What happens when you refresh your sour dough yeasties and then ask them to stay alive for 33 days in a dark refrigerator … I find they are VERY reluctant to greet you with bubbling smiles upon your return. I had 7 days to coach the little boys and girls back into bubbles. It didn’t go as well as one would hope.
Our Kitchen of the Month, Judy of Jody’s Gross Eats, presented us with SourDough Hawaiian Rolls and gave us two options … I should have gone with the sourdough discard seeing’s as how I was discarding everyday for over a week. I tried for the straight sourdough. My yeasties were sluggish and I didn’t get the light fluffy ones like I’m imagining all the other Babes did BUT I did get some incredibly glorious aromas and delicious rolls that my husband is crazy for.
I followed Judy’s Sourdough recipe in every way except I replaced 100 grams of bread flour with King Arthur’s Golden Wheat. So right there is a small degree that accounts for the lack of fluffy.
BAKE!
The aroma of these is not not pineapple but it’s not pineapple … I think the vanilla does some alchemy with the pineapple and it is glorious.
All in all, I’m very happy. I believe anyone would be happy with these.
I’m giving my starter one more try before I start over. We’ll see.
MyKitchenInHalfCups 
October 16, 2025 at 4:43 pm
Your rolls look good to me! Golden wheat sounds delicious! I used a packet of instant yeast with the sourdough discard version and lowered the temperature to 375 degrees.
October 16, 2025 at 6:41 pm
I am happy with the Golden Wheat flour. We always see so much better in hindsight, it would have made so much sense to use my starter as discard.
October 16, 2025 at 5:09 pm
When I let mine sit in the fridge for 2 months without a feed over the summer, it does take a few feedings at room temp to get it really happy! But I have been using it a lot this past month so it is super happy and doubling in the fridge even. I love my starter so much. These rolls definitely took their time rising. I think it was a full 3½ hours in the oven on proof setting. And the bulk ferment took even longer. More like 4-5.
October 16, 2025 at 6:39 pm
Patience is so difficult but these were worth the wait even if they were less than fluffy.
October 16, 2025 at 7:15 pm
You probably know this but I’ve found a tablespoon of rye added to the flour when feeding my starter seems to help if it’s sluggish. As long as I get bubbles, I don’t worry about it doubling either. I’ve had mine for about 18 years! (Hope I’m not jinxing it, lol). I love that you used some golden wheat. Your rolls look great and the color too. I love that these made your husband happy too!
October 17, 2025 at 7:51 am
Funny you should say Karen: it was my rye starter that was the most sluggish! I generally have beautiful rye starter using organic rye. But now that I’m thinking that way, it might have been a good idea to spike that organic bread starter a little of the rye. Didn’t think that way. Always loving the golden wheat flour.
October 17, 2025 at 2:24 pm
Started can be so tricky! The end result, even with the golden wheat flour, looks fabulous! Thanks for baking with me.
October 17, 2025 at 5:22 pm
Thanks for very good rolls and pineapple and vanilla new aroma/flavor!
October 17, 2025 at 2:39 pm
I think I need these.
October 17, 2025 at 5:22 pm
Of course you do!