My sourdough discard garlic butter dinner rolls are a delicious way to put leftover starter to good use. They're soft, fluffy, and brushed with a fresh garlic-parsley butter the moment they come out of the oven — the kind of roll that disappears first at the table, much like my sourdough discard ciabatta rolls.
They're perfect for holiday feasts like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, but they're just as at home at a potluck, a Sunday dinner, or alongside a pot of soup on a cold night. My favorite way to serve them is with a big dish of homemade ziti — they're versatile enough to shine year-round.
Quick Look: Sourdough Discard Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls
⏱️ Ready In: About 3 hours, including two rises
🔥 Bake Time: 30 minutes at 375°F
🍽️ Makes: 12 rolls
✨ Calories: Approximately 255 per roll
🥄 Main Ingredients: Sourdough discard, all-purpose flour, butter, garlic, fresh parsley
🌿 Dietary Info: Vegetarian (easily dairy-free)
💛 Why You'll Love It: Pillowy-soft rolls brushed with fresh garlic-parsley butter — an unfussy, make-ahead side that works for weeknights and holidays alike.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It uses up your discard: These put leftover starter to work, no feeding or long ferment required.
- Soft and fluffy: An enriched milk-and-butter dough bakes up tender and cloud-like, just like my same-day sourdough dinner rolls.
- The fragrant garlic butter: Brushed on hot from the oven, the garlic-parsley butter soaks right in — the same flavor I love in my sourdough garlic pull-apart bread.
- Quick and unfussy: No fancy technique or sourdough babysitting. If you can shape a dough ball, you can make these — like my same-day sourdough crescent rolls.
- Crowd-pleasing and make-ahead: They're a reliable holiday and potluck side that you can shape ahead and bake fresh.
Ingredients
For the rolls
- Warm water + whole milk: The liquid base; warming them gently helps activate the yeast.
- Active dry yeast: Gives these a quick, reliable rise.
- Sugar: Feeds the yeast and lightly softens the crumb.
- Sourdough discard: Unfed discard adds flavor and tenderness — another tasty way to use it up, like my sourdough discard bagels.
- Unsalted butter: Softened, for a rich, tender dough.
- All-purpose flour: The structure of the rolls.
- Salt: Balances the flavor.
For the garlic butter
- Melted unsalted butter: The base of the finishing brush.
- Minced garlic: Cooked briefly in the butter so it turns mellow and fragrant instead of sharp and raw.
- Fresh parsley: Brightness and color.
- Salt: To taste.
See recipe card for quantities.
Easy Substitutions & Variations
- Dairy-free: Use a plant-based butter and a high-fat non-dairy milk (full-fat oat milk is my favorite) to keep these dairy-free.
- Active starter instead of discard: Use 100g of active starter, weighed. Cut the sugar and yeast back a touch if your starter is lively — readers have had great results doing exactly that.
- Cheesy garlic rolls: Knead ½ cup shredded cheese into the dough or sprinkle it on top before baking; a little flaky Parmesan over the garlic butter is wonderful.
- Spicy garlic rolls: Add ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or a dash of cayenne to the garlic butter.
- Garlic and onion rolls: Knead in caramelized onions, or add 1 teaspoon onion powder to the butter.
- Sweet-savory rolls: Brush with garlic butter mixed with 1 tablespoon honey, then finish with flaky salt.
- Stuffed rolls: Tuck a cube of mozzarella or cream cheese into each roll before shaping (seal well!) — one reader made these into a mozzarella-stuffed wreath for Christmas.
- Breadsticks: Shape the dough into sticks and bake about 15 minutes — a reader-tested twist that's great with my sourdough discard garlic knots energy.
- Make them a snack board: Serve alongside something dippable like my sourdough discard pretzel bites.
How to Make Sourdough Discard Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls
Step 1: Proof the yeast: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the warm water, milk, sugar, and yeast. Let it sit until foamy.
Step 2: Add the wet ingredients: Add the room-temperature butter and sourdough discard to the yeast mixture.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients and knead: Add the flour and salt, then knead on medium-low with a dough hook for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
Step 4: First rise: Move the dough to an oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise about 1 hour, until doubled.
Step 5: Shape and second rise: Punch down the dough and shape into 12 equal balls (about 88–89g each). Place in a buttered 9x13 pan and let rise another hour, until soft and puffy.
Step 6: Bake and make the garlic butter: Bake at 375°F for 30 minutes, until golden brown.
While the rolls bake, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, add the minced garlic, and cook gently for 1–2 minutes, just until fragrant — don't let it brown.
Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley and salt. Brush generously over the rolls the moment they come out of the oven.
Hint: Brush the garlic butter over the sourdough discard dinner rolls right when they come out of the oven for maximum flavor absorption.
Expert Tips
- Brush the garlic butter on hot. Apply it the second the rolls leave the oven so it soaks in for maximum flavor.
- Weigh your dough balls. About 88–89g each gives you 12 even rolls that bake uniformly.
- Don't rush the second rise. Let the shaped rolls get soft and puffy before baking for the lightest texture.
- Cook the garlic gently. Warm the minced garlic in the butter over low heat just until fragrant — don't let it brown or it can turn bitter. This mellows the raw bite and gives the rolls a deeper, roasted-garlic flavor. Stir the fresh parsley in off the heat to keep it bright.
- Going for a softer crust? Cover the rolls loosely with foil for the last few minutes if they're browning faster than you'd like.
