Fluffy, sourdough biscuit dough smothered with herbed butter, cheese, and caramelized onions, rolled up and baked until golden. These sourdough herb and cheese rolls are a delicious side to your favorite soup, or serve them as an appetizer. Itโ€™s hard to stop at one.

sourdough herb and cheese roll on a white plate with sage on a white countertop with a blue and white towel in the background

There have been a lot of surprises around the homestead lately. First, the surprise calf born three months โ€œearly.โ€ You can read that story here.

Then, a great storm rolled through, knocking down trees and leaving limbs strewn everywhere; it also took away our power and water for a few days.

It was certainly not something we were totally prepared for, but Iโ€™m thankful that we all stayed safe. We also received willing help from many family and friends, for which we are so grateful.

It was a little taste of living like the original owners of our 1890โ€™s farmhouse. No electricity, no showers, having to haul our water – by truck, rather than horse and wagon, of course. Yet, it still gave us that taste, and goodness, it make me thankful for modern amenities. 

The charm of the idea may be slightly there still, thanks to Ma Ingalls. I like that we get to do some things that our ancestors got to experience, such as raising dairy animals for milk, and making things from scratch in our cast iron skillets.

Some things are now very convenient, though (hello, indoor plumbing), and I am thankful. 

Sourdough is one of those things that takes me back to the pioneers. They didnโ€™t have instant yeast packets that they could just pick up at the store.

Rather, they relied on the natural yeasts in the air to acquire their delicious, leavened bread. Kneading the dough by hand, developing the gluten so it creates the perfect crumb, was a reality for them.

While Iโ€™m fairly positive they didn’t have a recipe like this sourdough herb and cheese roll, Iโ€™m sure they wished they did. Melted cheese between layers of herbed butter with caramelized onions and tasty sourdough is so yummy. 

overhead photo of sourdough herb and cheese rolls in a white baking dish on a white countertop with a white and blue plaid towel

Tips For Making Sourdough Cheese Rolls:

  • The longer the herbs sit in the butter mixture, the more the flavor will deepen and develop. I recommend doing this early on in the baking process.
  • These would be amazing on the side of a creamy bowl of soup, or they would pair nicely with a fig jam.
  • Brush the buns lightly with an egg or cream wash to give the buns a shiny, crusty glaze.
  • Since youโ€™re going to all the effort, caramelize extra onions for toppings on other things like burgers, stir fry, sandwiches, etc.! If you donโ€™t have fresh herbs, you can substitute with dried herbs. Use 1 tsp sage, 1โ„2 tsp dried rosemary, and 1 tsp dried thyme.
  • Sprinkle the tops of the buns with some finely chopped thyme leaves.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. See my full disclosure here.

Ingredients:

overhead photo of half a baking dish full of sourdough cheese and herb rolls on a blue and white plaid towel with fresh herbs to the right of the pan
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Sourdough Roll Dough

Fed sourdough starter

Water

All-purpose flour

Coconut oil

Honey

Eggs

Baking soda

Baking powder

Salt

Filling:

Butter

Fresh sage

Fresh rosemary

Thyme

Caramelized onion (5-6 medium onions raw)

Cheddar cheese

Tools you may need:

Stand mixer (optional; hands will also work just fine)

Large cast iron skillet

Measuring cups and spoons

Grain mill (optional)

overhead photo of sourdough herb and cheese rolls in a baking dish with two plate with rolls to the right on a top of a blue and white plaid towel

Sourdough Herb And Cheese Rolls

In a bowl, combine fed sourdough starter, flour, honey, water, and melted coconut oil. Mix together, then form into a ball.

Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with beeswax wraps or plastic wrap.

Allow to rest in a warm place overnight or up to 24 hours.

Add eggs, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the bowl, and combine well with your hands.

Cover it with a tea towel and put it in a warm place for about an hour.

While the dough is rising, thinly slice and caramelize the onions; this process takes about 45 mins (stir the onions occasionally.)

In a small bowl, combine room temperature butter and chopped fresh herbs, stirring well.

sourdough roll dough rolled out on a countertop with a rolling pin toward the back

Lightly dust the counter with flour, then roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness.

herb butter spread out on sourdough roll dough

Add herbed butter to the dough and spread evenly.

sourdough roll dough rolled out on a countertop with herb butter and caramelized onions spread out.

Evenly distribute caramelized onions over the dough, then sprinkle over the 2 1/2 cups of grated cheese.

sourdough rolls dough rolled out with herbed butter, caramelized onions, and shredded cheese on the dough

Roll the dough up as tightly as you can. When you get to the end, pull it up as tightly as you can and pinch the ends into the main roll.

