Sourdough Discard Mashed Potato Dinner Rolls (Same-Day Bake)
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If I ever have leftover mashed potatoes, you know I’m going to be baking up a batch of these Sourdough Discard Mashed Potato Dinner Rolls! They’re incredibly soft, fluffy, and the leftover mashed potatoes keep them soft for days! They make such an easy side for everything from a weeknight dinner to Thanksgiving, and they’re especially good the next day for little leftover turkey or ham sandwiches.
If you have sweet potatoes instead, try my Sourdough Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls next. And if you’d rather skip the potatoes altogether, my Sourdough Discard Dinner Rolls are another soft and fluffy option that are ready in just 2 hours!
Quick Look: Sourdough Discard Mashed Potato Dinner Rolls
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Rise Time: ~1 hour 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours
- Servings: 16 rolls
- Calories: ~ 183kcal per roll (based on nutritional panel)
- Cook Method: Baked
- Flavor Profile: Soft, pillowy, and buttery with a subtle tang from sourdough discard and extra moisture from mashed potatoes. The perfect way to use up holiday leftovers!
- Difficulty: Easy — Simple to mix, two short rises, and ready in just 2 hours!
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Why You’ll Love These Sourdough Discard Mashed Potato Dinner Rolls
- Delicious way to use up leftover mashed potatoes—Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner usually leaves a bowl of mashed potatoes behind. And these soft sourdough rolls make sure none of it goes to waste. If you’re making a fresh pot, set some aside for the rolls and smother the rest in my Sourdough Gravy!
- No more tossing excess discard—Throwing away something you can still bake with never sits right with me. So, the discard in the jar goes straight into these rolls. And if I still have some left after that, I make a batch of Sourdough Discard Hot Dog Buns.
- Soft, fluffy rolls—The starch in the potatoes adds extra moisture, so these rolls come out pillowy, exceptionally soft, and puffy. My Sourdough Crescent Rolls are soft and fluffy too, but they use an active sourdough starter instead of discard.
- Ready in just 2 hours—These dinner rolls are ready to bake in just 2 hours. For more same-day sourdough recipes, try my Sourdough Discard Cinnamon Rolls or these Sourdough Discard Burger Buns. Both recipes use discard and instant yeast, so you don’t have to wait hours for your dough to rise.
Ingredients & Substitutions
* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*
- Milk—The milk and butter should be warmed, but no hotter than 110°F. Too much heat can kill the instant yeast and discard, preventing proper dough rise. I used whole milk for these easy and soft sourdough potato rolls, but non-dairy options like almond milk and soy milk work just fine.
- Sourdough discard—I use fresh, room-temperature sourdough discard that’s no more than 1-2 days old. Older discard gives you a more sour flavor. If you’re using discard straight from the fridge, it’ll slow down the rise time. You can swap in the same amount of active starter by weight (grams), whether that’s what you have on hand or just what you like to use.
- Sugar—If you’d prefer a natural sweetener, you can use the same amount of honey by weight.
- Flour—You can use all-purpose flour for these rolls, but I recommend using bread flour. Its higher protein content gives you softer, fluffier potato rolls.
- Instant yeast—I used instant yeast for this recipe, not active dry yeast. Active dry yeast needs to be dissolved in a liquid to activate and takes a little longer for the dough to rise. Instant yeast (quick rise/rapid rise) can be added directly to dry ingredients, and it works much faster.
- Mashed potatoes—Leftover mashed potatoes work perfectly for these sourdough discard rolls, and they make the rolls easy to plan during the holidays. If you’re making mashed potatoes for dinner, set some aside for the rolls. You can also save some from earlier dinners and freeze them for later. When you’re ready to bake, take the mashed potatoes out of the freezer and let them come to room temperature. What if you don’t have any mashed potatoes? Cook a potato or two in the microwave until tender, mash the soft potatoes with milk and butter (optional), and let them come to room temperature.
- Butter—Melted butter adds a rich, buttery flavor to the rolls and keeps them soft. Brush a little more over the tops right after baking. I prefer unsalted butter so I can control how much salt goes into the dough.
- Egg — The egg adds richness to the dough and helps give the rolls their structure.
- Salt—Salt brings out the flavor of the other ingredients and balances the sweetness from the sugar.
Baking Time For Sourdough Discard Mashed Potato Dinner Rolls
|
Time |
Process |
|---|---|
|
3:00 PM |
Mix dough |
|
3:15 PM |
First rise |
|
4:15 PM |
Shape and second rise |
|
5:00 PM |
Bake |
How to Make This Sourdough Discard Mashed Potato Dinner Rolls Recipe
- To the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add the milk, mashed potatoes, sourdough discard, egg, melted butter, and sugar. Mix until smooth.
- To the wet ingredients, add a portion of the flour (hold back 140 grams/1 cup), the instant yeast, and the salt. Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. Then add a little more flour at a time until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is tacky, not sticky. Knead the dough on medium speed for 6-8 minutes.
- Remove the dough, place it in a lightly greased bowl, cover it, and leave it to double in size.
