Pull Apart Sourdough Dinner Rolls: Easiest Overnight Recipe
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You can change up my timeline to fit your schedule. The hours do not have to be precise, as this is such an easy recipe, even if you make a few mistakes!
read the blog:
Understanding Sourdough Starter!
One of the most frequently asked questions I receive is, “How do I make a sourdough starter?” or “Where can I get a sourdough starter from?”
What is sourdough starter? How does it work?
The timeline for sourdough dinner rolls goes a little something like this:
- 8:00-10:00 AM: Feed the starter to activate it.
- 7:00-9:00 PM: Make the dough and cover it overnight.
- 6:30-10:00 AM: Roll the dough into equal balls, place them in a greased baking dish, and cover for 2-3 hours.
- 1:00-4:00 PM: Bake the rolls.
What if I want to bake rolls at night?
It doesn’t get easier than that for a sourdough recipe!

Sourdough Starter Ingredients for Activation:
- Sourdough Starter (not activated – pulled from counter or refrigerator)
- All-purpose Flour (or more if needed)
- Filtered Water (colder for slower activation, warmer for quicker activation)
Morning (for an Overnight Timeline): At 8 AM-10 AM, prepare the sourdough starter by combining the unactivated sourdough starter, all-purpose flour, and filtered water in a jar.
- Adjust the consistency as needed: If it’s too runny, add a few extra tablespoons of flour; if it’s too thick, stir in a tablespoon of filtered water.
- For slower activation, use cold water; for quicker activation, use lukewarm water.
You will know when the sourdough starter is ready because it should have doubled in size.
Once the sourdough starter is nice and bubbly and risen, just before bed, you’re ready to prepare your sourdough dinner roll dough!
How to Make Overnight Sourdough Dinner Rolls:
Step One:
Use a scale to measure the ingredients – This is key for making consistent sourdough bread recipes.
Use an electric mixer with a dough attachment – Add in the sourdough starter, bread flour, salt, lukewarm milk, eggs, and honey. Mix on medium speed for about two minutes.
The dough will remain sticky, and that’s perfectly normal for this recipe!


Step Two:
Fold in the cubed room temperature butter – Add one piece at a time while mixing on medium speed. Let the dough continue to mix for about 4 minutes, or until all the butter is fully incorporated and the dough becomes smooth and slightly stretchy. (add in any spices or seasonings if you wish to at this point.)
Step Three:
Transfer the dough into a large bowl and cover it. Let it rise overnight for about 8-12 hours. The dough will double in size. 

Step Four:
In the morning, or once the dough has risen, weigh the dough into portions of around 75-85 grams. Form them into perfect little dough balls (watch my video to see how I did this!) and transfer them to a greased baking dish.
Step Five:
Cover the dough and let it rise for the next 2-4 hours. The rising time will depend on how warm your house is.
Recipe Note: If your dough rises too early and you’re not ready to bake yet, you can place the pan in the refrigerator after it’s risen to slow down the process.
RECIPE NOTE:
If you’d like your rolls to be larger, measure out the dough for 105 – 110 grams. This will make about 8 large rolls, and you’ll need about one extra hour for rise time.
Step Six:
Coat the risen dough with an egg wash (scramble an egg and brush it on – see the details in the video!).
A note to self: I used a pan that was too large; these rolls should have been closer together in the pan! I’ll be making them again and sharing an updated photo. I just wanted to make sure I had enough time to photograph and get this recipe up for your holiday celebrations! The pan size will depend on how big you make your rolls.

