The Best Sourdough Rolls no yeast Recipe (2024)

Light and fluffy, this sourdough rolls no yeast recipe is truly the best. These rolls are buttery and slightly sweet. They make the perfect dinner roll or mini sandwich bread.

The Best Sourdough Rolls no yeast Recipe (1)

If you grew up in the south, you surely know about Sister Schubert Parker House rolls. We had those at every family gathering and special dinner. Let me just tell you- these sourdough rolls are just as good as sister schubert… if not better.

After a quick google search, I was able to pull up the ingredients list for the original parker house rolls, and it contains way more ingredients than a roll should.. and while delicious, they are not doing your body any favors.

This recipe is just as delicious but made without the bad oils, commercial yeast and other extra additives made to extend shelf life of store-bought dinner rolls.

I first made these for our Easter celebration with friends and they were a hit! I had to test the recipe another few times to make sure it wasn’t a fluke, and y’all. It was not a fluke. This sourdough rolls recipe is a winner!

Serve these with a bowl of my hearty Beef Stew or Creamy Tuscan Kale and Sausage Soup or use them for sandwiches! You are going to love them.

The Best Sourdough Rolls no yeast Recipe (2)

Frequently Asked Questions:

Is Sourdough made without yeast?

Sourdough is made with water and unbleached flour. It uses the wild yeasts and bacteria caught in the air to ferment the wheat and does not use any commercially produced yeasts. Find out how to make your own sourdough starter here!

Is sourdough healthier than instant yeast?

Bread that is made from sourdough starter is much healthier than breads made with instant yeast. The sourdough starter captures the wild yeasts from its environment and digests the gluten during the fermentation process. Instant yeast is commercially manufactured and does not provide these same gut healthy benefits.

Why is sourdough bread good for you?

Sourdough breads require longer fermentation periods to allow the wild yeasts captured in your sourdough starter time to digest the flour and ferment the dough while it rises. Sourdough is lower in gluten than other breads made with commercial yeast, making it more easily digestible. Many people who do not tolerate gluten well can often eat sourdough bread without issues.

Sourdough bread that is long fermented breaks down the phytic acid in the wheat. Phytic acid is known as an anti-nutrient as it keeps our bodies from absorbing the vitamins found in wheat grains. Long-fermented sourdough bread actually makes the bread more nutritious and gives your body the ability to enjoy those wonderful nutrients!

Prebiotics are also found in sourdough bread, which help to feed the good bacteria in your gut. So many wonderful benefits to enjoying sourdough bread – and not just the taste, which is far better to yeast breads, in my opinion!

How do you store sourdough rolls?

My favorite way to store sourdough breads is by wrapping them in a tea towel or linen bread bag and storing in a bread box at room temperature. The bread stays fresh longer and does not dry out as it does on the counter.

The Best Sourdough Rolls no yeast Recipe (3)

Tools you may need for these Sourdough Rolls – no yeast recipe

How to make Sourdough Rolls – no yeast, just starter!

To make these sourdough rolls, you will need to begin by feeding your sourdough starter 4-6 hours prior to mixing the dough up. Allow your starter enough time to become active and bubbly and to double in height. Once it has doubled and is bubbly, it is ready for use.

You can make this dough in a stand mixer or by hand. I prefer the stand mixer method. It is a very sticky dough, so if you are mixing by hand, it will take a bit longer and the dough will be a little sticky to work with! Just a heads up if that is the method you choose to take.

Mix the Dough

Start by whisking the wet ingredients together – active sourdough starter, water, eggs and unsalted melted butter. Next, add in the flour, sugar and salt. Using the dough hook attachment for a stand mixer, mix together on medium speed for 5-10 minutes until the dough forms a smooth ball and does not stick to the edges of the bowl.

Bulk Rise

Once it is well combined and is not sticking to the sides of the bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it in a warm (not hot) spot. We keep our house at about 71-75℉ during the day, so room temperature works well for this bulk rise. This will usually take between 6-10 hours. You are looking for the dough to double and become less dense.

The Best Sourdough Rolls no yeast Recipe (4)

Fridge Fermentation

Once the dough has doubled, place the bowl into the refrigerator until you are ready to shape the rolls. Place in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours and up to 2 days. Keep the dough covered and it can stay in the fridge for a few days until you are ready for to make the rolls. That is a wonderful option if you are making these for a holiday meal so you have less to prepare the day of.

Shape the Sourdough Rolls

About 3 hours before you are wanting to bake the rolls, take the dough out of the fridge and turn it out onto a floured surface. Roll the dough to about 1/2 inch thickness, keeping the surface and rolling pin floured to prevent sticking.

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With a 2 inch biscuit cutter (or a regular mouth mason jar lid), cut out 22-24 pieces of dough. To shape the rolls, fold them into the center and then roll into a little dough ball.

