When I started baking with sourdough, I made a wonderful discovery: sourdough takes your favorite recipes to the next level. It enhances the flavors and textures of most baked goods. For example, sourdough pie crust is so flaky and delightfully tangy. Sourdough sandwich bread has a depth of flavor that just isn’t there with regular yeast bread. Sourdough waffles are simply sublime.
The same is true for these sourdough pull apart rolls. They’re super soft and fluffy, and that hint of tang just adds an extra something special. These are perfect for all of your holiday needs (Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, you name it!).
Okay, now let me show you how to make these rolls!
Ingredients
3/4 cup whole milk, warm (105°F)
1 cup active sourdough starter (220 grams) – see note
3 1/2 cups organic all-purpose flour (465 grams)
1/4 cup grass-fed butter, melted
1/4 cup raw honey
1 large egg
1 1/2 tsp unrefined sea salt
1 tbsp grass-fed butter, melted (for brushing tops of buns)
Instructions
Place all dough ingredients in the bowl of stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix until a rough dough forms. Switch to the dough hook and knead on medium-low speed until the dough is quite elastic, about 10-15 minutes. Resist the urge to add more flour – you want the dough to be very soft.
Transfer the dough to a large, buttered bowl. Cover and allow to rise at room temperature for 8-12 hours, or until doubled.
Gently deflate the dough and divide it into 16 equal pieces. Grab the corners of one of the pieces and pull it towards the middle. Roll the ball, seam side down, on your work surface to create surface tension. Place in a buttered 13×9-inch baking dish. Repeat with the remaining dough.
Cover the pan and allow to rise at room temperature for 6-8 hours, or until the rolls are quite puffy and fill the pan.
30 minutes before you plan on baking the rolls, preheat your oven to 375° F. Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes, or until they’re deep golden brown and register 200° F when an instant read thermometer is inserted into the center of a roll.
Remove from oven and brush the tops of the rolls with the melted butter. Serve warm with grass-fed butter.