These Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Dinner Rolls are a cozy fall side perfect with soup or a holiday meal. Light and fluffy, they’re gently spiced with pumpkin and finished with a browned-butter-and-sage topping that adds warm, earthy flavor. Serve them fresh for best texture — they freeze well too.
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Very tasty! I divided the batch into 16 smaller rolls as I was serving a larger group… they worked perfectly. Great side roll size!
– Natalie
Why you’ll love this recipe
- This is an easy recipe with about 30 minutes of hands-on time; most of the time is dough rising.
- Rolls are full of pumpkin flavor and the browned-butter sage topping gives a rich, autumnal finish.
- The recipe yields 9 dinner rolls, ideal for serving fresh. They also freeze well for later.
- You can swap in active sourdough starter in place of discard if preferred (see notes for adjustments).
Ingredients
Key ingredients for these Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Dinner Rolls are simple and pantry-friendly.
- Sourdough discard: Use unfed discard at room temperature. This recipe assumes a 1:1 starter ratio; adjust slightly if your starter uses a different hydration.
- Pumpkin purée: Room temperature pumpkin purée adds moisture and pumpkin flavor. Canned or homemade purée both work well.
- Pumpkin pie spice: A small amount provides warm, familiar fall spice — use store-bought or a homemade blend.
Full ingredient amounts and the step-by-step recipe follow below.
Substitutions & Variations
This recipe is adaptable. A few ideas:
- Active starter: Replace the discard with 200g active starter and omit the instant yeast; allow longer rise times.
- Different herbs: Swap sage for fresh rosemary or thyme, or omit herbs entirely if you prefer.
- Garlic rolls: Add 1 teaspoon garlic powder to the dough and 2 teaspoons to the topping to make savory garlic rolls.
If you try other variations, note your changes and adjust rise times and hydration as needed.
How to Make Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
With patience for the rise times, the process is straightforward. The full recipe is below.
- Step 1: Combine ingredients from the milk through the pumpkin pie spice in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook.
- Step 2: With the mixer on low, add 1 tablespoon melted butter and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
- Step 3: Knead on a smooth surface until the dough is smooth and slightly tacky. Place in an oiled bowl, cover, and let rise about 90 minutes or until doubled.
- Step 4: Divide the dough into 9 equal pieces; a kitchen scale helps if you want uniform rolls.
- Step 5: Shape each piece into a ball using the palm of your hand, then place them in a prepared 9×9-inch pan.
- Step 6: Cover and let rise 60 minutes until puffed. Brush with 1 tablespoon melted butter, then bake until golden.
- Step 7: While the rolls bake, brown the topping butter and stir in chopped sage until fragrant and lightly browned.
- Step 8: Brush warm baked rolls with the browned-butter sage, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and serve warm.
Expert Baking Tips
- Knead until smooth: The dough should be soft and smooth before the first rise for the best crumb.
- Be patient with rise times: Warmer rooms shorten rises; cooler rooms lengthen them. Wait until dough has doubled in the first rise.
- Use a kitchen scale: If you want evenly sized rolls, weigh the dough and divide by nine for uniform portions.
- Brush while warm: Apply the browned butter and sage while the rolls are still warm so the flavors soak in.
Storage
Room temperature: Once cooled, store rolls in an airtight container for 1–2 days. Reheat individual rolls in the microwave for about 30–60 seconds to soften.
Freezer: Cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw to room temperature before reheating.
- Microwave reheating: Best for single rolls—about 60 seconds will warm them through.
- Oven reheating: For a full pan, thaw, brush with melted butter and heat at 350°F for about 10 minutes.
Recipe FAQs
Sourdough discard is the portion of starter you remove when feeding your starter. Rather than throwing it away, use it in discard-friendly recipes like these rolls.
Yes. Fresh rosemary or thyme work beautifully in place of sage, or omit herbs and simply brush the rolls with browned butter.
Yes. Bake completely (reserve flaky salt until reheating if you like), cool, and freeze. Thaw, brush with butter, sprinkle with flaky salt, and reheat in a 350°F oven for about 10 minutes.
More Sourdough Discard Dinner Rolls
- Sourdough Discard Rolls
- Sourdough Discard Garlic Rolls
- Sourdough Discard Hawaiian Rolls
- Sourdough Discard Potato Dinner Rolls
If you tried these Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Dinner Rolls, please leave a star rating and share how they turned out in the comments. Happy baking!
Sourdough Discard Pumpkin Dinner Rolls
Jessica Vogl
Pin Recipe
Equipment
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Kitchen scale
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Silicone basting brush
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9×9-inch baking pan
Ingredients
For the Dough
- 2 Tablespoons non-dairy or regular dairy milk, warmed
- 1 ½ teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- 2 ½ cups + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 200 grams (about ¾ cup) sourdough discard, unfed, room temperature
- ⅔ cup pumpkin purée, room temperature
- 1 egg, lightly beaten
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
For Topping
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons fresh sage, chopped
- Flaky sea salt, for sprinkling
Instructions
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Combine the milk, yeast, sugar, flour, sourdough discard, pumpkin purée, egg, salt, and pumpkin pie spice in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. With the mixer on low, slowly add 1 tablespoon melted butter and mix until a shaggy dough forms.
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Turn the dough onto a clean surface and knead about 3–4 minutes until smooth, soft, and slightly tacky. Add small amounts of flour or milk if needed to adjust consistency.
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Place dough in a large oiled bowl, cover, and let rise 90 minutes or until doubled.
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Brush a 9×9-inch pan with 1 tablespoon melted butter and set aside.
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Divide dough into 9 pieces (about 95g each if using a scale). Shape each piece into a ball and place seam-side down in the prepared pan.
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Cover and let rise 60 minutes until the rolls are puffed and filling the pan.
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Preheat oven to 375°F. Brush rolls with 1 tablespoon melted butter and bake 20–25 minutes until golden.
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While baking, melt 2 tablespoons butter over low heat, increase to medium-low, add chopped sage, and cook until the butter begins to brown (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat.
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Brush the warm baked rolls with the browned-butter sage, sprinkle with flaky sea salt, and serve warm.
Notes
To use active starter: Replace discard with 200g active starter and omit the yeast; allow longer rise times until the dough is fully risen.