If you need an easy win that feels like real food but still makes everyone excited to eat, these sourdough pizza rolls with fresh milled flour are it. They’re fluffy, gooey in the middle, golden on top, and honestly hard to stop “taste testing.” I love making a batch for busy nights, game days, or anytime I want something fun that still uses my starter.
They also make an awesome make-ahead snack to stash in the freezer for those “I need something now” moments.
Those are actually inspired by the old classic fresh milled sourdough cinnamon rolls ... but adapted as a salty snack.
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Quick Look
- Prep Time: 20–25 minutes
- Bulk Fermentation: 5–6 hours
- Final Proof: 60–120 minutes (or 8–16 hours cold retard)
- Cook Time: 20–25 minutes
- Total Time: ~6–8 hours (including resting and proofing)
- Servings: 12–15 rolls
- Difficulty: Easy–Intermediate
- Baking Method: Oven
- Best For: Snacks, casual meals, make-ahead baking
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- Summarize & Save This Recipe On:
- Quick Look
- Important Ingredients
- Substitutions & Variations
- How to Make Sourdough Pizza Rolls
- Baking Schedule
- 💭Crucial Success Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- How To Store Sourdough Pizza Rolls
- Other Delicious Recipes
- Sourdough Pizza Rolls with Fresh Milled Flour (Soft + Cheesy)
- Need Help Tweaking This Recipe?
- Other Fresh-Milled Sourdough Recipes You'll Love
Important Ingredients
- Fresh-milled hard wheat flour keeps the crumb soft and tender
- Active sourdough starter gives flavor and lift
- Mozzarella cheese melty, gooey, and essential for that classic pizza roll experience
- Pizza sauce just enough to keep it flavorful without getting soggy
- Optional cooked ham adds some substance, but can be swapped with pepperoni, bacon, or more cheese
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- Swap ham for cooked chicken, pepperoni, or just extra cheese for a vegetarian version.
- For a quick version, replace the active starter with 150 g sourdough discard + 7 g instant yeast.
How to Make Sourdough Pizza Rolls
Step 1: Add the flour, active sourdough starter, warm milk, oil, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer.
Mix until everything comes together into a wet, sticky dough, about 3–5 minutes.
Cover and let the dough rest for 30–60 minutes (Image 1). This step matters with fresh milled flour. It gives the bran time to hydrate and makes kneading much easier.
Step 2: After resting, do 1 set of stretch and folds within the first 2 hours (Image 2). It’s normal if it looks more like “pull and folds,” since the dough will be quite stiff.
Let it rise at room temperature until the dough looks puffy and relaxed and has increased in volume by about 50%. Depending on your starter strength and kitchen temperature, this usually takes 5–6 hours from the initial mix.
Step 3: Roll the dough into a large rectangle on a lightly floured surface (Image 3).
Step 4: Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce over the dough. Go easy here. Too much sauce makes the rolls messy.
Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella, then scatter the chopped cooked ham over the top (if using) (Image 4).
Step 5: Roll everything up tightly from the long side, just like cinnamon rolls.
Slice into thick pinwheels (about 3–4 cm each). You’ll get 12 if you slice thicker, closer to 15 if you go slightly thinner. I find a pastry cutter or pizza cutter works best, but a sharp knife is fine too.
Place the rolls cut-side up in a greased or parchment-lined baking dish (Image 5).
For soft, pull-apart pizza rolls, use a standard 25 × 35 cm baking dish (Europe) or a 9 × 13 inch dish (US). This size fits about 12–14 rolls comfortably and gives you those soft sides where the rolls touch. If you prefer more crowded rolls with extra soft centers, you can use a smaller 20 × 30 cm dish (Europe) or an 8 × 11 inch dish (US) instead.
Step 6: Cover and let rise at room temperature until noticeably puffy and marshmallowy, usually 60–120 minutes, and then bake them (Image 6).
Optional: Cold retard (overnight)
After placing the rolls in the baking dish, you can cover and refrigerate overnight (8–16 hours). The next day, take them out and let sit at room temperature until soft and slightly swollen, about 60–90 minutes, then bake.
*If you’re in a hurry, you can bake directly from frozen, just add a few minutes to the baking time. The rolls won’t be quite so puffy, but close enough!
Bake at 180°C / 350°F for 20–25 minutes, until golden on top and bubbly inside.
If you like extra soft rolls, brush with melted butter or olive oil right after baking.
Let rolls cool completely before freezing.
Freeze in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer bag.
Reheat straight from frozen in the oven or air fryer until warmed through. They honestly taste freshly baked.
Hint: use a sharp knife or even a dental floss (unflavored) to slice the dough log cleanly. Slide it under, cross over the top, and pull. It keeps the rolls round and prevents squishing.
