Sweet Bread Rolls

Soft, sweet, chewy… these sweet bread rolls truly have it all. They are wonderfully fluffy with a tender pull-apart texture and just the right amount of sweetness, making them perfect for breakfast, brunch, dessert, or an afternoon treat with coffee or tea.

For this version, I used guava jam and cream cheese for the filling, and the combination is absolutely delicious. The sweet tropical flavor of the guava pairs beautifully with the creamy richness of the cream cheese, creating a filling that feels both comforting and indulgent. As the rolls bake, the filling becomes soft and creamy while the dough turns light, airy, and beautifully golden.

One of the best things about this dough is how versatile it is. These rolls can be filled with almost anything: chocolate, Nutella, cinnamon sugar, fruit jams, sweet cheese, ham, potato, or savory fillings. No matter what you choose, the dough works beautifully and stays soft for days.

Another great advantage of this recipe is that it can be made using either sourdough starter or commercial yeast depending on your preference and schedule. The sourdough version develops deeper flavor and wonderful texture, while the yeast version is quicker and still produces excellent results.

This flexibility makes the recipe very approachable for bakers of all levels. Whether you prefer the complexity of sourdough or the convenience of yeast, the final rolls are consistently soft, flavorful, and satisfying. They are the kind of homemade pastries that disappear quickly from the table and are requested again and again by family and friends.

Below you’ll find the sourdough version, but you can easily replace the starter with 1% dry yeast based on the total flour amount. Simply reduce the proofing time to about 2 hours after mixing and 1–2 hours after shaping.

Ingredients

Sourdough Starter 

• 7 g sourdough starter
• 35g water
• 35 g bread flour

Dough

• 320g flour
• 150g lukewarm milk
• 60 g sourdough starter 
• 1 large eggs
• 45g  sugar
• 6g salt
• 45g soft unsalted butter 
• 0.5 g dry instant yeast (optional, to reduce sourness)

Directions 

Day 1

Starter

• 10 pm dissolve starter in the water, add flour, mix well, cover let sit at room temp 74-78F until it increases in volume in 2 or more times. Learn how to make sourdough starter from scratch here.

Day 2

Dough

• 8 am pour warm milk into a bowl of add sourdough starter, sugar, instant dry yeast, egg and flour
• Mix dough on low speed of your mixing machine for 2-3 minutes, or KitchenAid on speed 3 for 3-4 minutes until well incorporated.
• Add salt and butter, mix for a couple more minutes, increase the speed of mixer to medium high, mix for 10 more minutes until the dough is well incorporated and comes up together. You should be able to perform the windowpane test.

• Cover the dough and let it proof for 3-4 hours at 76-80F/ 24-28C.
• During that time perform 2 stretches and folds.
• The dough should become slightly puffy.

• 12 pm transfer the dough to the fridge for cold fermentation for 6-9 hours.
• 10 pm Remove the dough from the fridge.
• Roll the dough into a circle about 12 inches wide.
• Cut circle into 8 pieces(looked as pizza slices)
• Place filling in the middle of widest part of the slice.
• Secure the filling inside the dough by folding sides to the middle and rolling, creating shape of croissant.

• Transfer the shaped rolls into the baking pan.
• Cover rolls and let them proof overnight for 8 -10 hours 70-74F /20-23C until they double in volume.

Day 3

• 7 am Preheat the oven to 375F.
• Egg wash the rolls.
• Bake for 10 minutes, then lower temperature to 350F, continue baking until golden brown( about 15-18 min)
• Total baking time 25-28 min
• Remove sweet rolls from the oven, let them cool down and enjoy.

Enjoy!

Sweet Bread Rolls

240kcal

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Prep 30 minutes mins

Cook 28 minutes mins

Total 21 hours hrs 58 minutes mins

These soft, sweet, and wonderfully chewy rolls are an incredibly versatile canvas for your favorite sweet or savory additions. Enriched with fresh egg, milk, and butter, the dough can be crafted using an active sourdough starter or streamlined with yeast, resulting in a beautifully tender pastry wrapper shaped into an elegant, classic crescent.

Servings 8 Large Rolls

Cuisine American

Ingredients

1x2x3x

The Sourdough Starter Levain (Night Before)

• ▢ 7 g Sourdough starter culture
• ▢ 35 g Water
• ▢ 35 g Bread flour

The Enriched Dough Base (Next Morning)

• ▢ 320 g Flour
• ▢ 150 g Lukewarm milk
• ▢ 60 g Prepared sourdough starter levain (From the night before)
• ▢ 1 Large egg
• ▢ 45 g Sugar
• ▢ 6 g Salt
• ▢ 45 g Unsalted butter (softened completely to room temperature)
• ▢ 0.5 g Dry instant yeast (Optional: include strictly to reduce sourdough sourness and boost rise)

Equipment

• ▢
  Stand Mixer (fitted with the dough hook attachment)
• ▢
  Baking Pan (Standard rectangular cake pan or baking sheet)
• ▢
  Rolling Pin
• ▢
  Kitchen Scale
• ▢
  Pastry Brush
• ▢
  Plastic Wrap

Method

Prevent Sleep ModePrevent Sleep Mode

Day 1 – Evening Starter Build

1. 10:00 PM: In a small glass jar, dissolve your 7g of starter culture into 35g of water. Stir in the 35g of bread flour until no dry lumps remain. Cover loosely and let it ferment at a room temperature of 74–78°F (23–26°C) overnight until it peaks and doubles or triples in size.

