Homemade Sourdough Dinner Rolls

Mixing the Dough

1. To get your sourdough starter ready for Homemade Sourdough Dinner Rolls, activate it 12 hours before you plan to start making the recipe.
2. Combine 20 grams of sourdough starter with 80 grams of water and 80 grams of strong white flour. 
3. Place a lid or cling film over it and keep it in a warm area for 12 hours or until you are prepared to use it.
4. Take a large mixing bowl and mix together the active sourdough starter, flour, milk, honey, salt, and melted butter.
5. Mix until there are no dry spots.
6. Then, turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead it for several minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.
7. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave it to rest for 1 hour.
8. If you like, you have the option to use a stand mixer for kneading. 
9. To do so, place the active sourdough starter, flour, warm milk, honey, salt, and melted butter into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook. 
10. Knead the mixture at medium speed for approximately 6-7 minutes until the dough begins to come away from the sides of the bowl.
11. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and leave it to rest for 1 hour.

Stretching and Folding

1. After the dough has rested for 1 hour, it's time to use the stretch-and-fold method. This method helps the gluten develop, which is what gives sourdough bread its signature chewy texture.
2. To do the stretch-and-fold method, wet your hands and grab the dough from the bottom of the bowl.
3. Stretch it upwards and fold it over itself. Rotate the bowl a quarter turn and repeat the process. Do this four times, so you've done a full rotation.
4. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
5. Repeat the stretch-and-fold method three more times, with 30-minute rests in between each round.
6. The dough should feel lighter and puffier and have increased in size by approximately 40%.

Proofing the Dough (Bulk Fermentation)

1. After the last stretch-and-fold, cover the dough with a kitchen towel and allow it to rise in a warm spot
2. If the temperature is warm enough, 2 to 3 hours may be sufficient (or possibly less), but allow more time for fermentation if it's colder. 
3. To achieve the best results, keep an eye on the dough's progress rather than relying solely on the clock.
4. You can make the bulk fermentation overnight if you prefer. To do so, simply cover the bowl with a cloth or cling film and place it in the refrigerator for overnight fridge-proofing.
5. Transfer the dough onto a floured work surface, ensuring to remove it from the bowl. 
6. If it has been kept in the refrigerator overnight, allow it to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes before shaping.

Shaping the Dinner Rolls

1. Divide the dough into 12 equal-sized balls (approximately 65 grams each), using a scale to ensure they all are the same size.
2. Take each piece and bring all of the edges towards the center to create a compact ball. 
3. Flip the ball over so that the seam side is facing downwards. Using your palms, cup the dough ball and rotate it on the work surface to create surface tension. This will help the dough keep its shape during baking. 
4. If the dough feels sticky, use flour as needed to prevent it from sticking to your hands. 
5. Repeat the process for the remaining portions of dough until all the balls are shaped.
6. Put the shaped rolls into a lightly greased baking dish of approximately 23cm x 23cm (9 inches x 9 inches) in size or equivalent.
7. The rolls should be positioned so that they are lightly touching each other, but not too tightly packed.
8. Cover the baking dish and let the sourdough rolls have their final proofing for 2-3 hours in a warm area until they have doubled in size.

Baking the Dinner Rolls

1. While the dough is proofing, preheat your oven to 200℃ (390℉).
2. Bake the rolls in the preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes, or until they have turned a deep golden brown. 
3. Once done, brush the tops of the warm dinner rolls with melted butter.