Sourdough Discard Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls

My Sourdough Discard Garlic Butter Dinner Roll recipe is a delicious way to put your leftover starter to good use. These soft, fluffy rolls are packed with flavor and make the perfect side for any meal. With the tangy depth of sourdough and a rich garlic butter glaze, they’re an irresistible addition to your baking lineup.

My dinner rolls are perfect for holiday feasts like Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter, where warm, homemade bread is always welcome.

They're also a hit at potlucks, family gatherings, or Sunday dinners when you want to impress without too much fuss. Serve them at cookouts or alongside soups and stews in the colder months—they’re versatile enough to shine year-round. My favorite way to enjoy them is with my homemade ziti which my husband is obsessed with!

This recipe was inspired by my sourdough discard dinner roll recipe, my sourdough garlic pull-apart bread, and my sourdough discard garlic knots! You can't go wrong with any of these so try them next!

Ingredients

These rolls come together with simple, everyday ingredients like flour, butter, garlic, and sourdough discard. You won’t need anything fancy—just basic pantry staples that deliver big flavor.

• For the sourdough discard dinner rolls
  • Water
  • Milk
  • Active dry yeast
  • Sugar
  • Sourdough discard
  • Unsalted butter
  • All-purpose flour
  • Salt
• For the garlic butter
  • Unsalted butter
  • Minced garlic
  • Fresh parsley
  • Salt

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Making these sourdough dinner rolls will be a painless process. Below, I have each step laid out to guide you through the process. Even if you’re new to working with sourdough, you’ll find this recipe easy and stress-free to follow.

Step 1: Proof yeast in warm water, milk, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Step 2: Add room temperature butter and sourdough discard to the yeast mixture.

Step 3: Add dry ingredients and knead on medium low speed with a dough hook for 8-10 mins.

Step 4: Let rest in an oiled bowl covered in plastic wrap for an hour or until it is doubled in size.

Step 5: Shape into 12 equal sized dough balls (each should be roughly 88-89g). Place in a buttered 9x13 pan.

Picture above is after I let them rest for another hour before baking.

Step 6: Bake at 375F for 30 mins or until golden brown.

Combine chopped parsley, melted butter, and minced garlic to a small bowl and brush over the hot, baked sourdough dinner rolls. Enjoy!

Hint: Brush the garlic butter over the sourdough discard dinner rolls right when they come out of the oven for maximum flavor absorption.

Substitutions

Some of the listed ingredients not work for you? Here are a few of my tried and true substitutes!

• Butter:  Use a non-dairy butter like Country Crock's plant butter.
• Milk - Use high-fat non-dairy milk if you don't want to use dairy! I highly recommend  Oatly oat milk (full-fat or regular would be ideal).

Variations

Here are some variations you can try for this sourdough garlic butter dinner roll recipe, keeping the core soft, fluffy roll, and garlic butter flavor while adding twists:

• Cheesy Garlic Rolls: Add ½ cup shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, or parmesan) into the dough or sprinkle on top before baking. I also like to sprinkle flaky Parmesan over the rolls after adding the garlic butter.
• Spicy Garlic Rolls: Add ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or a dash of cayenne to the garlic butter for a subtle kick.
• Garlic and Onion Rolls: Sauté ¼ cup finely chopped onions until caramelized and knead into the dough. Or add 1 teaspoon onion powder to the garlic butter for a milder onion flavor.
• Sweet-Savory Garlic Rolls: Brush rolls with a mix of garlic butter and 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup for a sweet-savory contrast. Sprinkle with a pinch of sea salt flakes after brushing for texture.
• Stuffed Garlic Rolls: Before baking, stuff each roll with a small cube of mozzarella or cream cheese for a gooey center. Seal the dough tightly to prevent leakage during baking.

Equipment

• Kitchen scale with a paddle attachment (please weigh your ingredients for best results)
• Stand mixer (or large bowl with a hand mixer)
• 9x13 pan
• Small bowl for garlic butter
• Pastry brush

Storage

Sourdough discard garlic butter dinner rolls can be stored in an airtight container for 3-5 days. You can freeze these for up to 6 months.

If freezing, I'd recommend forgoing the garlic butter, reheating in the oven , and then adding the garlic butter to the hot rolls. You can also freeze them with the garlic butter, the rolls will still be delicious, just a little softer!

FAQ

Related

Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:

Sourdough Discard Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls

Audrey

Perfect for holidays, family dinners, and potlucks, these sourdough discard garlic butter dinner rolls are a crowd-pleasing favorite year-round. Serve them alongside soups, stews, or festive meals for a cozy, flavorful touch.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Rest Time 2 hours hrs

Course Appetizer, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 12 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.
• Just before the rolls come out of the oven, mix the melted butter, garlic, salt, and parsley. Brush the garlic butter mixture over the rolls as soon as they come out of the oven for maximum flavor absorption.
  3 tablespoons melted unsalted butter, 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley, ¼ teaspoon salt

Keyword bread, sourdough