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These shortcut sourdough bread rolls are soft and chewy. They taste like sourdough bread, but they don’t require a traditional sourdough starter. The bread rolls need just 2 ingredients.
Last year I shared my shortcut sourdough bread recipe. It’s been one of my most popular bread recipes and so I wanted to share a version making them into bread rolls.
Ingredients
- Kefir: Kefir is a fermented milk that is made from kefir grains. Kefir is the key to making this bread taste like sourdough. I used plain low fat Kefir for this recipe. Kefir has become quite popular the last few years and is available at most major supermarkets in the US.
- Self-rising flour: Self-rising flour is a flour blend that already contains salt and a leavening agent, eliminating the need to add these extra ingredients to make the bread rolls. You can also make your own self-rising flour blend if you don’t have self-rising flour on hand.
If you want the bread rolls to have a shiny surface, you can also brush the surface of the rolls with egg white wash, but this is optional. The bread rolls will have a more rustic finish without the egg wash.
Why This Recipe Works
- While this is not traditional sourdough bread, it does use a fermented ingredient. Kefir contains live cultures and has many of the same ingredients used to make a sourdough starter, which gives the bread a similar flavor profile to sourdough bread.
- Once the kefir is added, the bread dough ferments for a few hours to help develop flavor and texture.
- The thin consistency of Kefir also helps to make the bread extra soft and chewy.
How to Make Shortcut Sourdough Bread Rolls
- The flour and kefir are mixed together until a dough forms. You want the dough to be a little bit on the dry side because it will get wetter and stickier as it sits.
- Cover your bread and place it into the fridge for 2-6 hours to allow it to ferment and proof.
- When ready to bake, fill a large oven-safe skillet or baking pan with water and place onto the bottom rack of your oven. Preheat your oven.
- Transfer your dough to a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 12 portions and roll each into a smooth ball.
- Place rolls onto your prepared baking sheet. If using egg wash, brush the surface of the rolls with egg wash.
- Bake the rolls until done.
Expert Tips
- You can also make this as a full loaf. The full loaf version does use more kefir. I had to reduce the amount for the bread rolls to make it easier to shape the dough and to prevent the rolls from spreading too much.
- If you don’t have kefir available, you can try my 2 ingredient yogurt rolls. They also have a slight tangy flavor, though they don’t taste as much like sourdough.
- Make sure you use the right amount of protein flour for this recipe. Using a low protein or high protein flour will cause texture issues with your bread. See the notes section for more details.
More Bread Roll Recipes
2 Ingredient Sourdough Bread Rolls
These shortcut sourdough bread rolls taste like sourdough bread but without using a traditional sourdough starter. It's an easy bread recipe to make.
Ingredients
- 4 cups (540g) self-rising flour see note before starting
- 1 3/4 cups (14 fl oz/414 ml ) lowfat plain kefir
Instructions
- In a large glass mixing bowl, combine the flour and kefir. Mix well until all of the flour is incorporated. I recommend starting with a spatula and then switching to using your hand to knead the flour into the dough. The dough should be slightly on the dry side because it will get stickier as it ferments, but all of the flour should be incorporated and you shouldn't have any dry flour spots on the dough or any unmixed flour. If your dough is too dry or some of the flour is not incorporated, you can add a little bit of kefir, 1 tbsp at a time, until the dough reaches the right consistency.
- Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it into the fridge. Let the dough rest and proof for 2-6 hours. The longer the dough rests, the better the flavor will be but the dough will also be wetter and harder to work with if rested too long.
- About 20 minutes before baking, preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C). Fill a large cast iron skillet or a large baking dish that is oven-safe at 425°F with about 2 inches of water and add it to the bottom rack of the oven while it preheats. Adjust the rack that the bread will bake on to just above the bottom rack (You want the bread to bake as low in the oven as possible so the tops don’t get too dark).
- After the dough has rested, wet your hands with some water. Grab one side of the dough, stretch it upward, and then fold it over the center of the dough. Repeat this process from all eight sides of the dough.