Baking Schedule
- Mix dough → rest 30–60 min
- Stretch & fold → bulk fermentation 5–6 hours
- Roll, fill, shape → final proof 1–2 hours (or overnight cold retard)
- Bake 20–25 minutes
💭Crucial Success Tips
Go light on sauce. Too much sauce is the number one reason pizza rolls leak and get soggy!
Recipe FAQs
Yes. You can shape the rolls, cover, and refrigerate overnight (8–16 hours), then let them puff at room temperature before baking. This is my favorite option for stress-free baking.
Use a thin layer of pizza sauce and make sure fillings are not wet. Also roll the dough tightly so the spiral holds together and bakes evenly.
Yes. Freeze after baking and cooling. Reheat straight from frozen in the oven or air fryer until warmed through for the best texture.
How To Store Sourdough Pizza Rolls
Store in a covered container at room temperature for 1–2 days. Freeze for up to 1 month; reheat in the oven or air fryer for fresh-baked texture.
Other Delicious Recipes
- Sourdough Pizza Rolls with Fresh Milled Flour (Soft + Cheesy)
- Sour Cherry Chocolate Cake with Fresh-Milled Flour
- 100% Fresh Milled Sourdough in a Loaf Pan (The Two-Pan Method)
- Fresh Milled Banana Muffins with Applesauce
If you tried these sourdough pizza rolls with fresh milled flour (soft + cheesy) 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 Pizza Rolls with Fresh Milled Flour (Soft + Cheesy)
Ingredients
- 350 g fresh milled hard white wheat flour
- 150 g active sourdough starter at or near peak
- 150 g milk add more if needed, warm
- 30 g olive oil or melted butter
- 7 g salt
- 100 g pizza sauce thin layer only
- 160 g mozzarella less if using ham, more if not, shredded
- 100 g ham optional, chopped cooked
Method
- Add the flour, active sourdough starter, warm milk, oil, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer.Mix until everything comes together into a wet, sticky dough, about 3–5 minutes. Cover and let the dough rest for 30–60 minutes. This step is especially important with fresh-milled flour, as it gives the bran time to hydrate and makes kneading much easier.
- After resting, do 1 set of stretch and folds within the first 2 hours. It’s normal if it looks more like “pull and folds,” since the dough will be quite stiff.Let it rise at room temperature until the dough looks puffy and relaxed and has increased in volume by about 50%. Depending on your starter strength and kitchen temperature, this usually takes 5–6 hours from the initial mix.
- Roll the dough into a large rectangle on a lightly floured surface.
- Spread a thin layer of pizza sauce over the dough. Go easy here. Too much sauce makes the rolls messy. Sprinkle evenly with mozzarella, then scatter the chopped cooked ham over the top (if using).
- Roll everything up tightly from the long side, just like cinnamon rolls. Slice into thick pinwheels (about 3–4 cm each). You’ll get 12 if you slice thicker, closer to 15 if you go slightly thinner. I find a pastry cutter or pizza cutter works best, but a sharp knife is fine too. Place the rolls cut-side up in a greased or parchment-lined baking dish. For soft, pull-apart pizza rolls, use a standard 25 × 35 cm baking dish (Europe) or a 9 × 13 inch dish (US). This size fits about 12–14 rolls comfortably and gives you those soft sides where the rolls touch. If you prefer more crowded rolls with extra soft centers, you can use a smaller 20 × 30 cm dish (Europe) or an 8 × 11 inch dish (US) instead.
- Cover and let rise at room temperature until noticeably puffy and marshmallowy, usually 60–120 minutes, and then bake them. Optional: Cold retard (overnight) After placing the rolls in the baking dish, you can cover and refrigerate overnight (8–16 hours). The next day, take them out and let sit at room temperature until soft and slightly swollen, about 60–90 minutes, then bake. *If you’re in a hurry, you can bake directly from frozen, just add a few minutes to the baking time. The rolls won’t be quite so puffy, but close enough! Bake at 180°C / 350°F for 20–25 minutes, until golden on top and bubbly inside. If you like extra soft rolls, brush with melted butter or olive oil right after baking. Let rolls cool completely before freezing. Freeze in a single layer, then transfer to a freezer bag. Reheat straight from frozen in the oven or air fryer until warmed through. They honestly taste freshly baked.
Notes
- Same-day yeasted version: Replace active starter with 150 g sourdough discard and add 7 g instant yeast. Mix yeast straight into the dough. For active dry yeast, dissolve it first in warm milk for 5–10 minutes. For fresh yeast, use about 20 g dissolved in warm milk. Rise times will be much shorter.
- You can replace the cooked ham with pepperoni, crispy bacon bits, cooked chicken, or just cheese if that’s what your kids prefer.
- This dough is forgiving. If it feels stiff, add more liquid. If it feels sticky, dust in a little more flour.
- If I already have sourdough pizza or sandwich dough going, I often just use that instead.
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