- Once the dough has at least doubled in size, punch the tops of the rolls to remove all the air bubbles. Then place the dough on a lightly floured work surface.
- Gently stretch the dough, and with a bench scraper, divide the dough into 16 equal pieces.
- Pull the corners of the dough toward the center, flip, and then roll each piece of dough into a round, tight ball. Place them on a greased baking dish. Repeat until all the rolls are shaped.
- Cover the shaped rolls with this plastic cover and let the dough rest for its second rise. The final proof is complete when the dough balls have grown and look puffy.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Bake for 18-24 minutes or until the rolls are golden brown or until an internal temperature of 190-200°F.
- Remove the baked Sourdough Discard Mashed Potato Rolls from the oven and brush melted butter on top. Serve warm and enjoy!
McKenna’s Helpful Tips
- Any mashed potatoes work for this recipe, even if they already have milk, cream cheese, sour cream, butter, and herbs mixed in.
- For the fluffiest rolls, keep the dough a bit soft and sticky. Too much flour will toughen them. The dough for my Sourdough Burger Buns looks thick and sticky at first, but it kneads out smooth.
- Let the rolls rise properly for the fluffiest texture. They should double in size and spring back lightly when touched. See the windowpane test in the recipe card below. My Sourdough Texas Roadhouse Dinner Rolls are another fluffy roll recipe that’s worth the effort.
- Prepping these dinner rolls in advance? Scroll down to the notes for 3 of my favorite make-ahead options!
How to Store
Store cooled rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for 2–3 days. For longer storage, freeze in a zip-top freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature and reheat in a 350°F oven for 8–10 minutes or microwave individual rolls for 10 seconds under a damp paper towel.
Sourdough Discard Mashed Potato Dinner Roll FAQs
Can I use instant mashed potatoes for these dinner rolls?
Yes, you can use prepared instant mashed potatoes instead of homemade mashed potatoes for these soft dinner rolls. Prepare them fairly thick, let them cool, then weigh out 150 grams. Avoid heavily buttered or creamy varieties, since they can change the consistency of the dough.
What kind of potatoes should I use for the mashed potatoes?
Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes work best, but you can use any variety you have on hand. Avoid very waxy potatoes or overly loose, creamy mashed potatoes, as their texture and moisture content can affect the dough.
Can I make these sourdough dinner rolls without instant yeast?
This recipe was specifically tested using sourdough discard and instant yeast. You can substitute the instant yeast with active yeast, but you will need to activate it first in the warm milk with some sugar. If you’d like to make this recipe 100% sourdough, you could omit the instant yeast, but the rise time will be must longer. If you’d like to use an active, bubbly sourdough starter instead, you could also try my Sourdough Dinner Rolls recipe. They’re not as quick as this recipe, but they’re worth the extra wait!
If you tried this Sourdough Discard Mashed Potato Dinner Roll recipe or any other recipe on my blog, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Sourdough Discard Mashed Potato Dinner Rolls Recipe
Yield: 16 dinner rolls
These Sourdough Discard Mashed Potato Dinner Rolls are super soft, fluffy, and ready in just 2 hours. Made with sourdough discard and leftover mashed potatoes, they’re an easy homemade dinner roll recipe that’s perfect for holidays, weeknight dinners, or using up extra mashed potatoes.
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Ingredients
- 150 grams milk, warm scant 2/3 cup
- 100 grams sourdough discard, room temperature 1/3 cup
- 150 grams mashed potatoes, room temperature about 1 cup
- 1 egg room temperature
- 57 grams unsalted butter, melted 4 Tablespoons
- 24 grams sugar 2 Tablespoons
- 450 grams bread flour 3 cups + 3 Tablespoons
- 7 grams instant yeast 2 teaspoons
- 9 grams salt 1 ½ teaspoon
Instructions
- If you are hoping to prepare these Sourough Discard Mashed Potato Rolls in advance, please see make-ahead options below in the Notes.
Mix Dough
- To a bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, add the warm milk, room temperature sourdough discard, mashed potatoes, egg, melted butter and sugar. Mix on low speed until smooth.Reminder: The temperature of the warm milk and melted butter was 110 degrees F. Any hotter can kill the instant yeast. You can use sourdough discard straight from the fridge, but this can slow down the rise time. This dough can also be kneaded by hand. I would increase the kneading to 10-15 minutes.150 grams milk, warm, 100 grams sourdough discard, room temperature, 1 egg, 57 grams unsalted butter, melted, 24 grams sugar, 150 grams mashed potatoes, room temperature
- To the wet ingredients, add a portion of the flour (hold 140 grams/1 cup), instant yeast and salt. Note: It's important to hold back some of the flour since everyone's mashed potatoes have differing amounts of milk/cream/butter/ This allows us to add just enough flour so they don't bake up dense.7 grams instant yeast, 450 grams bread flour, 9 grams salt
- With the dough hook attachment, mix again on low speed until everything is incorporated, for about 2 minutes. Continue to mix on low and add a little bit of flour at a time, about 15 grams/ 1 Tablespoon, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and the dough is tacky to the touch, no longer sticky. When testing this recipe, I used 400 grams of flour, but again this will depend on the mashed potatoes you are using.
