Sourdough Poppy Seed Rolls
These sourdough poppy seed rolls are soft, not overly sweet, and look so pretty on the table. They have a tender crumb, a swirled poppy seed filling, and just enough sweetness to make them perfect for breakfast, brunch, or an afternoon treat. If you want something a little different from everyday sourdough, this recipe is such a fun one to bake.
These rolls are especially lovely for spring mornings, weekends, and just days when you want something special. They look awesome on Easter tables, or any time you want a homemade sourdough dessert that feels fresh.
If you'd rather go for something classic, I also have, sourdough pumpkin cinnamon rolls if it's fall when you're reading this, or even fresh milled cinnamon rolls if you happen to have a grain mill at home!
Summarize & Save This Recipe On:
Quick Look
- Prep Time: 50 minutes
- Bulk Fermentation: Overnight (about 8-10 hours)
- Final Proof: 20-30 minutes
- Cook Time: 28 minutes
- Total Time: About 11 hours
- Servings: 25 rolls
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Baking Method: Oven baked
- Best For: Breakfast, snack, or light dessert
Jump to:
- Summarize & Save This Recipe On:
- Quick Look
- Important Ingredients
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Sourdough Poppy Seed Rolls
- Baking Schedule
- 💭Crucial Success Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- How To Store Sourdough Poppy Seed Rolls
- Other Delicious Recipes
- Sourdough Poppy Seed Rolls
- Need Help Tweaking This Recipe?
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- Sourdough Palatschinken (Central European Crepes with Sourdough Discard)
- Pumpkin Pie Crisp with Buttery Pecan Oat Topping
Important Ingredients
- Bread Flour helps create a structured, elastic dough with a light crumb.
- Sourdough Starter takes care of the rise, health benefits and deep flavor
- Poppy Seeds add great pop of color and gentle crunch on top of the rolls.
- Milk cold milk helps control the dough temperature during long fermentation.
- Butter adds richness and softness to the dough.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- You can use all-purpose flour if you don't have bread flour on hand, it might make rolls a bit softer (but less structured).
- Sunflower oil can be replaced with neutral vegetable oil.
- You can add sesame seeds or pearl sugar instead of poppy seeds.
- Brush the rolls with simple syrup after baking for a shiny finish.
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How to Make Sourdough Poppy Seed Rolls
Step 1: In the evening: take out the sourdough starter from the fridge (Image 1) about 2 hours before using it.
Step 2: In a medium-large bowl whisk together the sourdough starter with a bit of milk (Image 2).
Step 3: Pour all the remaining milk, add the sugar and a pinch of salt (Image 3).
Step 4: Add cornstarch, vegetable oil, 2⁄3 of flour and mix together with a spoon (Image 4).
Step 5: Pour all the remaining flour and combine until you get a smooth and elastic dough (Image 5).
Step 6: Add the solid butter (Image 6) and with your finger incorporate it in the dough.
Step 7: Cover with plastic wrap and let it double rise for the night at ambient temperature (Image 7).
Step 8: Next day, in the morning or midday, with the help of a spatula, transfer the double raised
dough on a flour dusted table (Image 8).
Step 9: With the help of a rolling pin get the dough flat around 1cm - around 1⁄3 " thick (Image 9).
Step 10: Brush some sunflower oil above the dough (Image 10).
Step 11: Add the poppy seeds and sugar on top (Image 11).
Step 12: Roll the dough starting from the largest side (Image 12).
Step 13: Until you get a long string (Image 13), removing the flour in excess during the process.
Finely seal the string along the edge and roll it on itself lightly pressing
Step 14: With a flour knife cut the long string into parts about 2,5cm - 1" each (Image 14).
Step 15: Place them on a baking tray with parchment paper (Image 15).
Step 16: Brush them with milk and add on top of each a bit of sugar and poppy seeds (Image 16).
Let it rise for about 20-30 minutes.
Step 17: Bake in a preheated oven at 170° for about 23 minutes** and then for 5 minutes at 180° for a fluffy consistency and a light golden color (Image 17).
Step 18: Take it out from the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before serving (Image 18).