The Best Sourdough Rolls no yeast Recipe (6)

Place into a buttered baking dish – any kind will do, I have made these in a deep pie dishes, a 9×9 square dish, 9×13, you get the picture. Use what you want, just make sure to butter the dish. Place the rolled up dough balls in the baking dish and with a pastry brush, brush melted butter on top of the dough.

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Rise & Bake

Let the dough rest in a warm spot for about 2 hours until the dough balls have doubled.
Once doubled, preheat the oven to 400℉ and bake for 20 minutes until the tops are golden.
Enjoy warm with softened butter or slice and use for mini sandwiches!

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These sourdough rolls freeze well, too! Once they have cooled down after baking, place in a ziplock bag and store in the freezer. When you are ready to serve them, take them out and reheat in a 350℉ oven for 10 minutes.

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If you try this recipe and love it, I would love to know! Come back and leave a review! Tag me on Instagram@oursimplegraces

The Best Sourdough Rolls no yeast Recipe (10)

Sourdough Rolls - no yeast!

Yield: 22-24 Rolls

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Additional Time: 16 hours

Total Time: 16 hours 50 minutes

Light and fluffy, this sourdough rolls no yeast recipe is truly the best. These rolls are buttery and slightly sweet. They make the perfect dinner roll or mini sandwich bread.

Ingredients

  • 186 grams sourdough starter, active and bubbly
  • 163 grams filtered water
  • 2 Large eggs
  • 100 grams unsalted butter, melted
  • 563 grams unbleached all-purpose flour
  • 100 grams cane sugar
  • 10 grams salt
  • 4 TBS unsalted butter, melted - for the baking dishes and brushing on top of rolls

Instructions


How to make Sourdough Rolls - no yeast, just starter!

To make these sourdough rolls, you will need to begin by feeding your sourdough starter 4-6 hours prior to mixing the dough up. Allow your starter enough time to become active and bubbly and to double in height. Once it has doubled and is bubbly, it is ready to be used.

Mix the Dough

Start by whisking the wet ingredients together - active sourdough starter, water, eggs and unsalted melted butter.

Next, add in the flour, sugar and salt. Using the dough hook attachment for a stand mixer, mix together on medium speed for 5-10 minutes until the dough forms a smooth ball and does not stick to the edges of the bowl.

Bulk Rise

Once it is well combined and is not sticking to the sides of the bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave it in a warm (not hot) spot.

My house is kept at about 71-75℉ during the day, so room temperature works well for this bulk rise. This will usually take between 6-10 hours. You are looking for the dough to double and become less dense.

Fridge Fermentation

Once the dough has doubled, place the bowl into the refrigerator until you are ready to shape the rolls. Place in the fridge for a minimum of 4 hours and up to 2 days.

As long as the bowl is airtight with the plastic wrap or lid, it can stay in the fridge for a few days until you are ready for to make the rolls. That is a wonderful option if you are making these for a holiday meal so you have less to prepare the day of.

Shape the Sourdough Rolls

About 3 hours before you are wanting to bake the rolls, take the dough out of the fridge and turn it out onto a floured surface. Roll the dough to about 1/2 inch thickness, keeping the surface and rolling pin floured to prevent sticking.

With a 2 inch biscuit cutter (or a regular mouth mason jar lid), cut out 22-24 pieces of dough.

To shape the rolls, fold the edges into the center of the disc and then roll into a little dough ball. Place into a buttered baking dish.

I have made these in a deep pie dishes, a 9x9 square dish, 9x13, you get the picture. Use what you want, just make sure to butter the dish.

Place the rolled up dough balls in the baking dish and with a pastry brush, brush melted butter on top of the dough.

Rise & Bake

Let the dough rest in a warm spot for about 2 hours until the dough balls have doubled. Once doubled, preheat the oven to 400℉ and bake for 20 minutes until the tops are golden. Enjoy warm with softened butter or slice and use for mini sandwiches!

Notes

  1. This dough can be made in a stand mixer or by hand, but I prefer the stand mixer method. It is a very sticky dough, so if you are mixing by hand, it will take a bit longer and the dough will be a little sticky to work with! Just a heads up if that is the method you choose to take.
  2. These sourdough rolls freeze well! Once they have cooled down after baking, place in a ziplock bag and store in the freezer. When you are ready to serve them, take them out and reheat in a 350℉ oven for 10 minutes.
Nutrition Information:

Yield: 24Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 171Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 30mgSodium: 175mgCarbohydrates: 26gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 4g

Other Sourdough Recipes to try!

  • Sourdough Orange Cinnamon Rolls
  • Artisan Rustic Sourdough Bread
  • Sourdough Sandwich Bread
  • Pumpkin Spice Sourdough Bagels
  • Pumpkin Sourdough Pancakes
  • Sourdough Croissants
The Best Sourdough Rolls no yeast Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to good sourdough bread? ›

Top 10 Tips & Tricks for Making Sourdough
  • Use your sourdough starter at its peak. ...
  • Moisten the surface of the dough before baking for more rise. ...
  • Handle with care: be gentle with your dough. ...
  • Use sifted flour to make your sourdough less dense. ...
  • Soak your flour beforehand for a lighter loaf. ...
  • Just add water for softer sourdough.

