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. It’s hard to stop at one.

There have been a lot of surprises around the homestead lately. First, the surprise calf born three months “early.” 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 I’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 1890’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 didn’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 I’m fairly positive they didn’t have a recipe like this sourdough herb and cheese roll, I’m sure they wished they did. Melted cheese between layers of herbed butter with caramelized onions and tasty sourdough is so yummy. 

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 you’re going to all the effort, caramelize extra onions for toppings on other things like burgers, stir fry, sandwiches, etc.! If you don’t have fresh herbs, you can substitute with dried herbs. Use 1 tsp sage, 1⁄2 tsp dried rosemary, and 1 tsp dried thyme.
• Sprinkle the tops of the buns with some finely chopped thyme leaves.

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Tools you may need:

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

Large cast iron skillet

Measuring cups and spoons

Grain mill (optional)

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.

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. 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.

Place the rolls into a well-seasoned 14″ 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. 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:

• Sourdough Cherry Cobbler
• Sourdough Cheddar Waffles
• Chocolate And Coconut Sourdough Scones
• Fluffy Sourdough Biscuits
• No-Knead Sourdough Bread

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