Slice to make 12-14 sourdough savory rolls.

sourdough herb and cheese rolls unbaked in a cast iron skillet

Place the rolls into a well-seasoned 14โ€ณ cast iron skillet. Sprinkle with some extra chopped thyme.

sourdough herb and cheese rolls unbaked on a cast iron skillet

Allow them to rise in a warm spot for about 1/2 hour to 1 hour while your oven preheats.

Bake them in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes. The cheese will be melted and the rolls will be slightly golden around the edges.

Allow them to cool a bit, then enjoy!

How To Caramelize Onions:

Slice 5-6 medium sized onions (900g raw onion) thinly.

Warm oil and butter in pan on medium high.

Stir to coat onions in the oil. Cook, stirring every few minutes.

After 15 minutes, sprinkle some salt over the onions (also 1 tsp sugar, if you desire).

Cook for 30 mins to an hour, stirring them every 1-2 minutes. Let the onions stick to the pan a little bit, then stir them before they burn, but leave them alone long enough to brown.

After the first 20-30 minutes, you may want to lower the stove top temperature.

Allow to sit and then scrape, let them sit, and then scrape… until the onions are a rich brown color.

Add balsamic vinegar at the end, if you enjoy the extra flavor.

Store refrigerated for several days in an airtight container.

Find More Of My Sourdough Recipes:

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you could come back and give it 5 stars! 

Sourdough Herb And Cheese Rolls

4.62 from 78 votes
Fluffy, sourdough, biscuit dough smothered with herbed butter and cheese, rolled up and baked until golden. These are a delicious side to your favorite soup, or serve them as an appetizer. Itโ€™s hard to stop at one.
Prep: 30 minutes
Cook: 55 minutes
Additional Time: 12 hours
Total: 13 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 10
overhead photo of sourdough herb and cheese rolls in a white baking dish on a white countertop with a white and blue plaid towel
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Ingredients 

Sourdough Roll Dough

  • 1/2 cup sourdough starter, bubbly and active (113 g)
  • 1/2 cup water, 118 g
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour, 560 g
  • 1/2 cup melted coconut oil, 112 g
  • 1 tablespoon honey, 21 g
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2.5 g

Filling:

  • 1/2 cup room temperature butter
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme
  • 2 cups caramelized onion, 5-6 medium onions raw
  • 2 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese

Instructions 

  • In a bowl, combine fed sourdough starter, flour, honey, water, and melted coconut oil. Mix together, then form into a ball.
  • Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with beeswax wraps or plastic wrap.
  • Allow to rest in a warm place overnight or up to 24 hours.
  • Add eggs, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to the bowl, and combine well with your hands.
  • Cover it with a tea towel and put it in a warm place for about an hour.
  • While the dough is rising, thinly slice and caramelize the onions; this process takes about 45 mins, stirring the onions occasionally.
  • In a small bowl, combine room temperature butter and chopped fresh herbs, stirring well.
  • Lightly dust the counter with flour, then roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness.
  • Add herbed butter to the dough and spread evenly.
  • Evenly distribute caramelized onions over the dough, then sprinkle over the 2 1/2 cups of grated cheese.
  • Roll the dough up as tightly as you can. Pinch the ends into the main roll.
  • Slice to make 12-14 sourdough savory rolls.
  • Place the rolls into a well-seasoned 14โ€ณ cast iron skillet. Sprinkle with some extra chopped thyme.
  • Allow them to rise in a warm spot for about 1/2 hour to 1 hour while your oven preheats.
  • Bake them in a 375 degree oven for 20-25 minutes.
  • Allow them to cool a bit and enjoy!

To Carmelize Onions

  • Slice 5-6 medium sized onions (900g raw onion) thinly.
  • Warm oil and butter in pan on medium high.
  • Stir to coat onions in the oil. Cook, stirring every few minutes.
  • After 15 minutes, sprinkle some salt over the onions (also 1 tsp sugar, if you desire).
  • Cook for 30 mins to an hour, stirring them every 1-2 minutes.
  • After the first 20-30 minutes, you may want to lower the stove top temperature.
  • Allow to sit and then scrape, let them sit, and then scrape… until the onions are a rich brown color.
  • Add balsamic vinegar at the end, if you enjoy the extra flavor.

Notes

  • The longer the herbs sit in the butter mixture, the more the flavor will deepen and develop. I recommend doing this early on in the baking process.
  • Brush the buns lightly with an egg or cream wash to give the buns a shiny, crusty glaze.
  • Since youโ€™re going to all the effort, caramelize extra onions for toppings on other things like burgers, stir fry, sandwiches etc.!
  • If you donโ€™t have fresh herbs, you can substitute with dried herbs. Use 1 tsp sage, 1โ„2 tsp dried rosemary, and 1 tsp dried thyme.

