Rye Sourdough Discard Rolls
Soft and fluffy Rye Sourdough Discard Rolls are a great healthy alternative to your classic white dinner rolls. They are super easy to make, especially if you have a stand mixer, as you just need to combine your ingredients and the mixer does most of the work. Prepare them the day before and you can have them for breakfast. Start in the morning and you have fantastic soft dinner rolls.
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Why You Will Love This
Soft, Aromatic Rye Rolls
I’ve loved rye rolls as long as I can think back (And rye bread for that matter. Check out my favourite one ).
During my weight loss journey, trying to minimize the use of white flour and maximise the use of sourdough, I remembered the German rye rolls I used to have. They tend to be a bit heavier and often made with yeast, so I wanted to adapt the recipe a bit.
Sourdough Discard
These rolls are a fabulous use for your sourdough discard. I usually leave them overnight, so they will get the full sourdough benefits, as the little bacteria wake up again. But since it’s not a heavy bread dough, you won’t necessarily need active starter. You could though.
Great for Meal Prep
Since you can prepare these rolls the evening or morning before and just let them do their thing overnight, you have very little work to get them ready on time for dinner. They freeze really well too.
Frankly, I love them most for breakfast. But hey, I’m German.
The Ingredients
- Using sourdough adds both nutrition and flavour. And lets me use up any sourdough discard I might have, since I’m letting these stand either most of the day or overnight. Which means they rise beautifully even with just discard. Adding a little yeast helps the process, but due to the long rise, you still get all the sourdough benefits.
- White bread (strong) flour gives them the needed gluten and softness. But it’s mixed with rye flour for a moist and chewie crumb. More wholesome too.
Note:
Cups, due to the possibility of compacting the flour while dragging the container through it, can give you wildly different results. Use a tablespoon to gently fill the cup with flour, then drag the back of a knife over it to level. This should give you the closest to the standard 120g per cup of flour.
Alternatively, if you have kitchen scales, assume 120g flour per cup and weigh it out.
In some of my recipes I will give gram measurements for this reason, but I mostly try to accommodate the American cup system.
- A bit of butter, so they stay really soft.
- My beloved (optional) diastatic malt powder and malt extract for added flavour and rise.
- And some seeds of your choice to sprinkle. They will be attached to the rolls with a mix of water, molasses (or honey) and egg white. Or, in a pinch, just water.
- I did add a little pure vitamin C powder here, for better gluten development and crust, but that’s also optional.
The Process
Mix the Dough
Mix all the ingredients except the salt in your stand mixer* or a bowl*. Knead for about 5-8 minutes. This is a rather sticky dough due to the rye, so I really advise to use the mixer if you can.
Adjust the Flour
Depending on the flour you use, the weather, temperature and a million more factors, you might need to add flour or water a tablespoon at a time, until the dough just comes apart from the sides. Don’t add too much, so your rolls stay soft and moist. The slightly weird measurements in my recipe came about due to exactly that process. It’s the amount of flour I had to add to a classic ratio for rolls, that made my dough come out just right.
Rest
Leave it to stand for 30 minutes to an hour. Then add the salt and mix well. Now cover with clingfilm and let it stand for about 3h minimum or until it has doubled in size. Overnight works very well here.
After letting it stand for a few hours, this dough gets a lot easier to work with, as you see in the picture above. It will still be sticky, so add flour to your working surface and hands, but cooperative when you do.
Fold and Shape
Once risen, fold the dough into 3rds 3 times, turning by 90 degrees each time, to give it some tension. Cut into 8-12 pieces, depending on your preference. Shape into rolls by pulling and tucking the edges under the bun, creating more tension in the dough, for nicely puffed up rolls later.
When readily shaped, put them on your sheet pan* lined with parchment paper and cover with clingfilm or a kitchen towel for their last rise.
Rest
Leave to stand for another 30 minutes to 1h, covered with a damp tea towel, while you preheat your oven.
