Sourdough Rolls with Sesame Seeds

Name: Sourdough Rolls with Sesame Seeds
Prep time: 1 h 20 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 2 h
Yield: 20
Cuisine: Norwegian
Ingredients: 750 g wheat flour; 80 g fine wholemeal wheat flour; 160 g active sourdough starter; 6 dl water; 12 g salt; 1 dl sesame seed

2 hr

2 portions

bread baking breakfast

Plan this

Worth every hour of waiting — crispy sesame crust, chewy sourdough crumb. Perfect for a slow weekend breakfast.

Instructions

1
Mix the flour, sourdough starter, and water in a mixing bowl, then knead in a stand mixer until the dough comes together. Let it rest in the bowl for 20–30 minutes.
2
Add the salt and knead on low speed for 10 minutes. Increase the speed and keep kneading until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl — another 2 to 5 minutes.
3
Lightly oil the bottom of a clean bowl, place the dough in it, and cover with a lid or plastic wrap. Let it rest for 3 hours.
4
Move the bowl to the fridge and let the dough rise overnight, or for at least 12 hours. It should rise noticeably during this time.
5
Heat the oven to 250 °C.
6
Scatter the sesame seeds over your work surface. Tip the dough gently onto the seeds and press it down lightly so you get a flat, even slab.
7
Dust a little flour over the top of the dough and cut it into about 20 equal pieces with a bench scraper. Carefully lift each piece onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper, sesame side up.
8
Slide the tray into the middle of the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 220 °C.
9
Bake for about 15 minutes, until the rolls are golden brown. Cool on a wire rack.

Per average serving

191

Calories

kcal

5.5

Protein

Carbs

Fat

2.1g

Fiber

0.2g

Sugar

264mg

Sodium

Family Portions

2portions

Adults

Children

No children added

Ingredients

Per average serving

191

Calories

kcal

5.5

Protein

Carbs

Fat

2.1g

Fiber

0.2g

Sugar

264mg

Sodium

Tips from the kitchen

Your starter needs to be genuinely active for this to work. Feed it 4 to 8 hours before you mix the dough, and use it when it's at or just past its peak. If it smells boozy and flat, give it another feed first.
The overnight cold rise is where most of the flavor develops. Twelve hours is the minimum, but 16 to 18 hours gives you a noticeably more complex, slightly tangy crumb. Plan accordingly.
When you tip the dough onto the sesame seeds, don't overwork it. Press it down gently into a flat slab and leave it alone. The less you handle it at this stage, the better the open crumb.
Cutting with a bench scraper rather than a knife matters here. A knife drags and deflates. One firm downward press per cut, no sawing.
The rolls go into a 250°C oven and you immediately drop it to 220°C. That burst of initial heat sets the crust fast. Don't skip the preheat or rush it.

Ways to vary it

You can swap the sesame seeds for poppy seeds, sunflower seeds, or a mix of both. The method is the same. Scatter them on the work surface and press the dough down into them.
For a slightly darker, nuttier crust, replace up to 100 g of the white wheat flour with more wholemeal. The dough will be a little stiffer and the crumb slightly denser, but still good.
These work as small sandwich rolls too. Cut them a bit larger, aim for 12 to 14 pieces instead of 20, and add a few minutes to the bake time.

Storage & leftovers

The rolls are best on the day they're baked, but they keep at room temperature for a day or two wrapped in a cloth. They freeze well once fully cooled. Wrap them individually and reheat straight from frozen in a 180°C oven for about 10 minutes.

What to serve with it

Good butter and a soft cheese is all you need for breakfast. For something more substantial, they hold up well with smoked salmon and a little cream cheese.

By Untrained ChefPublished 18 July 2026