Easy Sourdough Rolls

We have had trouble in the past with yeast - our temperamental baking friend - so we've been distant lately. We are by no means bread masters, however, with leftover sourdough starter in the fridge, it was hard to resist this recipe!

  For the sourdough starter, Caitlin followed these instructions.

Making a starter can be daunting. I know we were pretty nervous but everything went really smoothly. Caitlin did the tough stuff and I helped at the start of the starter (hehehe).

These rolls were really a snap to make and, just like the starter,  everything went smoothly! I guess it helps to actually test the temperature of the water before adding the yeast - sometimes it is better to be technical. I look for about (not too technical, see?) 110 degrees Fahrenheit but since I haven't been at this bread making art too long use whatever temperature feels right for you.

Okay now those rolls!

When the rolls were hot out of the oven I simply could not resist digging into one. Seriously. I tried only eating half, seeing as we were having pizza for dinner and I didn't want to overdo it on starch, but i finished the whole roll anyway.

They're fluffy, subtle, delicious, and nutritious...well maybe not exactly nutritious but they've gotta be better than just plain white stuff, right?

AND they've got just the right amount of tang from the sourdough starter. Not overpowering at all, so if you aren't exactly a fan of sourdough I think you'll still enjoy these rolls.


Sourdough Dinner Rolls
Adapted from Phoo-d
Makes 12-16 Rolls

Ingredients:
1 cup sourdough starter
1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons white sugar or 2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons olive oil
5-6 cups flour (do not use bread flour, the rolls will be too tough)
butter, melted

Directions:
Make Dough
In a large bowl, stir together sourdough starter, warm water, yeast, salt, sugar, and oil. Add flour, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring after each addition, until the dough is dry enough to knead (it should still be slightly sticky). Turn out the dough onto a heavily floured surface and knead for 5-10 minutes, until the dough is tacky but not sticky and reaches a temperature of 78-80 degrees. Place the dough in a clean large bowl sprayed with non-stick cooking oil, cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and let the dough double in size.
Bake the Rolls
When the dough has doubled, punch it down with lightly floured hands. Divide the dough into rolls, each approximately the size of a tennis ball. Lightly oil a 9×13 pan. Set the rolls into the pan and let them rise until doubled. Once the rolls have doubled place them in the oven and bake for 20 minutes at 375F. During the last 5 minutes of baking, brush the tops with melted butter and return them to the oven. The rolls are done when they are lightly brown on top.