Optional: you can also brush them with simple syrup for a shiny effect.
Hint: when you roll up the dough, don't roll it too tightly. If you roll in a gentle way, that helps the swirls stay pretty and gives the rolls room to expand as they proof and bake.
Baking Schedule
Evening
- Feed starter / prepare dough
- Mix and knead dough
- Leave to rise overnight
Morning
- Roll dough and shape rolls
- Final proof (20-30 minutes)
Late Morning
- Bake the rolls
- Cool for 10-15 minutes
- Serve warm
💭Crucial Success Tips
The biggest key here is making sure the dough rises well overnight before shaping. If the dough still feels heavy or dense the next morning, give it a bit more time. Since this is an enriched dough, it can move slower than a basic sourdough loaf.
Recipe FAQs
Dense rolls usually mean the dough needed more time to ferment. Make sure it has risen well overnight and feels light and airy before shaping.
Yes. You can prepare the dough the night before, shape the rolls the next day, and bake them fresh when you're ready to serve.
Yes. Let them cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 2 months. Warm them slightly before serving for the best texture.
How To Store Sourdough Poppy Seed Rolls
Store the rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
You can also freeze them for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature and warm slightly in the oven before serving.
Other Delicious Recipes
- Hybrid Sourdough Bread (With Yeast)
- 3-Step Sourdough in Under 4 Hours
- Dinkelbrötchen (Sourdough Spelt Rolls)
- Mediterranean Cheese & Olive Sourdough
If you tried these sourdough poppy seed Rolls or any other recipe on my blog please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below! Happy Baking!
Sourdough Poppy Seed Rolls
Ingredients
- 620 g flour type 00
- 300 ml milk cold
- 15 g cornstarch
- 50 g sunflower oil or other
- 170 g white sugar
- ½ g poppy seeds
- 90 g sourdough starter
- 35 g butter
- pinch salt
Additional Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon sunflower oil
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 4 tablespoon milk
- flour for dusting
Instructions
- In the evening: take out the sourdough starter from the fridge about 2 hours before using it.
- In a medium-large bowl whisk together the sourdough starter with a bit of milk.
- Pour all the remaining milk, add the sugar and a pinch of salt.
- Add cornstarch, vegetable oil, 2⁄3 of flour and mix together with a spoon.
- Pour all the remaining flour and combine until you get a smooth and elastic dough.
- Add the solid butter and with your finger incorporate it in the dough.
- Cover with plastic wrap and let it double rise for the night at ambient temperature.
- Next day, in the morning or midday, with the help of a spatula, transfer the double raised dough on a flour dusted table.
- With the help of a rolling pin get the dough flat around 1cm - around 1⁄3 " thick.
- Brush some sunflower oil above the dough.
- Add the poppy seeds and sugar on top.
- Roll the dough starting from the largest side*.
- Until you get a long string, removing the flour in excess during the process. Finely seal the string along the edge and roll it on itself lightly pressing.
- With a flour knife cut the long string into parts about 2,5cm - 1" each.
- Place them on a baking tray with parchment paper.
- Brush them with milk and add on top of each a bit of sugar and poppy seeds. Let it rise for about 20-30 minutes.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 170° for about 23 minutes** and then for 5 minutes at 180° for a fluffy consistency and a light golden color.
- Take it out from the oven and let it rest for 10-15 minutes before serving. Optional: you can also brush them with simple syrup for a shiny effect.
Notes
- * You can also roll the dough from the shorter side to get larger rolls.
** Baking time may vary depending on your type of oven. - I recommend eating the poppy seed rolls after letting them cool for 10-15 minutes, as they will be the fluffiest and pleasantly warm inside.
- The secret to preventing the dough from becoming acidic after 8+ hours is to use cold milk (do not preheat it before using), especially during hot seasons. The dough temperature should not go above 78.8°F / 26°C.
- In summer, I recommend letting the dough rise overnight in a cool place.
- During hot weather, you can also make the dough in the morning and bake it in the evening. In winter, the whole process can be difficult to complete in one day because the temperature is lower and the dough will not rise as much. In that case, I recommend making the dough in the evening and letting it rise overnight.