Nutrition

Calories: 522kcal | Carbohydrates: 48g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 31g | Saturated Fat: 21g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 0.4g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 544mg | Potassium: 170mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 661IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 258mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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4.62 from 78 votes (60 ratings without comment)

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81 Comments

  1. Amanda says:

    5 stars
    Would this dough recipe work to make resurrection rolls? Or something else on your page?

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      Yes, you could try it!

  2. Heather says:

    Sadly adding another “too dry” comment ๐Ÿ˜ญ probably should have jumped down to the comments before starting the recipe.. what is the consistency of your dough when you make this, Lisa?

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      Mine don’t turn out very dry. It is a firmer dough though.

  3. Taylor says:

    5 stars
    I used this recipe but omitted the onions and added mozzarella and pepperoni! They were delicious dipped in some marinara!!

  4. Sam says:

    Is there perhaps a video of how this recipe is made? As others have commented, the measurements seem off since the initial ingredients for the dough donโ€™t come together to form a ball and theyโ€™re so dry. It would be helpful to see the whole process from start to finish!

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      I don’t have one. So sorry!

  5. Ashley says:

    I was so excited to try these! Everything went well up until I had to roll the dough out. It was so sticky and wet after adding in the eggs, even after an hour of resting. I had to add in more flour to handle it and it still was way too wet to use. It wouldnโ€™t hold its shape for rolling and slicing and ended up becoming little blobs of dough and herbs. Iโ€™m so upset and have no idea what happened. It rose beautifully overnight, but after the addition of the eggs, everything went downhill.

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      Sounds like it may have over fermented. When the dough sits too long and goes past the point of fermentation it becomes like a big sticky blob that won’t hold any shape! Next time decrease your fermenting time a little.

  6. Carrien says:

    I just mixed all the initial set of i ingredients together and itโ€™s so dry it does not even come together. Iโ€™m not sure what went wrong but I added extra flour in hopes that will work. Any suggestions on what the texture is supposed to be like?

    Also Iโ€™m slightly new to sourdough, am I expecting this dough to double? Will fermenting that long not turn it to a sticky mess? Iโ€™m confused as there is no kneeling or stretching

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      It doesn’t always have to double, but it should rise quite a bit. It shouldn’t over ferment, especially with the colder temperatures most of us are having.

  7. Melanie says:

    Hello,
    I love your simple approach to sourdough, but I keep struggling with a step. In recipes such as this one, it asks for us to make the dough, allow it to rest, and the incorporate the egg mixture into the dough. When I try to do this, my dough wonโ€™t take its it just gets slimey and comes apart. The more I work it, the worse it gets. What am I doing wrong?

    Thank you!

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      You can add the eggs before or after the fermentation. It’s just whatever you’re most comfortable with. I usually add mine before the fermentation.

  8. Kate says:

    Yum! I didnโ€™t have any onions on hand so I used bacon bits and chopped garlic and chives instead. Great reheated as a snack, too!

    1. Lisa Bass says:

      Sounds great!

  9. AK says:

    Hi Lisa, I just made the dough. It seems quite dry – is that expected? Iโ€™ve covered it and set it aside until tomorrow. Should I expect it to rise or does that happen after the next set of ingredients are added. Thank you ๐Ÿ™‚

    1. Lisa says:

      It’s usually not super dry. I’m sure the fermentation will help it!

      1. Courtney says:

        Mine is also very dry… and well into the fermentation and it does not look like it helped. LOL I am still going to give her a go and hoping for a better look after adding the rest of the ingrediants.

    2. gloria says:

      The ratios on this seem off. I proceeded to make it, but it is too dry. It will not form a ball. I added additional water before fermentation, but just a bit to be able to bring it together. It was like a very thick pie crust. After fermentation, I tried working in the eggs, and after minutes, it is still just a shaggy mess. I am hoping it comes together. Lisa, please use your directions and see if they numbers are right. I think there must be a typo based on my experience and the comments here.

      1. Lisa Bass says:

        The directions are right. I’m sorry you had troubles with this. I test out my recipes extensively. It sounds like you may need more hydration in your dough.

  10. Amber Wong says:

    Darn, wanted to make these this eveningโ€ฆ any chance youโ€™ve ever added yeast for a quicker rise? What would you recommend?

    1. Lisa says:

      You can, but then you’re losing the benefit of the sourdough fermentation process.