What Makes This Recipe Special?
Most dinner rolls are good but forgettable. These get two layers of flavor: the sourdough discard builds a subtle tang and tender crumb right into the dough, and the fresh garlic-parsley butter brushed on at the end makes them taste like the garlic bread at your favorite restaurant. They're unfussy enough for a Tuesday but special enough for a holiday table.
They're also the ultimate team player at dinner. They're made for soaking up sauce and soup — try them next to a cozy main like my quick and easy sourdough rotisserie chicken pot pie. And if you want a second homemade bread on the table, my sourdough cornbread is another easy, crowd-pleasing side.
Sourdough Discard Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls FAQs
Yes. Use 100g of active starter, weighed rather than measured by volume. If your starter is very active, you can cut the added sugar and yeast back slightly — readers have done this with great oven spring.
Absolutely — they're a great make-ahead side. Shape the rolls and refrigerate overnight, then let them come to room temperature and finish rising before baking. You can also bake them fully and rewarm before brushing with fresh garlic butter.
You can lean more on the starter and skip the commercial yeast for a longer, tangier rise — or use my non-discard soft sourdough sandwich bread as a base if you want a fully naturally-leavened dough.
Yes! Shape the dough into sticks and bake about 15 minutes. They're delicious brushed with the same garlic butter.
Yes. Freeze for up to 6 months. For the best texture, freeze them without the garlic butter, reheat in the oven, and brush with fresh butter after. They also freeze fine with the butter on — just slightly softer.
Sourdough Discard Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls Troubleshooting Guide
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Dense, heavy rolls | Under-kneaded dough or rushed rises. | Knead a full 8–10 minutes and let both rises go until properly puffy. |
| Uneven rolls | Dough divided by eye. | Weigh each ball to about 88–89g for even baking. |
| Garlic butter didn't soak in | Brushed on after the rolls cooled. | Brush the moment they come out of the oven while they're piping hot. |
| Rolls browning too fast | Oven runs hot. | Tent loosely with foil for the last few minutes. |
| Flat rolls with little rise | Yeast was dead or liquid too hot. | Use liquids around 110°F and make sure the yeast foams during proofing. |
Storage
- Store in an airtight container for 3–5 days.
- Freeze for up to 6 months.
- For best results, freeze without the garlic butter, reheat in the oven, then brush with fresh butter. You can freeze them with the butter on too — they'll be delicious, just a little softer.
Other Bread Recipes to Consider
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Sourdough Discard Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Kitchen Scale
- 9x13 pan
- small bowl for mixing the garlic butter
- Pastry brush for spreading the garlic butter
Ingredients
for the sourdough dinner rolls
- ½ cup warm water 120g
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast 12g
- 4 tablespoons sugar 55g
- ⅓ cup sourdough discard 100g
- 1 cup whole milk 240g
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened and cubed, 28g
- 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour 540g
- ½ tablespoon salt 12g
for the garlic butter
- 3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
- ¼ teaspoon salt or more to taste
Instructions
- Proof yeast in warm water, milk, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.½ cup warm water, 1 tablespoon active dry yeast, 4 tablespoons sugar, 1 cup whole milk
- Add the sourdough discard, room temperature butter, flour, and salt. Turn the stand mixer onto the lowest setting using a dough hook and let the dough mix and knead for 8-10 minutes.⅓ cup sourdough discard, 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, 4 ½ cups all-purpose flour , ½ tablespoon salt
- Once the dough is soft and kneaded, move it to an oiled bowl (to prevent the dough from sticking) and let it rest covered in plastic wrap for an hour or until it is doubled in size.
- Once the dough has risen, punch down the dough and turn it onto a lightly floured surface.
- Shape the dinner roll dough into 12 equal-sized dough balls (each should be roughly 88-89g).
- Place in a buttered 9x13 pan and let rest for another hour or until soft and puffy.
- Once the rolls are risen, heat your oven to 375°F and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.
- While the rolls are baking, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat, add the minced garlic, and cook gently for 1–2 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Remove from the heat and stir in the salt and parsley. Brush the garlic butter mixture over the rolls as soon as they come out of the oven for maximum flavor absorption. Enjoy!3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, ¼ teaspoon salt
Bee says
Fantastic. I had active starter I was about to refresh so I cut back on the sugar (only used 1 TBS) and yeast (used a scant half TBS) and they turned out splendidly! I even shortened the second rise and still got fantastic oven spring, so so happy I found this! It'll be in regular rotation! So unfussy!
Audrey says
I love this comment! This recipe is my go-to for all dinner parties and events. I'm so glad you enjoy it too! 🙂
Kara says
I have made these over 10 times now and they never fail! They are so delicious and my whole family loves them. I add a little bit of garlic powder to the butter mixture (we’re garlic lovers).
For Christmas, I made these into smaller rolls that I stuffed with mozzarella and did them in a wreath shape. Served them with marinara. It turned out great!
Audrey says
Kara, that is a genius idea!! I'm definitely going to give that a try next time I make these! Thank you for commenting and thank you so much for trying my recipes!
ellen says
We made these twice within a week of finding the recipe! They're perfect, and so fast to whip up!
We make them into breadsticks just to try it, and they were great too! Baked at 375 for 15 min.
Audrey says
I love this idea!! I'm making ziti this week and will definitely be trying the breadsticks!