Step Seven:
After applying the egg wash, place the rolls in the oven at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until they’re golden brown.
Step Eight:
As soon as you remove the rolls from the oven, brush melted butter over the top. This gives them that croissant-like texture on the outside of the dinner roll! It’s so delicious, and you can sprinkle sea salt, rosemary, garlic, thyme, or anything else you like on top to add an extra pizazz.
Sourdough Rolls vs. Yeast Rolls: Why Sourdough is (somewhat) Healthier
Sourdough rolls and yeast rolls both make delicious, fluffy bread, but there are some benefits that make sourdough a healthier option.
- Natural Fermentation Process:
Sourdough is made through a natural fermentation process, using wild yeast and lactic acid bacteria. This fermentation method can break down some of the gluten and phytic acid in the flour, making sourdough easier to digest and more nutritious. Yeast rolls, on the other hand, are made with commercial yeast, which doesn’t offer the same digestive benefits. - Lower Glycemic Index:
Because of the long fermentation process, sourdough has a lower glycemic index (GI) than yeast rolls. This means sourdough can cause a slower, more controlled rise in blood sugar levels, which is beneficial for people managing blood sugar levels or those trying to maintain a healthy weight. Yeast rolls, typically made with refined flour and without extended fermentation, have a higher GI and can lead to quicker spikes in blood sugar. - Fewer Additives:
Sourdough is often made with just a few simple ingredients: flour, water, salt, and the starter. In contrast, commercial yeast rolls often contain added sugars, preservatives, and other ingredients to speed up the process and improve shelf life. Homemade sourdough, with its all-natural ingredients, is a cleaner and more wholesome choice. - Higher Nutritional Value:
The slow fermentation process in sourdough helps to release more nutrients from the flour. This includes B vitamins, minerals like magnesium, and antioxidants, which can be less available in yeast rolls. Additionally, sourdough’s natural fermentation helps produce beneficial probiotics, which can support gut health. - Better for Gluten Sensitivity:
While not gluten-free, the natural fermentation process in sourdough breaks down some of the gluten proteins, which can make it easier to digest for people with mild gluten sensitivities. Yeast rolls, especially those made with refined flour, may not have the same effect and can be harder on the digestive system for sensitive individuals.
Sourdough rolls tend to be healthier than yeast rolls because of the natural fermentation process that improves digestibility, reduces the glycemic load, provides more nutrients, and contains fewer added ingredients. Plus, they’re just delicious!

Watch Video Below!

Overnight Sourdough Dinner Rolls Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Electric Mixer with Dough attachment
Ingredients
- 400 Grams Bread Flour
- 160 Grams Activated Sourdough Starter see blog for sourdough starter activation notes
- 10 Grams Sea Salt
- 175 Grams Whole Milk lukewarm
- 70 Grams Butter room temp, cubed
- 2 Medium Eggs
- 25 Grams Honey
- 1 medium Egg (for egg wash)
- 2 Tbsps Melted Butter (for top coat)
Instructions
- Make the Dough (7:00 – 9:00 PM) In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine your activated sourdough starter, bread flour, salt, milk, eggs, and honey.Mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Don’t worry if the dough is sticky—this is normal for sourdough!Gradually add in the butter, one cube at a time, while mixing on medium speed for about 4 minutes. The dough should be smooth, stretchy, and buttery.
- Let It Rise Overnight (10:00 PM – 8:00 AM) Transfer the dough to a large bowl, cover it, and let it rise overnight (8-12 hours). It should double in size by the morning.
- Shape the Rolls (8:00 – 10:00 AM) In the morning, punch down the dough and divide it into portions of 75-85 grams each.Shape each portion into a dough ball (check out the video for a visual on this!).Place the dough balls into a greased baking dish, leaving a little space between them.
- Second Rise (10:00 AM – 1:00 PM) Cover the rolls and let them rise for 2-4 hours until they fill the dish and look nice and puffy.If they rise too early, pop the dish in the fridge to slow down the process.
- Egg Wash (1:00 PM) Preheat your oven to 375-Degrees.Beat one egg and brush it over the rolls to give them a golden, shiny finish.
- Bake the Rolls (1:30 – 4:00 PM)Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and cooked through.Keep an eye on them after 20 minutes to avoid over-baking!
- Butter the Rolls (4:00 PM) Once they’re out of the oven, brush melted butter over the top to get that perfect croissant-like texture.For an extra touch, sprinkle sea salt, garlic, rosemary, or thyme on top!
Notes
Tips for Perfect Rolls
- Pan Size: Make sure your pan isn’t too big! The rolls should be close together to give them that fluffy, soft texture.
- Timing: Want fresh rolls for a late-night dinner party? Just activate the starter before bed, make the dough in the morning, let it rise throughout the day, and then bake in the evening!
- Flavor Boost: Feel free to add herbs or garlic to the dough or on top for extra flavor.
Nutrition
These were so good that I plan to make them again, double the size, and use them for crispy chicken sliders or even as fancy burger buns.
For our Thanksgiving menu this year, I am going to be making sourdough cinnamon rolls for breakfast after the turkey trot, butternut squash deviled eggs, olive oil & sea salt green beans, my orange cranberry sauce, sourdough bread sausage stuffing (using my sourdough bread recipe), perfect roasted turkey, cranberry ginger mocktails, roasted potatoes, roasted vegetables with burrata and balsamic, creamy gravy, cranberry almond cake, pumpkin pie, dark chocolate cranberry cookies, and apple pie (gluten-free, dairy-free & no refined sugar recipe coming soon!
I’d love to hear what you’re cooking up this year!
MORE SOURDOUGH RECIPES
I can’t wait for you to try these delicious dinner rolls – I think they’ll become a staple in your dinner rotation from here on out! I plan to make them as sandwich bread for my toddler since he loved them so much. I also think they’d make amazing monkey bread for the holidays! You really can’t go wrong with how simple this recipe is!
Questions for you!
- Have you made sourdough bread dinner rolls yet?
- What is your FAVORITE thanksgiving food?
- Are you fan of Thanksgiving leftovers?
Welcome!
I’m Taralynn
Lifestyle & Food Blogger
Hi, and welcome! I’m glad you’re here. Simply Taralynn is my lifestyle blog where I share bits of everyday life as a mom, favorite recipes, travel guides, and more. I’ve been blogging for fifteen years!