Add Toppings
Brush with some egg white mixed with 2 tbsp water and a bit of honey (or just water) and sprinkle with your favourite seeds. I used sesame and caraway. But sunflower, pumpkin seeds or poppy seeds are all really lovely.
Bake
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) during the final stages of the second rise.
Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and sounding hollow when you tap the bottom.
After baking, transfer the rolls to a wire rack to cool completely.
To Serve
I adore these with butter and cheese, as so many rye baked goods. It gets even better when sprinkled with caraway. But they are equally good with sweet toppings or just used to soak up meat juices or dressing.
Meal Prep
These are fantastic for meal prep for various reasons: You can schedule when you want to start your dough, to bake it right when you need the rolls. You can freeze the pre-rolled dough balls. Or you can freeze the baked rolls.
Rye Sourdough Discard Rolls also keep in an airtight container for 2 days.
I tend to brush them with a bit of water when I want to eat them, then re-heat for a few minutes in the oven or air fryer. And you have perfect Flavourful Rye Dinner Rolls with crunchy crust and soft, fluffy insides within minutes any time you crave them.
Here are some other Favourite Sourdough Recipes
Wholewheat Sourdough Sandwich Bread
Sourdough Brioche Pretzel Buns
Sourdough Apple Cider Donuts with Spiced Plum Curd
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share. It helps me a lot.
Rye Sourdough Discard Rolls
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer or
Ingredients
The Dough
- 1/2 cup Sourdough discard Or active starter
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 cup water +3 tbsp
- 2 tbsp butter melted
- 1.5 cups bread flour
- 1.3 cups rye flour
- 1 tsp diastatic malt powder optional
- 1 tsp vitamin C powder optional
- 2 tsp malt syrup or molasses
- 2 tsp kosher salt
For Topping
- 1 egg white
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tsp molasses or honey
- 2 tbsp seeds of your choice I used sesame, caraway and then added a bit of everything bagel to some of them, because I had it around
Instructions
Mix the Dough
- In a large mixing bowl, combine lukewarm water, yeast, barley malt (if using), and vitamin C powder (if using). Stir to dissolve. Add the sourdough starter (can be active or discard) and malt syrup or molasses. Mix until well combined. Gradually add the bread flour and rye flour, stirring as you go.
- Knead for 6-8 minutes, ideally in a stand mixer, as the dough will be sticky.
Rest
- Leave to rest for 30min to 1h.
Add butter
- Mix in the cooled melted butter, sprinkle kosher salt over the dough and mix well.
Rest
- Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth. Let the dough rise at room temperature for 3 to 6 hours or overnight, until doubled in size.
Shape
- Turn the risen dough onto a floured surface. Fold the dough into 3rds 3 times, turning by 90 degrees each time, to give it some tension. Cut into 8-12 pieces, depending on your preference.
- Shape into rolls by pulling and tucking the edged under the bun, creating more tension in the dough, for nicely puffed up rolls later.
Rest
- Leave to stand for another 30 minutes to 1h, covered with a damp tea towel, while you preheat your oven.
Add Toppings and Bake
- Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) during the final stages of the second rise.
- Brush with some egg white mixed with 2 tbsp water and a bit of honey (or just water) and sprinkle with your favourite seeds. I used sesame and caraway. But sunflower, pumpkin seeds or poppy seeds are all really lovely.
- Bake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown and sounding hollow when you tap the bottom.
- After baking, transfer the rolls to a wire rack to cool completely. Enjoy these rye sourdough discard rolls as a delicious addition to your meals!
Notes
Nutrition
Supper clubs are quite common in Wisconsin (where I live), and they serve rolls like these. I always ask for a second basket because I love their flavor so much. I am glad to report that I made your recipe and it turned so so good, and just like the resraurant’s rolls. Thank you!
The rolls turned out perfectly! The whole family enjoyed them for breakfast! Thanks!
These turned out so great, and I love that it was a different way to use sourdough discard. I didn’t have the barley malt and they turned out so yummy. I imagine adding the malt powder will just make them more delicious. Thanks for another great recipe!
This worked exactly as written, thanks!