Step 1

Begin by whisking warm water and yeast in your stand mixer bowl. Cover the bowl and let it sit for 5 minutes to give the yeast time to work. When you check back in, the mixture should be bubbly and foamy, showing that the yeast is active.

Step 2

Add sourdough discard, sugar, cooled butter, salt, and flour. Using a dough hook attachment, mix on low speed for 2 minutes.

Step 3

Increase to level 2, and knead until it the dough becomes smooth, glossy, and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. It should pass the windowpane test. This will take around 5-10 minutes.

Step 4

You can also choose to knead by hand rather than using the mixer. To do so, knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 5-10 minutes.

Step 5

Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl, covering with foil, beeswax or plastic wrap, or a damp tea towel. This will keep the dough from drying out on top and developing an unpleasant crust.

Step 6

Let the dough rise at room temperature for 60-90 minutes or until doubled.

Step 7

After this first rise, turn out the dough onto your counter and divide into 8 equal pieces. I use my bench scraper for this part. It also makes cleanup a breeze.

Step 8

Shape each piece into a tight ball, adding tension by gently rolling them against the countertop.

Step 9

Place each roll into a greased 9x13 or 8x8 baking dish, the size determined by your preferred placement of the rolls - touching or separated.

Step 10

Cover the rolls with a damp tea towel and place in a warm spot for 30 minutes to an hour. The rolls should be doubled and puffy.

Step 11

Preheat oven to 375℉.

Step 12

Make the egg wash (optional) by whisking an egg yolk with a tablespoon of water, then brushing the tops of the rolls.

Step 13

Bake in the oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until they are golden brown.

Step 14

Remove from oven and top with melted butter, if desired.

Step 15

Cool them and enjoy!