Do you know whether sugar or honey cuts back on the sourdough tang mote?
The sugar amount doesn’t do much for the tang flavor, but the butter does. The best way to cut back on a strong sourdough sourness is to activate your starter by using much more flour and water vs sourdough starter. It’ll take longer for the starter to activate, but that sourness will be much more mild.
Sometimes, if my sourdough starter is super strong, I’ll add 2 tablespoons with one cup of water and one cup of flour and put that in my fridge for a few days. I call it the “reset.”
Amazing for Thanksgiving dinner! My dough and shaped rolls took a lot longer to rise because the house was colder. I thought something was wrong at first, but once I put them in the oven with the light on and the door open, they started to rise faster! These were great!
Yes, home temps make such a difference! I’m glad you did the oven trick. It saves me in the winter when we have the heat off!
These were a hit! They are so good! I was nervous because my sourdough starter is GF, but following the recipe, it still worked. So delicious!
I’m so happy to hear that this worked with a gluten-free starter! Yay!! 🙂 I gave up on gluten-free bread for the time being lol I had a successful starter, but the bread not-so-much!! I may need your tips!
An easy recipe to follow and I loved how it wasn’t time consuming like most dinner rolls! I doubled the batch since we had a big family in town.
Great idea on doubling the batch!
Loved this sourdough recipe! I’m new to sourdough and I appreciate simpler guides.
Add garlic butter and thank me later!
We have Christmas lunch about 2 pm. Can I let dough balls rise on counter in the evening and keep dough balls in fridge overnight and bake about noon the next day ?
Yes!!
rolls turned out delicious, they’re so fluffy and tender. mine needed more than 30 minutes to bake and the calorie count is over 200 also, not even counting the egg wash or additional butter for after they’re baked. regardless, they’re wonderful and so easy. thanks for the recipe!
I have been using a simple sourdough starter for a few months now and am looking forward to some variations.
I just baked these and can’t wait to dig in shortly. They look delicious!
Do I remove them from the pan before or after topping with butter?
Thank you!
Hi, Karen!
Top them with butter while they’re hot in the pan!:)
These were fantastic! And very easy when using stand mixer!
Any experience with freezing them after they’re baked and how to defrost them? Thank you, this recipe has been amazing.
Hi, Paula! Thank you! I’ve taken them out of the freezer to defrost at room temp, and then toasted them back up in the oven!
Has anyone tried freezing the baked rolls? If yes, how did you freeze and defrost them? Thank you for this great recipe Taralynn, I have been loving it 🙂
Easy to follow recipe. They were delicious! Topped them with grated Parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Light and flaky. Will be making them again.
Thank you so much for the review!!:) These rolls are so good with parmesan!! I need to try it with a garlic butter.
If I want to make these on a Thursday but not eat them until Saturday or Sunday, is it to to leave them in the fridge for that long? And then let them sit at room temp for like 4 hours until they rise? Or would it being in the fridge for 2-3 days be too long?
I think I’d make the dough, freeze the dough before they proof, and then take them out about 12 hours to proof before you are going to cook!
Can I use all purpose flour instead of bread flour?
Hi, Eliza. This sourdough recipe really relies on a bread flour. Using an all purpose flour gives you the risk of very flat and dense dinner rolls.
Hi! When rising balls from frozen should the 8 hours do their second rise in the fridge or on the counter? Thank you!
on the counter!:) cover them with a damp cloth.
Can you double or triple this recipe without altering the outcome?
Yes!:)
These were delicious! i used a muffin pan to make things easier. Thanks for the recipe!
Oh thats so smart! Going to try that next time 🙂
I put the dough in the fridge overnight because I thought I read that and it didn’t double in size. Are they still usable? What do I do 😔
Hi, Amanda.
Yes the dough stays out on the countertop overnight to rise.
You can try to put them in a warm spot in the house to rise, but unfortunately, you’ll need 6 to 8 hours for the dough to rise, and then another 6 hours for the shaped rolls to rise.