Soft Sourdough Dinner Rolls (Tangzhong Method)
These sourdough dinner rolls are so soft they melt in the mouth. They're all naturally leavened, which makes them even better—made with one of my favorite baking techniques, tangzhong.
Equipment
- Digital kitchen scale
- Stand mixer
- Challenger Bread Pan
Ingredients
Levain
- 40 g active sourdough starter 100% hydration, white
- 40 g all-purpose or bread flour
- 40 g water at 77-80°F/25-27°C
Tangzhong
- 100 g whole milk
- 20 g all-purpose or bread flour
Main Dough
- 320 g bread flour 11-13% protein
- 20 g granulated sugar
- 120 g whole milk cold
- 1 egg room temperature
- 120 g tangzhong
- 120 g levain
- 7 g salt
- 50 g unsalted butter softened, cut into cubes
Garlic And Herb Butter (Optional)
- 2-3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs e.g., thyme, rosemary, parsley
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
Levain
- Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl and stir to combine using a rubber spatula or spoon. Cover the bowl and place it in a warm spot (around 78°F/26°C) to rise for 4 hours or until the levain has doubled/tripled in size.
Tangzhong
- Add milk and flour to a small pot. Heat up over medium heat while stirring with a whisk. Once the mixture has thickened and reached the temperature of 150°F/65°C, it is ready.
- Transfer the tangzhong to a clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap that is touching the entire surface of the tangzhong. Cool to room temperature.
Main Dough
- Gather all your ingredients. Add them all, except salt and butter, to the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. Mix until just combined. Cover the bowl, and rest/autolyse for 30 minutes.
- After 30 minutes, add the salt and knead at medium speed for 5-10 minutes.
- Slowly add in the cubed, softened butter, one cube at a time.
- Once all the butter is added, scrape down your dough hook and the bowl's sides using a rubber spatula.
- Continue kneading at medium speed for 15-25 minutes until the dough passes the Window Pane Test*.
- Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Cover and proof for one hour at around 76°F/24°C. Perform one coil fold*—cover and proof for another hour. Total proof time: two hours.
- Transfer the dough to the fridge overnight.
Shape
- Next morning: take the dough out of the fridge and divide it into 12 equal pieces (around 65g each). Shape the pieces into seamless rounds and place them in your Challenger Bread Pan or a baking pan/cast iron skillet of similar size (11,5 x 9 inches).
- Cover and proof for 6-7 hours at around 76°F/24°C until doubled in size.
Bake
- Preheat your oven to 375°F/190°C. Bake the dinner rolls for 15-20 minutes until golden brown. Meanwhile, prepare the Herb and Garlic Butter:
Herb and Garlic Butter
- Melt butter in a small pot over medium heat, add minced garlic, and heat up. Add fresh herbs + a pinch of salt and stir to combine. Brush the Herb and Garlic Butter over the baked dinner rolls. Serve warm.
Notes
*How to perform the Window Pane Test: The Window Pane test is one of the best ways to tell if you have kneaded your dough long enough. Hold a corner of your dough with both hands and slowly stretch it out. If you can stretch the dough until it’s thin and nearly translucent (without tearing), it’s ready to go! If the dough tears apart rather quickly, it needs to be kneaded longer.
*How to perform a coil fold: Slide both hands under the dough in the center until your fingertips touch. Slowly lift the dough up and towards you until the dough lets go of the bowl. Fold the dough underneath itself by lowering your hands. Turn the bowl 180° and do the other side. Turn the bowl 90° and repeat (basically folding all four sides).