Christmas Recipes

Sourdough Discard Christmas Rolls

Sourdough Discard Christmas Rolls that turn a cup of leftover starter into the softest, fluffiest dinner rolls on the Christmas table — golden, lightly tangy, and brushed with honey butter. About 35 minutes of hands-on work; the dough does the rest.

New Be the first to rate it 2 hr 30 min total 12 servings Easy difficulty

By admin · Recipe tested in The Daily Plate kitchen

Published Nov 8, 2026 · Updated Nov 9, 2026

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Eight golden sourdough discard rolls in a cream baking dish, brushed with honey butter, rosemary and cranberries tucked around — the Christmas table centrepiece.

If you searched for a Sourdough Discard Christmas Rolls recipe, you found the one our readers keep coming back to — and every December there is one bread that never makes it to the table untouched, because someone always pulls a roll apart before dinner is served. These rolls are that bread. They look like a bakery centrepiece, all golden and glossy in the pan with rosemary and cranberries tucked around, but they are built from the most ordinary thing in a sourdough kitchen: the discard you were about to throw away.

The secret is simply time. You mix the discard with warm milk, butter and egg, knead it until smooth, and then the dough does the work — an hour to rise, half an hour to puff up in the pan, and 25 minutes in the oven. No sourdough expertise needed, no all-day bake, no stress — just about 35 minutes of hands-on work and a little patience. Bake them once and they will be requested every Christmas after.

Why these Sourdough Discard Christmas Rolls work every time

Discard, not waste. A cup of unfed starter — the part you usually pour away — becomes the flavour in these rolls: lightly tangy, deeply golden, and far softer than plain dinner rolls.
Pillowy every time. Warm milk, butter and egg make an enriched dough that stays soft for days, and a little instant yeast makes the rise reliable even on a cold December day.
Make-ahead magic. Shape the rolls the night before and bake them fresh in the morning — the dough waits in the fridge while you sleep.

What size batch do you need? The 1× batch below makes 12 rolls in one 9 × 13-inch pan (one roll each for a Christmas dinner of 12, or two each for 6). Feeding a small table after a big Christmas dinner? Keep it at 1× and freeze the spares. Feeding 20+ at a party? Scale to 2× and bake two pans side by side — or make 1× and add a second, smaller bread to the table.

Cost & timing at a glance: about $4–6 of groceries at a regular supermarket (flour, milk, butter, egg and yeast — most of it pantry staples), 35 minutes of hands-on work, 1 hour 30 minutes rising, 25 minutes baking. The dough can be made up to a day ahead — see the make-ahead plan in the notes and the full storage guide after the recipe card.

Choose Your Rolls

Build the Sourdough Discard Christmas Rolls Your Way

Tap your occasion, how many you’re feeding and your style — the rolls photo, the servings, the quantities in the recipe card below and your shopping list all update to match.

Occasion

Serves

Style

Holiday Party · Serves 12 · Classic

The Classic Sourdough Discard Christmas Rolls

The classic rolls, exactly as pinned: golden, pillowy, brushed with honey butter, rosemary and cranberries tucked around.

The original rolls, exactly as pinned: sourdough discard, warm milk, butter and egg, baked golden and brushed with honey butter. If it’s your first batch, build this one — it’s the most forgiving.

1 cup sourdough discard, unfed
¾ cup warm whole milk
3½ cups bread flour
2¼ tsp instant yeast
4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg

See the full ingredients & steps ↓

Equipment for your Sourdough Discard Christmas Rolls

Large mixing bowl, for the dough
Stand mixer with dough hook (optional — hands work fine), for kneading
Kitchen scale, for dividing the dough evenly
9 × 13-in baking pan, greased, for the rolls
Plastic wrap or a clean tea towel, for covering the rises
Pastry brush, for the milk wash and the honey butter
Instant-read thermometer, for checking the bake (190°F inside)
Wire rack, for cooling

Sourdough Discard Christmas Rolls shopping list — by store section

Take this list as-is: quantities are for the 1× batch (12 rolls). Tick items off in the ingredient list below as you gather them — the counter at the top tracks you.

Baking aisle

3½ cups bread flour (420 g)
2¼ tsp instant yeast (1 packet)
¼ cup granulated sugar
1½ tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp flaky sea salt, for sprinkling

Dairy

¾ cup whole milk
6 tbsp unsalted butter (4 tbsp in the dough, 2 tbsp for brushing)
1 large egg

Produce

Fresh rosemary sprigs, for garnish
Fresh cranberries, for garnish (optional)

Pantry

1 cup sourdough discard, unfed, from your starter
1 tbsp honey, for the glaze (optional)

Make It Yours

Sourdough Discard Christmas Rolls Variations

Same dough, same method — just change the finish to fit your guests.