Day 2 – Enriched Mixing and Cold Fermentation

1. 8:00 AM: Pour the 150g of lukewarm milk directly into your stand mixer bowl. Add the 60g of mature sourdough starter, 45g of sugar, 1 large egg, 320g of flour, and the optional 0.5g of dry yeast.
2. Mix on the low speed of your machine for 2 to 3 minutes (or if using a KitchenAid mixer, run it on speed 3 for 3 to 4 minutes) until a cohesive dough forms.
3. Add the 6g of salt and 45g of softened room-temperature butter into the bowl. Increase your mixer speed to medium-high and knead continuously for 10 minutes until the dough is fully incorporated, elastic, and clears the sides of the bowl. Verify gluten development by ensuring it passes a clean windowpane test.
4. Cover the bowl and let the dough proof for 3 to 4 hours in a warm spot at 76–80°F (24–28°C). Perform 2 clean structural stretch-and-folds during this window to organize the gluten matrix; the dough should look noticeably light and puffy.
5. 12:00 PM: Transfer the covered dough container directly into the refrigerator for a long cold fermentation rest lasting 6 to 9 hours to chill and stiffen the fats.
6. 10:00 PM: Remove the cold dough from the fridge. Lightly dust your workspace with flour and roll the dough out evenly into a clean circle measuring roughly 12 inches wide.
7. Using a sharp knife or pizza wheel, cut the dough circle cleanly into 8 equal triangle pieces (shaped exactly like pizza slices).
8. Adding Fillings & Shaping: Place a dollop of your chosen filling (such as guava jam and cream cheese) right in the middle of the widest part of a dough slice. Secure the filling inside by folding the outer side points inward toward the middle, then roll the dough tightly down toward the narrow tip to form a tidy crescent shape.
9. Arrange the shaped crescents neatly into your prepared baking pan. Cover securely and let them proof on the counter overnight for 8 to 10 hours at 70–74°F (20–23°C) until they completely double in volume.

Day 3 – High-Heat Staged Baking

1. 7:00 AM: Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C).
2. Whisk a whole egg with a splash of water and use a pastry brush to coat the tops of your puffed rolls gently with the egg wash.
3. Slide the pan into the oven and bake at 375°F (190°C) for exactly 10 minutes to set the oven spring.
4. Lower the oven temperature down to 350°F (175°C) and continue baking for an additional 15 to 18 minutes until the crust is beautifully golden brown. Remove from the oven, let them cool slightly on a rack, and serve.

Nutrition

Calories240kcalCarbohydrates43gProtein4gFat6gSaturated Fat3gPolyunsaturated Fat0.3gMonounsaturated Fat2gTrans Fat0.2gCholesterol36mgSodium71mgPotassium61mgFiber1gSugar8gVitamin A202IUVitamin C2mgCalcium90mgIron2mg

Notes

• Endless Filling Options: While a combination of guava jam and cream cheese makes an incredible sweet-and-tart filling, these rolls are remarkably adaptable. You can easily modify the filling to include high-quality chocolate spread, fruit jams, sweet cheese mixes, or even savory elements like sliced ham, cured cheeses, or seasoned potato mixtures.
• Streamlined Straight Yeast Conversion: If you want to skip the overnight sourdough process and make these entirely on a shorter single-day schedule, omit the sourdough starter entirely. Instead, add 3.2g of dry instant yeast (calculated as roughly 1% of the total flour weight) directly to your dough mix. Adjust your proofing times down: let the mixed dough rise for 2 hours on the counter, shape the rolls, and allow a final shaped rise of only 1 to 2 hours before baking.
• Sealing Inclusions in a Crescent Fold: When working with liquid or melting fillings like chocolate or warm fruit jams, a poor fold will cause the contents to leak out onto your pan, burning the bottoms. Always ensure you fold the wide outer corners of your dough triangle snugly over your filling dollop before you begin rolling toward the point. This creates an airtight dough jacket that safely locks the filling inside as the roll inflates.
• The Logic Behind Staged Baking Temperatures: Starting the baking sequence at a high 375°F (190°C) for the first 10 minutes causes the moisture trapped inside the enriched dough to expand quickly, forcing a proud, high-rising oven spring. Dropping the oven temperature down to 350°F (175°C) for the remaining time allows the dense interior and center fillings to bake through completely without scorching the sugary outer crust.

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