Soft Fresh Milled Sourdough Dinner Rolls
These Soft Fresh Milled Sourdough Dinner Rolls are so soft, can be made and baked the same day, and we love using them as rolls or buns. Made without lecithin, eggs, or milk the texture is so soft – something that is hard to find in fresh milled sourdough! They are the perfect beginner friendly fresh milled sourdough recipe too!
Soft Fresh Milled Sourdough Dinner Rolls
The perfect soft sourdough dinner roll made using fresh milled flour. An easy recipe that can be baked the same day.
Ingredients
- 410 Grams Fresh Milled Hard Wheat* (I used 1/2 Yecora Rojo & 1/2 Khorasan)
- 210 Grams Warm Water
- 100 Grams Sourdough Starter, active and bubbly
- 28 Grams Butter, melted
- 40 Grams Honey
- 10 Grams Real Salt
Instructions
- I prefer making this recipe 7-8 hours before I plan on baking the rolls. I do not suggest an overnight bulk rise when making this recipe. These rolls ferment very quickly and I have found them to be over fermented when bulk rising them overnight. My house is around 70 degrees consistently, so plan your recipe according to your home environment. I make this recipe in the morning and it's the perfect amount of time to bake before supper.
- Begin by weighing and milling 410 grams of Fresh Milled Hard Wheat. I used half Yecora Rojo and half Khorasan in this recipe.as I prefer using Heirloom grains. Any hard wheat will work well. Once grain has been milled, set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, weigh out 100 grams Sourdough Starter, 210 grams of warm water, 28 grams of melted butter, and 40 grams of honey. Do not add salt. We will add that before we knead the dough. Stir to combine.
- Then, add flour to wet ingredients. Using the beater attachment, combine ingredients in stand mixture until all ingredients are just combined. Remove beater attachment and cover with plastic wrap. Let dough rest 20 minutes.
- After dough has rested, add 10 grams of salt. Attach dough hook and knead dough on low setting until it passes windowpane test. (**see notes) This dough is very wet and sticky. I have found that kneading it on low helps it to knead properly. You may need to scrape dough away from the sides of the bowl before kneading to help it get started.
- After dough has been kneaded, cover dough and let bulk rise for 6 hours or until dough has doubled in size.
- After dough has doubled, it is time to shape the rolls. Line a 9x13 baking pan with parchment paper. Divide dough into 12 rolls and shape. Place rolls on baking pan and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest for 2 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Once oven is preheated, uncover rolls and bake for 20 minutes. Rolls will have a golden, crusty top.
- Serve rolls warm with butter-it's the best thing ever!
- Store rolls in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days. It is best not to store fresh milled baked goods in the refrigerator as they tend to dry out in that environment. They store well on the counter in an airtight container. Rolls can also be stored in the freezer for future enjoyment.
- Rolls can be rewarmed in the oven at 350 degrees until warmed.
Notes
*Why do you measure the fresh milled flour in grams? I have found that when baking with fresh milled flour you get a more consistent result when measuring the flour in grams rather than cups.
**What is a windowpane test? A windowpane test is when you are able to easily pull up on kneaded dough without the dough breaking. It will simply thin as you pull it up to form a "stained glass window" of dough. If dough breaks, continue kneading until it passes this test.
The BEST Soft Fresh Milled Sourdough Dinner Rolls
Our quest for the best recipe for fresh milled sourdough rolls began several months ago. We just couldn’t get them right. Most of them were dense, stiff pucks that were no where near reminiscent of a soft and fluffy crave-able dinner roll.
Baking with fresh milled flour is a learning curve in itself, but add sourdough starter into the mix and it get’s slightly more finicky. Fresh milled sourdough needs the perfect combination of starter, water, flour, and salt along with a few simple techniques in order to achieve that ooey gooey softness we all love in a dinner roll.
After much trial and error, I am proud to share with you this recipe! It’s quickly become a family favorite and we make it at least once a week.
Key features in this recipe:
- A 100% fresh milled flour dinner roll- The best fresh milled flour to use in this recipe is a hard wheat. I love using heirloom grains so I combined Yecora Rojo and Khorasan (my favorite wheat berry flavor combination) in this recipe. Feel free to use any hard wheat you prefer.