Garlic Herb

Savoury, fragrant, and the ones everyone reaches for first:

Brush the baked rolls with garlic butter (butter + minced garlic + rosemary)
Shower with ¼ cup grated parmesan while the butter is still wet
Keep the honey out — this one is all savoury
Serve with roast turkey, ham or a bowl of soup

Cinnamon Sugar

Sweet, warm and sticky — the breakfast-bun version:

Brush the warm rolls with melted butter after baking
Roll them in ¼ cup sugar mixed with 1 tbsp cinnamon
Skip the flaky salt — the sugar is the finish here
Serve straight from the pan, while the sugar is still warm

Cheddar Jalapeño

Warm, cheesy and just spicy enough:

Fold 1 cup shredded cheddar and 1 diced jalapeño into the dough
Press a jalapeño round onto each roll before the second rise
Take the seeds out for mild, leave them in for heat
Bake exactly the same way — the cheese bubbles and browns

Serving & Pairings

How to Serve Your Sourdough Discard Christmas Rolls

The finished rolls, warm from the oven in the pan with a bowl of soft butter beside them — set the pan in the centre of the table and let everyone pull a roll apart.

Serving ideas: Set the whole pan in the centre of the table so guests can pull a roll apart while it is still warm, with a bowl of soft butter beside it. Tuck a few rosemary sprigs and cranberries around the pan for the Christmas look in the photo. A warm roll with butter is the whole point — do not slice them, pull them apart so the soft middles show.

Drink pairings: A mug of hot chocolate is the classic match for a warm roll with butter. For adults, a glass of mulled wine or a spiced cider works beautifully with the lightly tangy crumb. Coffee also works well with the sweet, buttery rolls.

What to serve with it: These rolls are the bread for 12 at Christmas dinner — or the warm bite on a party spread alongside the Charcuterie Christmas Tree and the Christmas Pavlova.

Plan Ahead

Sourdough Discard Christmas Rolls Storage & Make-Ahead Guide

Make-ahead timeline

Night before: Shape the rolls and arrange them in the greased pan, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight (up to 24 hours). Next morning, let the pan sit at room temperature for 45 minutes, then bake as written — add 5 minutes to the bake if the pan is still cool.
Morning of: Mix and rise the dough in the morning, shape by midday, and bake so the rolls come out golden just as everyone sits down.
Up to 1 hour ahead: Bake the rolls and keep them warm under a clean tea towel. They hold their softness for an hour this way.

Storing leftovers

Room temperature: Leftover rolls keep 3 days in an airtight container or a zip-top bag — the enriched crumb stays soft far longer than lean bread.
Freezer: Freeze the baked rolls for up to 3 months, wrapped well; thaw at room temperature, then reheat at 325°F for 10 minutes and brush with butter.
Reheating: Warm a roll in the microwave for 15 seconds, or in a 325°F oven for 8–10 minutes wrapped in foil, and it tastes freshly baked.
Use it up: Day-old rolls make excellent bread pudding, croutons for soup, or the base for a breakfast sandwich with egg and cheese.

Per Serving

Sourdough Discard Christmas Rolls Nutrition

Estimate for 1 of 12 rolls, including the honey butter glaze. Actual values vary with brands and swaps.

Calories	210 kcal
Total fat	6 g
Saturated fat	3.5 g
Cholesterol	30 mg
Sodium	280 mg
Total carbohydrates	33 g
Dietary fibre	1 g
Sugars	5 g
Protein	5 g
Calcium	2% DV

Questions

Sourdough Discard Christmas Rolls FAQs

Can I make these without commercial yeast?

Not as written — the discard is unfed, so it cannot lift the dough on its own. The instant yeast does the lifting and the discard adds the flavour. If you want to use active, fed starter instead of discard, leave out the yeast and give the dough 4–6 hours for the first rise instead of 1 hour.

My discard is straight from the fridge — can I use it cold?

Yes, but let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes first. Cold discard slows the rise, and in a cold kitchen the dough may take an extra 30 minutes to double. Warm milk helps — keep it at 110°F / 43°C, never hotter, or the yeast dies.

Why are my rolls dense?

Usually under-proofing or too much flour. Measure the flour by weight (420 g) rather than scooping, knead until the dough is smooth and tacky — not sticky — and let the first rise go until the dough has truly doubled. Rushing the rise is the most common cause of dense rolls.

Can I make the dough ahead?

Yes — it is better made ahead. Shape the rolls the night before, cover the pan tightly and refrigerate overnight (up to 24 hours). Next morning, let the pan sit at room temperature for 45 minutes, then bake as written, adding 5 minutes if the pan is still cool.

Can I freeze the baked rolls?

Yes, up to 3 months, wrapped well. Thaw at room temperature, then reheat at 325°F for 10 minutes and brush with butter — they taste freshly baked.

What if I don’t have bread flour?

All-purpose flour works — use the same weight (420 g). The rolls will be slightly less chewy and a touch softer, which most people like just as much. Do not add extra flour to compensate; the dough should stay tacky.

