Sourdough Texas Roadhouse Rolls

There’s nothing quite like soft, fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth dinner rolls fresh from the oven—especially when they’re slathered in sweet, whipped honey butter. These sourdough Texas Roadhouse rolls take that experience up a notch, using a naturally leavened sweet starter for incredible depth of flavor and the perfect pillowy texture.

With a touch of honey and a buttery finish, these rolls are a must-have for any dinner table. And don’t skip the honey cinnamon butter—it’s the ultimate finishing touch!

Tools You'll Need:

• Stand mixer with a dough hook- optional, but makes kneading easier

• Large mixing bowl- for hand mixing or initial ingredient combination

• Straight-sided container or large bowl- for bulk fermentation

• Plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel- to cover the dough during proofing

• Kitchen scale- for precise ingredient measurement

• Measuring cups & spoons- if not using a scale

• Whisk- for mixing dough

• Bench scraper- for handling and cutting dough

• Rolling pin- to roll out the dough

• Sharp knife, bench knife, or pizza cutter- for cutting dough into squares

• Two baking sheets- lined with parchment paper or silicone mats. I use these silicone mats for everything https://amzn.to/3DwSOsb

• Pastry brush- for buttering the rolls

• Small mixing bowl- for whipping the honey butter

• Hand mixer- for making the honey butter fluffy

• Dough thermometer- optional, but useful for checking dough temperature. This small thermometer works great for checking dough temperatures https://amzn.to/4kSwgTf

The Night Before: Prepare the Sweet Starter

Baker's Schedule- 8:00 PM

To ensure your dough rises properly, you’ll need an active sweet starter. This is a special levain that feeds on sugar to create a mild, slightly sweet flavor with a great rise.

Sweet Starter Ingredients:

15g mother sourdough starter

20g sugar (optional: substitute 20 g honey for sugar if you prefer)

100g all-purpose flour

100g water, room temperature

Mix all ingredients in a jar until well combined. Cover loosely and let sit at room temperature (75-78°F) overnight, about 8-10 hours, or until it’s bubbly and doubled in size.

Dough Ingredients:

Baker's Schedule- 8:00 AM

200g bubbly, active sweet starter

57g (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature

350g (1 ½ cups) whole milk, warmed to 80°F (27°C)

25g (1 tbsp + 1 tsp) raw honey

40g (3 tbsp) white granulated sugar

8g (1 tsp) sea salt

450g (3 ¾–4 cups) bread or all-purpose flour

1 egg

Instructions

Step 1: Mix and Knead the Dough

Stand Mixer Method: Fit your stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. In the mixer bowl, whisk together the sweet starter, warm milk, honey, sugar, salt, and egg until well combined. Add 450g of bread flour and mix on low speed until a rough dough forms.

With the mixer running on low, gradually add the softened butter, one small pat at a time, allowing it to fully incorporate before adding more. This step should take about 5-8 minutes. The dough will be soft and slightly sticky—this is normal for a high-hydration dough.

Hand Mixing Method: In a large bowl, whisk together the sweet starter, warm milk, honey, sugar, salt, and egg until smooth. Add 450g of bread flour and mix with a wooden spoon or dough whisk until a shaggy dough forms.

Add the softened butter in small pieces, kneading it in by hand. Perform three sets of stretch and folds over the next 90 minutes, resting the dough for 30 minutes between each set. The dough will gradually strengthen and become smoother.

Step 2: Bulk Fermentation

Baker's Schedule- 8:30 AM -4:30 PM

Lightly oil a straight-sided container or bowl and transfer the dough into it, shaping it into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let it proof in a warm place (around 75°F) until doubled in size, about 6-8 hours. Dough temperature should be between 74-77 degrees F to achieve doubling (rising 100%) in volume within 6-8 hours. You can use a meat thermometer to probe the dough and check the temperature if you're not sure.

(Tip: The oven with the light on creates a great warm environment!)

Once dough has completed proofing, you can either transfer dough to the refrigerator overnight and shape the next day for added fermentation- or skip the refrigeration and go straight to shaping the rolls if you want to make these same day.

Step 3: Shaping and Proofing the Rolls

Baker's Schedule- 4:30 PM- 6:00 PM

Once the dough has proofed, gently deflate it and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a 20x15-inch rectangle, about ½ inch thick. Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, cut the rectangle into 4 squares. If necessary, trim the edges to make uniform edges. Divide each square into 4 smaller squares to form 16 square rolls.

Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and place the dough squares on them, leaving space between each roll. Cover the rolls loosely with a lint-free towel or plastic wrap and allow them to proof for 1-2 hours in a warm spot, or until they have doubled in size. (Don’t worry if they look flat at first—once proofed, they’ll puff up beautifully!)

Step 4: Bake the Rolls

Baker's Schedule- 6:00 PM

Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Once fully proofed, bake the rolls for 25 minutes, or until golden brown on top. While the rolls are baking, melt 57g (¼ cup) unsalted butter in a small bowl. As soon as the rolls come out of the oven, brush the tops generously with melted butter.

Step 5: Make the Honey Cinnamon Butter

Ingredients:

1/2 cup (117 g) salted butter, softened

1 Tablespoon honey

1 Tablespoon powdered sugar (optional, makes butter thicker)

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

While the rolls cool slightly, whip together ½ cup salted butter (softened), 1 tbsp honey, ¼ tsp cinnamon, 1 tbsp powdered sugar using a hand mixer or whisk until light and fluffy in a small mixing bowl.

Step 6: Serve and Enjoy!

Allow the rolls to cool for about 15 minutes, then serve warm with generous dollops of honey butter. These rolls are soft, slightly sweet, and irresistibly buttery, with just the right hint of sourdough complexity. Whether for a special dinner, a cozy family meal, or just because—you’ll want to make these over and over again!

Storage Tips

Store leftover rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. To freeze, place cooled rolls in a freezer bag and store for up to 3 months. Reheat in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes. Leftover honey butter can be stored in the fridge for up to 1 month—just let it soften before using.

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