Herbed Sourdough Dinner Rolls
The fresh herb-infused dough in these pull-apart sourdough dinner rolls is so soft and simple to make. When smothered in a buttery sauce infused with even more fresh rosemary, thyme, and parsley, they make the perfect bread rolls for Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations.
This is similar to my sourdough slider buns recipe.
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If you’re looking for more unique sourdough bread recipes, check out my sourdough twisted loaf stuffed with cheese and herbs and my giant stuffed sourdough pizza pretzel. A holiday favorite is my cranberry orange sourdough quick bread.
- TESTED FLOURS – This recipe uses unbleached all-purpose flour. It has also been successfully made countless times with white bread flour and with a 50/50 mixture of white and whole wheat.
- LEAVEN: active sourdough starter at 100% hydration
- SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: I’m using a stand mixer to mix the dough, but this is not necessary.
- TIME NEEDED: Times with sourdough will always vary from one kitchen to another, but you can expect to spend about 20 minutes on prep, 6-8 hours for rise, and 40-45 minutes to bake.
- YIELD: 12-15 sourdough dinner rolls.
- NON-SOURDOUGH VERSION: No.
- FRESH MILLED FLOUR VERSION: In development.
Watch the dough and not the clock: sourdough bulk fermentation has no precise time measurements, as the temperatures of your kitchen and the strength of your starter can be different from mine. Check out my sourdough calculator if you want to play around with ingredient amounts.
Ingredients & Notes
- Herbs: I love using these fresh herbs, but you can substitute them with dried ones. You can also use other herbs like sage, chives, and dill.
- Garlic: Adding minced garlic to the butter sauce is a great idea. 1-2 cloves will do.
- Sweetener: Use granulated white sugar, coconut sugar, or honey.
- Milk: I prefer whole; feel free to use one with a lower fat content.
Sourdough Dinner Rolls Recipe Instructions & Process Photos
Step 1:
Start with an active sourdough starter at peak. In a large bowl, whisk together starter, warm milk, sugar, and egg.
Step 2:
Stir in flour and salt, and mix until a rough dough forms.
Step 3:
Knead in butter until the dough is smooth and elastic: 5 minutes in a stand mixer, 7-8 by hand.
Step 4-5:
Knead in chopped herbs and knead until evenly distributed: 1 minute with a stand mixer, 1-2 by hand. Cover and let rise until doubled, 4–6+ hours depending on room temperature.
Step 6:
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 12–15 equal portions and shape into balls. This is where you get to decide how big the rolls will be.
Step 7:
Arrange in a greased 9×13 baking dish so they are touching but not tightly packed. Cover with a damp tea towel and let rise 1–2 hours until puffy. You can see in the pictures above how the dough will look once ready to bake.
Note: If you would like individual rolls that are not pull-apart, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment, leaving about 2 inches between the rolls.
Steps 8-9:
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown on top and cooked through. Brush hot rolls with melted butter and sprinkle with extra herbs if desired. Serve warm.
I’ll give you a recipe for an herb-infused butter sauce in the recipe card notes, which you can use instead of plain butter.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, shape into rolls and refrigerate overnight directly in the baking dish, just keep them covered. They can be baked directly from the fridge.
Brush with butter immediately after baking and cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel while cooling.
Yes, bake fully, cool, and freeze up to 3 months. Rewarm in the oven before serving.
Yes, spacing them apart will make individual rolls instead of pull-apart style. If desired, brush the tops of these individual rolls with an egg wash to give them a shiny finish.
Classic choices like rosemary, thyme, and parsley add familiar flavor, while dill, sage, or chives create a fresh twist. For the best results, match your rolls to the rest of the meal. If your main dish uses certain herbs (like sage with roast turkey or dill with salmon), adding those same herbs to the dough ties everything together and makes the meal feel more intentional.
My Top Tips for the Best Sourdough Dinner Rolls
If you tried this Sourdough Dinner Rolls recipe or any other one on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
Herbed Pull-Apart Sourdough Dinner Rolls
Equipment
- Stand mixer optional
- Large Mixing Bowl, Pastry Brush, Bench Scraper
- 9×13 Baking Dish
- Small bowl for butter herb sauce
Ingredients
- 120 grams active sourdough starter 100% hydration
- 250 grams whole milk lukewarm
- 40 grams granulated sugar or honey
- 1 large egg
- 500 grams all-purpose flour
- 8 grams fine sea salt
- 60 grams unsalted butter softened
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- 2 tablespoons melted butter for brushing
OPTIONAL Herb & Garlic Infused Butter Sauce (use instead of plain butter once rolls are baked)
- ½ cup unsalted butter 115 grams
- 3 garlic cloves finely minced (or 1 teaspoon garlic paste)
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt adjust to taste
- Optional: pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or a squeeze of lemon juice for brightness
Instructions
Herbed Dinner Roll Dough:
- Start with an active sourdough starter at peak. In a large bowl, whisk together starter, warm milk, sugar, and egg.
- Stir in flour and salt, and mix until a rough dough forms.
- Knead in butter until the dough is smooth and elastic: 5 minutes in a stand mixer, 7-8 by hand.
- Knead in chopped herbs and knead until evenly distributed: 1 minute with a stand mixer, 1-2 by hand. Cover and let rise until doubled, 4–6+ hours depending on room temperature.
- Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide into 12–15 equal portions and shape into balls. This is where you get to decide how big the rolls will be.
- Arrange in a greased 9×13 baking dish so they are touching but not tightly packed. Cover with a damp tea towel and let rise 1–2 hours until puffy. You can see in the pictures above how the dough will look once ready to bake.
- Note: If you would like individual rolls that are not pull-apart, place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment, leaving about 2 inches between the rolls.
(Optional) Herb & Garlic Infused Butter Sauce
- Melt the butter: In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter until it just begins to foam.
- Infuse with garlic and herbs: Add minced garlic and cook gently for 1–2 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant but not browned. Stir in rosemary and thyme and continue to cook another 30–60 seconds to release their oils.
- Finish with parsley and salt: Remove from heat and stir in chopped parsley and salt. Let the mixture rest for 3–5 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
- Brush and serve: Generously brush the warm butter sauce over the hot rolls immediately after baking. Reserve a little extra to serve on the side for dipping.
Notes
- Rolls can be baked ahead and reheated at 300°F for 10 minutes before serving.
- Swap in dried herbs if fresh ones aren’t available. Use 1 teaspoon dried per tablespoon fresh.
- For extra flavor, add garlic powder or Parmesan to the dough.
