Bready or Not: Shortcut Overnight Sourdough Starter and Soft White Dinner Rolls using Sourdough Starter

It’s easy to make sourdough bread even if you don’t maintain a sourdough starter thanks to the shortcut on Bready or Not today. Use this Shortcut Overnight Sourdough Starter with any recipe, or to make the accompanying recipe for Soft White Dinner Rolls using Sourdough Starter!

A lot of people maintained a sourdough ‘mother’ during 2020. A lot of people no longer do. Maintaining a starter takes effort, and it’s easy to forget to feed or discard as necessary.

That’s why these recipes today are so great. With a day of planning, you can whip up 1 cup of starter. Use it to make rolls, or anything else that requires 1 cup of starter.

Then, ta-da! You get delicious bread, and without the fuss of a starter.

These rolls are fantastic, too. My husband declared them to be about the best homemade bread ever, which is really saying something.

PrintBready or Not: Shortcut Overnight Sourdough StarterIf you don’t keep a sourdough starter and need 1 cup of starter for a recipe, this is the perfect shortcut recipe for you! Modified from Sift Magazine Spring 2016.Course BreadKeyword yeast breadAuthor Beth CatoEquipmentlarge jar or medium bowlplastic wrap or towelIngredients1/4 teaspoon instant yeast3/4 cup water1 teaspoon honey or sugar1/4 cup white whole wheat flour or whole wheat flour1/2 cup all-purpose flourInstructionsMix all ingredients in a jar or bowl; make sure the starter has room to grow, as it will double in size! Cover with plastic wrap or towel, and let sit at room temperature overnight. Use in baking the next day.OM NOM NOM!

PrintBready or Not: Soft White Dinner Rolls using Sourdough StarterThese Sourdough Soft White Dinner Rolls can be made using a cup of sourdough starter, or with my Shortcut Sourdough Start recipe. The rolls bake up light and airy with a refreshing sourdough tang. Be sure to eat them hot!Course BreadKeyword yeast breadServings 16 rollsAuthor Beth CatoEquipmentkitchen scalebasting brush2 cake pans or rimmed baking sheetIngredientsDough2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast2 Tablespoons white sugar2/3 cup milk or half & half warmed (no higher than 110-degrees)4 Tablespoons unsalted butter (half stick) melted and cooled2 teaspoons salt1 cup sourdough discard about 8 oz2 Tablespoons cornstarch2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more if neededTopolive oil1 Tablespoon unsalted butter meltedInstructionsIn a large bowl, mix together yeast, sugar and warm milk and let sit for a few minutes to activate. Add the cooled-down melted butter followed by the sourdough discard, salt, and cornstarch. If using a stand mixer, switch to a bread hook as the flour is added, a cup at a time, adding more as necessary to reach a soft, workable consistency. The dough should no longer be super-sticky and pull away from the sides of the bowl. Continue to knead for another 5 minutes using a mixer, or up to 10 minutes by hand.Add some olive oil to the bowl. Rolls the dough to coat it completely. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel to let rise until doubled, 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours; this will take longer if the starter was cold.Cut parchment to fit in two 9-inch cake pans or for a rimmed baking rim. Apply nonstick spray on pan and paper.Turn out the dough onto the counter and punch it down. Use a kitchen scale to weigh the dough, then divide it into 16 equal portions. Keep a saucer with some water in it nearby to dab in fingers to smooth the dough into a round–the dough may be sticky! Set in prepared pans, giving each roll some space to rise again.Cover rolls and set in a warm place for the 2nd rise for about an hour, until doubled in size.Preheat at 350-degrees. Bake for 11 minutes, rotate pans, then bake for another 11 to 15 minutes. The tops should be golden; a digital thermometer discreetly plunged into a middle roll should be over 190-degrees.Immediately brush melted butter over the tops. Let cool at least 10 minutes before eating. Leftover rolls keep well sealed at room temperature or in the freezer, but they must be eaten hot.OM NOM NOM!