffy and light when you go to back them.
I was trying to proof them (retard) in the refrigerator and they didn’t rise at all.
I put them back on the countertop for 3 hours before bake.
I’m thinking wether it’s possible to proof them in the fridge and bake straight from the refrigerator?
Technically, it’s totally possible. However, it really depends on how far the dough has fermented before it’s placed into the fridge. With these rolls, I would probably always opt for some counter time before baking, it’s hard to over proof them (and even if you did, they’d just be more tender as long as it wasn’t super excessive!).
Hi China. I just made my rolls last night and put in fridge. They are now proofing, took about 3 hours and I’m about to put on the egg wash and bake. I did not proof them last night after shaping. I will be interested to know how your’s turned out!
Hi Maurizio. I’ve made the tangzhong and it’s in the fridge and the levain is fermenting. A couple of questions. Can honey be substituted either in the levain or in the final dough? Can I prepare the levain and put in the fridge overnight and take out the next morning to warm up and use? I got ahead of myself today and made the levain thinking it might move along faster and I would start the dough in the evening and then put that in the fridge overnight. But it’s getting late so that isn’t going to work. My other question is how long can the dough be refrigerated before shaping and baking without compromising the taste? This is my first atttempt at using the tangzhong and I’m excited. And I love your recipes and blog.
This recipe is really geared to having that sugar, but you could swap out for honey. It will change the dough fermentation rate (increased), though. I use honey quite a bit in my baking but the sugar plays more than a sweetening roll here, it also helps reduce the sour flavor in the end as well. I hope the rolls turned out great and happy to have you here!
Hi Maurizio! I really get inspired from your , always, beautiful and well organised baking webbpages. Tomorow is the time for this recepie. Cred! Stay safe!
Thanks, I appreciate that, Anders! Hope the bake went well 🙂
Hi all
I tried the recipe and made amazing rolls!!! Just wondering why the sugar in the levain? I am trying minimize my daughter’s sugar intake.
Thanks
Nicole
The sugar helps encourage yeast activity in the levain, ultimately it leads to increased rise in the rolls and a less sour flavor. Glad to hear you like them, Nicole!
Thanks so much Maurizio ! I am a big fan of yours.
Hi Maurizio, second time making this recipe and I love it. This time I did a bit of a twist on hot cross buns. I added ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg and 200g of rum soaked sultanas and 25g of mixed peel. They are delicious and it’s worked a treat. Thank you!
Love this idea, Julie! Perfect time of the year for those, too 🙂