How do you make sourdough bread lighter and fluffier? ›

Keeping the lid on for the first part of baking allows steam to expand between the gluten fibers to rise the bread and create a fluffy loaf. Step 4: Remove the lid and bake for an additional 12-14 minutes or until the crust is crispy and golden brown. Once you take the lid off, the bread likely won't rise anymore.

How does sourdough work without yeast? ›

Sourdough differs from most bread in that it contains no baker's yeast, relying instead on a fermented “starter” of water and flour to provide lift. This also provides its sour flavour and chewy texture.

What is the secret behind the sour of sourdough bread? ›

There are two main acids produced in a sourdough culture: lactic acid and acetic acid. Acetic acid, or vinegar, is the acid that gives sourdough much of its tang. Giving acetic acid-producing organisms optimal conditions to thrive and multiply will produce a more tangy finished product.

What is the best flour for sourdough bread? ›

Whole wheat flour is an excellent choice for creating a sourdough starter due to its nutrient-rich composition and potential for fostering a robust microbial community. However, it's important to note that the quality of whole wheat flour can vary between brands.

How do you make sourdough bread more flavorful? ›

Generally a more mature and well established starter will produce a more flavorful, sour loaf. Hydration of the Dough - this affects how long your dough will take to ferment. A slightly lower hydration will take longer to ferment than a higher hydration loaf, leading to a bigger depth of flavor and sourness.

How do you make bread airy and not dense? ›

Add Sugar

Adding sugar weakens the gluten structure, absorbs water, and eventually makes the bread lighter and softer. As a result, sugar improves the bread's taste, structure and texture. Yeast also eats up sugar to produce carbon dioxide, which raises the dough and makes bread fluffy.

What does baking soda do to sourdough? ›

Baking soda or bicarbonate of soda can be used in sourdough bread to create a less sour loaf. Added after bulk fermentation, but before shaping, it can help to create a lighter, more fluffy loaf of sourdough.

Why is my homemade sourdough bread so dense? ›

One of the most common mistakes is having a dough temperature that's too low for the starter to feed on all the flour in the dough, resulting in a crumb that's dense, with fewer openings. "Starter is happiest and most active at around 75 degrees. If it's a lot colder, the process will be much slower.

What happens if you bake bread without yeast? ›

If you don't use yeast or other leavening in your bread dough, the bread will be dense and will not rise. As others have said, there may well be a subtle taste difference since yeast forms carbon dioxide gas and alcohol. There are many breads that are unleavened and most are flatbreads.

How did they make bread in the old days without yeast? ›

The most common source of leavening in antiquity was to retain a piece of dough (with sugar and water in) from the previous day to utilize as a form of sourdough starter. Pliny the Elder reported that the Gauls and Iberians used the foam skimmed from beer to produce "a lighter kind of bread than other peoples".

Is no yeast bread healthier? ›

For health conscious consumers yeast free bread has many benefits and is recommended for people suffering from Diabetes, Candida and other digestive problems. Eating most types of regular bread creates sugar in our body's when our body breaks down the bread into carbohydrates and simple sugars.

Why do you put vinegar in sourdough bread? ›

In fact the acidity is a dough conditioner that softens the texture of whole grains and makes the bread more pliable. Hack: apple cider vinegar. I often add about a tablespoon of ACV to bread as a dough conditioner.

What flour makes sourdough more sour? ›

For more tang: Incorporate some rye flour and/or whole wheat flour early in the bread-making process, such as when feeding the mother culture and the preferment. Rye flour in particular will help your culture produce some acetic acid.

Why doesn't my homemade sourdough bread taste sour? ›

In general, more minerals yield more sour taste. Using flours with more ash, or mineral, content, will yield more sour taste. If you can't get enough ash, adding a bit of whole wheat flour to your recipe, which is what is done with the 20% Bran Flour, will boost the sour of a bread.

Why do you put baking soda in sourdough bread? ›

Baking soda or bicarbonate of soda can be used in sourdough bread to create a less sour loaf. Added after bulk fermentation, but before shaping, it can help to create a lighter, more fluffy loaf of sourdough.

What is the best proofing time for sourdough bread? ›

In my experience, the shortest final proof (at room temperature) that I prefer to do is one hour. The longest final proof (at room temperature) is about 3 hours. When going past 2-3 hours in a final proof, the crumb tends to get very gassy and opens up large gas bubbles with a longer countertop proof.

How do you make sourdough bread rise higher? ›

Set the sourdough starter on the fridge. This warm location will kick start the fermentation and allow the starter to rise more. You can also add a bowl of warm water nearby to increase humidity. This may sound weird, but on the flip side, fridges are super warm on top!

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