- Active and bubbly sourdough starter- the leavening agent used in this sourdough roll. We love the added health benefits fermentation offers paired with fresh milled grains.
- A bake the same day sourdough recipe! These fresh milled rolls ferment very quickly so they can be mixed, risen, and baked the same day!
- This recipe contains no lecithin, milk, or eggs! If you’re looking for a soft fresh milled sourdough roll, many recipes call for lecithin, milk, or an egg. Because of the amount of starter in this recipe as well as a salt technique (waiting to add the salt before you knead, also known as fermentolyse) these rolls are perfectly soft without it.
- A versatile roll that can be used as a dinner roll, makes great garlic bread, or used as a bun for sandwiches, burgers, or my personal favorite – Sloppy Joes!
- Warm honey tones make a cozy, soft roll perfect for serving alongside your favorite soups, stews, or chilis! Or as the perfect side dish along for your Thanksgiving or Christmas holidays.
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Don’t forget the WHY behind fresh milled baking!
We always think it’s important to remind our readers to get back to the why of fresh milled flour recipes.
Maybe your why is because you desire to make wholesome, from scratch food for you family in your own kitchen. Or after being gluten free for years you realized you could enjoy grains in their whole form. Maybe you learned of the amazing health benefits of fresh milled grains. Or maybe it’s all of the above!
It’s easy to get lost in the noise of the internet. But as women, wives, and mothers let’s get back to kitchens and homes that provide not just wholesome food for our families, but also delicious food that satisfies our deepest needs for nourishment. Our kitchens can be reminders of our deeper spiritual needs- Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” John 6:35
What is the best Fresh Milled Wheat to use in sourdough dinner rolls?
Fresh milled hard wheat is the best wheat to use in breads or rolls because of it’s higher protein content. Hard wheat has the high gluten needed to form the chewy, leavened structure needed for risen, fluffy bread or rolls.
- If you’re looking for rolls with a mild flavor choose a Hard White Wheat.
- If you’re looking for a more complex, deep, and wholesome flavor, consider using an heirloom variety of Hard Wheat.
- My favorite combination of Hard Wheat right now is Yecora Rojo and Khorasan. This combination has warm, honey tones that our family loves.
Ingredients used to make Fresh Milled Sourdough Dinner Rolls:
- 410 Grams Fresh Milled Hard Wheat
- 210 Grams Water
- 100 Grams Active & Bubbly Sourdough Starter
- 28 Grams Butter
- 40 Grams Honey
- 10 Grams Real Salt
Why does this recipe use grams as a form of measurement? I know it may seem inconvenient to pull out a scale and measure out ingredients, but you will thank me later! Measuring fresh milled baked goods in grams yields a consistent result every time. Especially when I’m sharing the recipe with you! We all measure things differently even when using a measuring cup. I want you to have the best Soft Fresh Milled Sourdough Dinner Roll possible!
Step-by-Step Instructions To Make Soft Fresh Milled Sourdough Dinner Rolls–
This sourdough dinner roll recipe ferments very quickly which is a huge bonus for busy days. I plan on at least 6 hours between mixing the dough and baking. I would not recommend an overnight rise with this recipe as the dough tends to over ferment.
To begin, make sure your sourdough starter is active and bubbly. Then mill your grains and set them aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine water, sourdough starter, honey, and butter. Stir to combine and then add fresh milled flour.
Attach beater attachment to mixer and mix together dough ingredients until all ingredients have just incorporated. Cover dough and allow it to rest 20 minutes. Once dough has rested, attach dough hook, add salt to dough, and knead dough on low setting until dough is soft and smooth and has passed the windowpane test.
Next, form dough into a ball, cover dough, and allow dough to bulk rise for 5 hours in a warm location or until dough has doubled in size.
Once dough has risen, it is time to form into rolls. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper. Divide dough evenly into 12 rolls, shape rolls, and place them evenly on a baking pan. Dough is very sticky so it is best to slightly flour or wet your hands when shaping.
Cover rolls and allow them to rest 20 minutes. Then, preheat oven to 350 degrees. Once fresh milled rolls have rested, uncover and bake for 25 minutes. The top of the rolls will be golden and crusty.
Serve rolls warm with butter or allow rolls to cool before storing in an airtight container on the counter for future enjoyment. Rolls can also be stored in a freezer container and frozen for future use.
