High Altitude Sourdough Dinner Rolls

Imagine a warm sourdough dinner roll that’s impossibly fluffy inside, lightly crisp on the outside, and brushed with melted butter that soaks into every curve.

The sourdough starter gives them depth and character, while the dough stays soft and airy thanks to the high altitude altitude adjustments. They’re the kind of rolls that make every meal feel special, from weeknight soups to holiday feasts.

Other HIGH ALTITUDE SOURDOUGH RECIPES: Sourdough Artisan Bread, Sourdough Sandwich Bread, and the BEST Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls with make-ahead option.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe:

1. PERFECTLY SOFT & FLUFFY AT HIGH ALTITUDE – No dense or deflated rolls here; these are cloud-soft every time.
2. BEAUTIFUL BUTTERY CRUST – Brushed with butter for that golden, bakery-style finish.
3. SOURDOUGH FLAVOR WITHOUT BEING TOO MUCH TANG – Gentle tang complements savory meals perfectly.
4. BEGINNER-FRIENDLY SOURDOUGH RECIPE – Straightforward steps and clear high-altitude guidance.
5. VERSATILE FOR ANY MEAL – Dinner rolls served with soup or Christmas dinner, breakfast sliders, or a snack straight from the pan.

Recommended Tools:

You don’t need fancy or expensive tools to make sourdough breads. Sourdough has been made for centuries with the simplest equipment.

• ELECTRIC STAND MIXER – These rolls are simple to mix together in a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment. No needing required.
• MEASURING TOOLS – my suggestion would be to use a digital scale but measuring cups will also work
• PLASTIC WRAP OR wet TEA TOWEL
• JELLY ROLL PAN OR two 9X13 BAKING DISH
• PARCHMENT PAPER
• OPTIONAL: BENCH SCRAPER – very helpful for lifting and cutting the dough

Ingredients:

• ACTIVE SOURDOUGH STARTER – active, bubbly starter for the best rise (see FAQs for directions on feeding your sourdough starter)
• WARM WATER – the water should be around 100-110° F. NOTE: if you have treated tap water filtered water would be beneficial to use, otherwise your water can weaken or kill off the natural yeast in the starter
• BREAD FLOUR – Bread flour is often the best choice for sourdough bread because it has a higher protein content (at least 12%) than all purpose flour
• HONEY – adds the perfect amount of flavor and sweetness. Granulated sugar can be swapped out 1:1.
• OLIVE OIL – helps to create a more tender and elastic crumb
• KOSHER SALT – kosher salt has a slightly milder and more pure taste compared to table salt
• OPTIONAL: BUTTER – for brushing on the rolls after they come out of the oven

How To Make High Altitude Sourdough Dinner Rolls:

1. MIX STARTER, WATER, HONEY, & OLIVE OIL – add to a bowl of a stand mixer mix until the starter is fully combine
2. ADD FLOUR & SALT – stir with a dough whisk by hand or in a stand mixer just until the flour is incorporated and starting to pull away from the sides of the bowl
3. REST – cover the bread dough with a wet tea towel or with plastic wrap for 60 minutes
4. GRAB & STRETCH – grab the edge of the bread dough and pull straight up and fold it toward the middle. Do this around the bowl 8 times.
5. REST OVERNIGHT – cover the dough with a wet tea towel or plastic wrap and let rest at ROOM TEMPERATURE overnight (10-12 hours). NOTE: to prevent over proofing, place the dough in the refrigerator if resting for longer than 12 hours.
6. DIVIDE & SHAPE – divide the dough into 24 even portions. When I divided my dough each portion was 85g. Shape each portion by flattening the dough and then grab the edges pulling towards the center to create a ball. Pinch the bottom “seams” together. Create a hole by touching your thumb and index finger. Push the dough ball into the hole from the bottom, creating tension across the top for a smooth dough ball.
7. PLACE ON PAN – OPTION 1: place 12 balls in a 9×13 pan and the other 12 in another 9×13 pan leaving space in between dough balls. OPTION 2: place all 24 balls in a jelly roll pan with only 1/2 inch of space in between the dough balls for pull apart rolls.
8. FINAL REST – cover with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let rest at room temperature for 2-3 hours until the dough balls are doubled in size.
9. PREHEAT & BAKE – preheat oven to 425°. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time.
10. COOL & ENJOY – brush with butter and try to let them cool for 20-30 minutes before eating.

FAQs:

How much to feed the sourdough starter?

Use a 1:2:2 ratio OR 1/2 c sourdough starter, 2/3 c warm water, and 1 c bread flour to feed your sourdough starter. This creates a shaggy, moist starter that creates a strong active starter for all your sourdough recipes.

How to store a sourdough starter?

After feeding and using your active starter, you can refrigerate the discard. Store the discard in a glass jar with a lid in the refrigerator any time you are not using it. Take the jar out of fridge when it times to feed the starter.

What flour can be used for sourdough dinner rolls?

Bread flour is often the best choice for sourdough bread because it has a higher protein content (at least 12%) than all purpose flour.

Other High Altitude Recipes: