Sourdough Discard Garlic Rolls

• servings: 9 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 3 hours

Ingredients

¼ cup non-dairy milk or regular dairy milk (warmed to 110℉)

1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast

2 teaspoons granulated sugar

1 ¾ cups + 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

200 grams (about ¾ cup) sourdough discard (unfed, at room temperature)

1 egg (lightly beaten)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter (divided)

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)

½ teaspoon garlic powder

1 Tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped)

flaky sea salt

Directions

Combine the warmed milk, instant yeast, and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer*. Add the flour, sourdough discard, beaten egg and salt. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add 2 Tablespoons of melted butter. Increase speed to medium and mix until a shaggy dough forms.

Transfer the dough to a smooth work surface and knead until a smooth dough forms, about 3-4 minutes. The dough should be smooth and slightly tacky (but not sticky). If needed, add more flour or milk (1 Tablespoon at a time) to reach your desired consistency.

Transfer the dough to a large greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise for about 90 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Brush an 8x8-inch baking pan** with 1 Tablespoon melted butter and set aside.

Turn the dough onto a smooth work surface and divide into 9 equal-sized pieces. This doesn't have to be exact, but if you do want perfectly identical rolls, weigh the dough and divide that number by 9 to determine how much the dough for each roll should weigh. Roll each piece of dough into a ball in the palm of your hand, then place the rolls into the prepared baking pan. Repeat until you have 9 rolls.

Cover the baking pan with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise for 60 minutes, until puffed and doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 375℉. Brush the rolls with 1 Tablespoon melted butter. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

While the rolls bake, melt the remaining 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter. Remove from heat, then add the garlic powder and chopped parsley and stir to combine. Remove the rolls from the oven and immediately brush with the parsley and butter mixture. Serve while warm.

Notes

*You do not need a stand mixer to make this recipe. You can make the dough in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon, then knead by hand.

**If you are doubling or tripling this recipe, use 2 (for doubling) or 3 (for tripling) 8x8-inch baking pans, then continue with the directions as written for each pan.

Baking Tips:

Make sure to knead the dough long enough. The dough should be soft and smooth before you set it in the bowl for the first rise.

The rolls do not need to be exactly the same size (you can eyeball dividing the dough!). If you prefer, you can use a kitchen scale to weigh the dough so you have exact rolls of the same size.

Rise times will vary depending on the temperature of your room. You may find that your dough needs to rise for a shorter or longer amount of time, depending on your environment.

Before it bakes, this is going to seem like it's not a lot of dough. Even after the second rise, the rolls will just be touching. It's ok! These will rise a lot in the oven and fill the pan. Trust the process!

These rolls are best served warm while the butter is melty and you smell the fragrance of the garlic and herbs!

Variations:

Use active sourdough starter - If you'd like to use active sourdough starter instead of sourdough discard, you can! To do so, omit the yeast and replace the sourdough discard with sourdough discard in a 1:1 substitute. You may also need to adjust the rise times, so keep an eye on the dough as it's rising.

Change the herbs - Try fresh rosemary (or another herb!) instead of parsley.

Use garlic cloves instead of garlic powder - If you'd rather use garlic cloves, you can! Mince 2 garlic cloves and add to the melted butter mixture in place of the garlic powder.

Add cheese - If you're interested, sprinkle the rolls with ¼ cup of shredded parmesan cheese before baking or just before serving!