- Once the correct hydration has been achieved, continue to knead the dough on medium speed for 6-8 minutes.You’ll know the dough has been kneaded completely when it is smooth and elastic. The dough will completely pull away from the sides of the bowl when it is being kneaded and it will pass the windowpane test. This means that when you stretch a small section of dough into a thin film, light will be able to pass through without the dough tearing.
- Remove the dough and place it in a lightly greased straight-edge bowl and cover
BULK RISE:
- Place the dough in a warm place in your kitchen and allow the dough to double in size.In my 70 degree F proofing box, this took about 1 hour. The bulk rise greatly depends on the temperature of your dough and kitchen. If you have a colder kitchen, the rise time will take longer. If your kitchen runs warm, the first rise will take less time.*See notes for Make-Ahead Options*
SHAPE:
- Once the dough has doubled in size, punch the top of the dough to remove all the air bubbles. Then, place the dough on a lightly floured work surface.
- With a bench scraper, divide the dough into 16 equal pieces (about 55 grams each).
- Pull the corners of the dough towards the center, flip, and then roll each piece of dough into a round, tight ball. Place them in a greased 9×13 metal baking dish. Repeat until all the rolls are shaped.
Second Rise
- Once shaped, cover the baking dish with this plastic wrap and let the dough rest for its second rise. The final proof is complete when the rolls have grown and look puffy. This took about 30-45 minutes.
Bake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for 18-24 minutes or until the buns are beautifully golden brown and the internal temperature is 190 – 200 degrees F. If the buns are starting to brown too quickly, cover them with aluminum foil and continue to bake.
- Remove the Sourdough Discard Mashed Potato Dinner Rolls from the oven and brush the top of each roll with melted butter. Serve warm and enjoy!
Notes
MAKE-AHEAD Options
If you are looking to prepare these Sourdough Discard Mashed Potato Dinner Rolls in advance – here are some options and tips! Freeze & Bake Option 1: Prepare the dough and once it has doubled in size, cover the bowl and chill the dough in the fridge overnight. The following morning, shape the dinner rolls and allow them to rise and get fluffy in a warm place before baking as normal. Option 2: Prepare the dough and shape the dinner rolls the night before, then pop the covered baking dish into the fridge overnight. Pull out the unbaked rolls 1-2 hours before baking to allow them to rise and get fluffy in a warm place. Option 3: Prepare the dough and shape the dinner rolls, then pop the covered baking dish into the freezer. Once frozen solid, about an hour or so, place the sourdough dinner rolls into a freezer-safe bag and store for 2-3 weeks for the best results. When ready to bake, place the frozen rolls on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Cover and place them in the refrigerator the night before. The following day, take them out of the fridge and allow them to rise in a warm place, about 1.5-2 hours, or until fluffy. Bake as normal. Bake, Freeze & Reheat Otherwise, you can bake the dinner rolls as normal, then allow them to cool to room temperature. Cover the rolls tightly with plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe bag. When ready to enjoy, allow the rolls to thaw on the counter top at room temperature. Once thawed, reheat them in a 350 degree F oven for about 8-10 minutes or until warmed through.Ingredients & Substitutions
- Milk – Use warm milk and melted butter, but make sure the mixture isn’t hotter than 110°F. Too much heat can kill the instant yeast and discard and prevent your dough from rising properly. I used whole milk in this easy homemade dinner roll recipe, but non-dairy options like almond milk works just fine.
- Sourdough discard – I use fresh, room temperature sourdough discard that’s no older than 1-2 days. You can use older discard, but it will bring a more tangy flavor to the rolls. If using discard straight from the fridge, it’ll slow down the rise time. By the way, you can swap in the same amount of active starter (grams).
- Mashed potatoes—Leftover mashed potatoes work perfectly for these sourdough discard rolls, and they make the rolls easy to plan during the holidays. If you’re making mashed potatoes for dinner, set some aside for the rolls. You can also save some from earlier dinners and freeze them for later. When you’re ready to bake, take the mashed potatoes out of the freezer and let them come to room temperature. What if you don’t have any mashed potatoes? Cook a potato or two in the microwave until tender, mash the soft potatoes with milk and butter (optional), and let them come to room temperature.
- Sugar – If you’d prefer a natural sweetener, you can use the same amount of honey by weight.
- Flour– You can use all-purpose flour for these rolls, but I recommend bread flour. Its higher protein content results in softer, fluffier dinner rolls.
- Instant yeast – I used instant commercial yeast for this recipe, not active dry yeast. Active dry yeast needs to be dissolved in liquid to activate and takes longer to rise dough. Instant yeast, in contrast , can be added directly to dry ingredients, and it works much faster.
Nutrition
Serving: 1roll | Calories: 183kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 237mg | Potassium: 154mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 121IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 0.4mg
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