More Christmas Favourites

More Christmas Baking Ideas

The Daily Plate · Recipe Card

Sourdough Discard Christmas Rolls

Pillowy dinner rolls made with sourdough discard — soft, lightly tangy, baked golden and brushed with honey butter.

Prep Time

35 min

Cook Time

25 min

Total Time

2 hr 30 min

Servings

Calories

210

Scale rolls:

Makes 12 rolls · 1 baking pan (9 × 13 in) · US measures
0 of 12 gathered

Sourdough Discard Christmas Rolls Ingredients

For the dough

For the topping

How to Make Sourdough Discard Christmas Rolls — Step by Step

Work in this exact order: wake the yeast, mix and knead, rise, shape, rise again, then bake. Total hands-on time is about 35 minutes.

Warm the milk & wake the yeast (5 minutes). Warm the milk to 110°F / 43°C — warm to the touch, never hot — and stir in the sugar and the instant yeast. Rest for 5 minutes until foamy. If nothing foams, the milk was too hot or the yeast is old: start again with fresh yeast.
Mix the dough (8 minutes). In a large bowl, stir together the sourdough discard, the egg and the melted butter, then add the foamy milk mixture. Add the flour and salt and mix until a shaggy dough forms, then knead for 6–8 minutes — by hand or with a dough hook — until smooth and tacky, not sticky. If it sticks to your hands, dust with a little more flour, a spoonful at a time.
First rise (1 hour). Shape the dough into a ball, set it in a lightly greased bowl, and cover with plastic wrap or a damp tea towel. Let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 hour, until doubled in size. In a cold kitchen, give it up to 30 minutes more — the dough is ready when a poked finger leaves a dent that fills back slowly.
Shape the rolls (8 minutes). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into 12 equal pieces (about 75 g each — a kitchen scale keeps them even). Roll each piece into a tight ball by cupping your hand over it and rolling in small circles on the counter. Arrange the balls in a greased 9 × 13-inch pan, 3 across and 4 down, with a little space between them.
Second rise (30 minutes). Cover the pan loosely and let the rolls rise again for about 30 minutes, until puffy and touching each other. This is the rise that makes them pillowy — do not rush it. In a cool kitchen, give it up to 45 minutes.
Preheat & brush (5 minutes). While the rolls rise, preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C. Brush the tops gently with milk or a beaten egg for shine — a light hand is enough, and do not deflate the rolls.
Bake (22–25 minutes). Bake for 22–25 minutes, until the tops are deep golden brown and the rolls sound hollow when tapped. An instant-read thermometer in the centre roll should read 190°F / 88°C. If the tops brown too fast, tent the pan loosely with foil for the last 5 minutes.
Butter glaze & garnish (5 minutes). As soon as the rolls come out, brush them generously with the melted butter and honey. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, then tuck a few rosemary sprigs and cranberries around the pan for the Christmas look in the photo.
Serve warm (2 minutes). Let the rolls rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then set the whole pan in the centre of the table with a bowl of soft butter beside it. Pull the rolls apart — do not slice them — so the soft middles show.

Notes, tips & make-ahead

Make ahead: Shape the rolls the night before, cover the pan tightly and refrigerate overnight (up to 24 hours). Next morning, let the pan sit at room temperature for 45 minutes, then bake as written — add 5 minutes if the pan is still cool.
Add last: Brush the honey butter on while the rolls are still hot from the oven, so it soaks in and shines. Add the rosemary and cranberries only after glazing, or they wilt.
Discard: Unfed discard straight from the jar is exactly right — it adds flavour, not lift. If your discard has a dark liquid (hooch) on top, stir it back in or pour it off; either way, the rolls work.
Kneading: The dough should be smooth and tacky, not sticky. If it sticks to the counter, dust with a little more flour — a spoonful at a time, never a handful, or the rolls turn dense.
Scale: ½× = 6 rolls, one 8-in square pan (bake 20 minutes) · 1× = 12 rolls, one 9 × 13-in pan · 2× = 24 rolls, two pans. Servings scale 6 / 12 / 24.
Food safety: Cool the rolls before storing — warm rolls in a sealed bag go soggy. Do not leave enriched rolls out for more than 2 hours.

Scale: ½× = 6 rolls, one 8-in square pan (bake 20 minutes) · 1× = 12 rolls, one 9 × 13-in pan · 2× = 24 rolls, two pans. Servings scale 6 / 12 / 24.

Nutrition (per serving, estimate):
Calories 210Protein 5gCarbs 33gFat 6gFibre 1gSodium 280mg

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Sourdough Discard Christmas Rolls

Why these Sourdough Discard Christmas Rolls work every time

Build the Sourdough Discard Christmas Rolls Your Way

Equipment for your Sourdough Discard Christmas Rolls