- Lightly flour a work surface with self-rising flour. Carefully turn the dough out onto the floured surface, seam side down. Use a bench scraper or sharp knife to divide the dough into 12 equal portions. I recommend weighing the dough to make sure all the rolls are the same size.
- Shape each piece into a ball by pulling the edges to the center to and pinching to seal. Place seam side down on your work surface and roll under your hand to create tension and form a round, taut ball.
- Place the rolls on a parchment paper-lined large baking sheet, spacing them about 1½ to 2 inches apart. If desired, you can brush the tops of the bread with egg wash to give them a shinier and smoother finish, but this is optional. See notes for more details.
- When the oven is ready and the water inside is steaming, add the baking sheet of rolls to your oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes or the rolls are completely cooked. They should also be dark golden brown and crusty on the outside. To check if a roll is done, you can tap the bottom side and it should sound hollow. You can also break one open to check, but be careful since they are very hot. Let the rolls cool for about 15-20 minutes on the baking sheet before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
- Breads are best served soon after they are done cooling, while they are still very crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. Uneaten bread should be stored in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
- Self-rising flour note. There are 2 main kinds of self-rising flour sold in the US. One that is a lower protein (2 grams per 1/4 cup (30g)) flour and one that has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup (30 g)). Brands like King Arthur Flour and White Lily make the low protein flour. Brands like Gold Medal and most store/generic brands contain a regular protein amount. The amount of protein affects how much liquid is absorbed and will affect the texture of the bread. For this recipe, you want a flour with a regular amount of protein. Please use a self-rising flour with 3 grams of protein per 1/4 cup (30 g). Or make your own self-rising flour with the recipe below.
- I made these with Gold Medal self-rising flour* and Lifeway plain low-fat kefir.*
- *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- Homemade self-rising flour: Combine 4 cups of all purpose flour, 2 tbsp baking powder and 1 tsp salt. Whisk to evenly combine. Make sure your all purpose flour has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup). Most brands in the US contain this amount but there are some brands with higher protein (4 grams per 1/4 cup) such as King Arthur Flour and Bob's Red Mill. You do not want a high protein flour for this bread. It will be dense and dry.
- Optional egg wash finish: Brushing egg wash on top of the bread before baking will give the surface a smoother, slightly shiny and darker appearance. The bread rolls still turn out well without egg wash but they will split more on the surface and will have a more rustic appearance. If you want the bread rolls to have an egg wash finish, add the egg white of a large egg into a small bowl and whisk it lightly. Then brush rolls with the egg white right before baking.
Nutrition
Serving: 1roll, Calories: 149kcal, Carbohydrates: 31g, Protein: 6g, Fat: 0.3g, Saturated Fat: 0.3g, Sodium: 485mg, Sugar: 1g, NET CARBS: 31
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Mention @KirbieCravings and tag #kirbiecravings!
What a misleading recipe. These are not “sourdough” anything. They are a kind of baking powder biscuit. …and high sodium ones at that.
Not at all misleading. It’s explained at the very top of the post that this is not a true sourdough but a shortcut sourdough. Using kefir as a sourdough substitute has become quite popular. It contains a lot of the same ingredients used in a sourdough starter which is why it works so well. Just because something contains baking powder doesn’t make it a biscuit. It’s definitely possible to make a bread with baking powder: beer bread, soda bread, etc.
Do you think you could use gf a/p flour to make the self-rising flour & then the rolls?
Sorry, we haven’t tested this recipe with a gluten free flour!
Can I freeze a portion of this dough? Or can I quarter the recipe?
You can quarter the recipe. I haven’t tried freezing the dough.
I’m sorry, this recipe makes zero sense. You’re calling it a sourdough but not only does it not have yeast or levain it has BAKING POWDER!! You go thru this whole 6 hour ferment but there’s nothing to ferment. There’s no yeast. This is basically a cake
There is something to ferment. Kefir contains yeast and active cultures.
Can’t wait to try this recipe love sourdough bread!
Great! We hope you enjoy it!
These look lovely – thank you! Could you make them with gluten free flour?
Sorry, we haven’t tested this recipe with a gluten free flour!