Sourdough Christmas Tree Rolls Recipe
This holiday season, enjoy this recipe for Sourdough Christmas Tree Rolls! Fun to make and really brings a festive touch to your holiday table with just a few simple ingredients.
The holiday season is a time for gathering with loved ones and indulging in delicious, comforting food. One recipe that is perfectly simple but encapsulates the festive spirit and brings joy to the table is Christmas Tree Rolls. These soft, fluffy rolls are not only yummy to eat but also add a festive touch because of the Christmas tree shape.
Speaking of the holiday season, my Holiday Baking with Sourdough recipe guide is available for download and is full of festive recipes for the Christmas season!
Why You’ll Love Them
Shaped like a Christmas tree, they add a whimsical and festive touch to any holiday meal. Perfect for pulling and sharing, this recipe makes a fun appetizer or side dish that everyone will love.
These rolls are surprisingly simple to make. With straightforward ingredients and easy-to-follow steps, even novice bakers can create this dish with confidence. Plus, making these rolls is a great activity for the whole family.
My kids love helping shape the dough and arranging it into the shape of a Christmas tree as you probaly noticed by the photos. Maybe this is a good time to remind you that the food you make doesn’t have to be Pinterest worthy; your family just needs to enjoy it and be nourished by it.
Ingredients
This recipe can be as simple or as extravagant as you like. When I last made this recipe and took photos for this post, I kept it very simple and only added butter to the tops of the rolls. Other times I’ve added cheese and herbs. Honestly, Itjust depends on what I plan on serving alongside these Christmas tree shaped dinner rolls.
Dough: I like to use my sandwich loaf dough for christmas tree bread. My sandwich loaf recipe makes 3 loaves of bread or 48 rolls. This is the recipe you’ll find below. However, if you’re in a pinch for time, you could grab a store-bought dough from the grocery store or a pre-made pizza dough to use for this christmas tree pull-apart bread.
Herb and Butter Mixture: There are so many delicious variations of melted butter, herbs, and cheese that can be added to dinner rolls for added flavor. Be sure to take a look at a few different combinations our family loves in the variations and substitutions section below.
You can find a complete list of ingredients in the printable recipe card below.
How To Make Christmas Tree Pull-Apart Rolls
Mix
Step 1: The night before you want to bake your rolls, prepare your leaven by adding 2 tablespons of sourdough starter, 1 cup of water, and 1 cup of all purpose flour to a clean jar. Stir and leave out to double and bubble.
Step 2: The next morning, to the bowl of a stand mixer, add 2 1/4 cups of warm water and the active leaven from the night before. (This should be about 2 cups.) Stir to disperse.
Step 3: Then you’ll add 3/4 cup of warm milk, 1/4 cup of honey, and 4 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir until combined.
Step 4: Allow your dough to sit for 20 minutes covered and then add an additional 1/4 cup of honey, 3 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 3 more cups of flour. Using your dough hook attachment, knead the bread in your stand mixer on low speed for 4-5 minutes or until the dough is soft and elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
Step 5: Place your dough into a large bowl and cover. I often times use a plate to cover my bowl but plastic wrap will work as well. Allow your dough to sit on the counter for the first rise also known as bulk fermentation for 4-8 hours.
Rise time is forgiving. I typically lean closer to 5-6 hours because I prefer to bake my bread the same day. However, you can bulk ferment overnight on the counter as well.
Shape
Step 6: You’ll notice your dough looks soft and has increased in size. Now it’s time to shape your rolls. Using your bowl scraper, pull your dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Divide your dough into golf-ball sized pieces and shape. Place the dough balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet in the shape of a tree.
Step 7: Cover with plastic wrap and allow your dough to rise for 1-2 hours.
Bake
Step 8: Preheat your oven to 450°F. Then use a pastry brush to brush the rolls with melted butter and bake for 15-20 minutes. This is also the time you will want to brush on any of the butters listed below. Rolls should be baked to a golden brown color. Transfer to a festive serving platter and serve warm.
Variations and Substitutions
These variations can easily be brushed onto the dinner rolls before baking or served as a flavorful dip alongside them. Feel free to mix and match according to your preferences! Another suggestion is to serve garlic herb or Italian herbrolls alongside pizza sauce for dipping. My kids enjoy this as a Christmas appetizer while waiting for our holiday meal.
Garlic Herb Butter
- Melted Butter: 1/2 cup
- Herbs: Minced garlic (2-3 cloves), fresh parsley, and thyme.
- Cheese: Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.
Italian Herb Butter
- Melted Butter: 1/2 cup
- Herbs: Dried oregano, basil, and rosemary or Italian seasoning blend.
- Cheese: Mozzarella or a blend of Italian cheeses.
Sweet Cinnamon Butter
- Melted Butter: 1/2 cup
- Herbs: Ground cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg.
- Cheese: Cream cheese for a sweeter, creamy texture.
Storage & Freezing Instructions
Rolls are best served warm and fresh from the oven but you can keep them fresh for 2-3 days by placing them in an airtight container and storing at room temperature. To reheat, simply warm them in the oven for just a few minutes on300°F.
Because the holiday season is often busy, these Christmas tree rolls can be baked and frozen for later use. For best results, wrap the rolls in plastic wrap before sealing them in a freezer-safe bag.
Serve them as a guaranteed showstopping centerpiece at a holiday party or as the perfect side dish to any meal at home. This easy recipe will soon become a festive favorite!
Additional Holiday Recipes with Sourdough
Gingerbread Men
Cinnamon Rolls
Sourdough Sugar Cookies
Happy Holidays!
If you love this recipe, I’d love it if you gave it a 5 star review!
Sourdough Christmas Tree Shaped Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 cups leaven
- 2 1/4 cups water
- 3/4 cup warm milk
- 1/2 cup honey divided
- 3 Tbsp melted butter
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 7 cups all-purpose flour
- Additional 1/2 cup melted butter for brushing on the tops
- Optional herbs and cheese
Instructions
- The night before you want to bake your rolls, prepare your leaven by adding 2 tablespons of sourdough starter, 1 cup of water, and 1 cup of all purpose flour to a clean jar. Stir and leave out to double and bubble.
- The next morning, to the bowl of a stand mixer, add 2 1/4 cups of warm water and the active leaven from the night before. (This should be about 2 cups.) Stir to disperse.
- Add 3/4 cup of warm milk, 1/4 cup of honey, and 4 cups of all-purpose flour. Stir until combined.
- Allow your dough to sit for 20 minutes covered and then add an additional 1/4 cup of honey, 3 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 tablespoon of salt, and 3 more cups of flour. Using your dough hook attachment, knead the bread in your stand mixer on low speed for 4-5 minutes or until the dough is soft and elastic and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.
- Place your dough into a large bowl and cover. I often times use a plate to cover my bowl but plastic wrap will work as well. Allow your dough to sit on the counter for the first rise also known as bulk fermentation for 4-8 hours.
- You’ll notice your dough looks soft and has increased in size. Now it’s time to shape your rolls. Using your bowl scraper, pull your dough from the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Divide your dough into golf-ball sized pieces and shape. Place the dough balls onto a parchment lined baking sheet in the shape of a tree.
- Cover with plastic wrap and allow your dough to rise for 1-2 hours.
- Preheat your oven to 450°F. Use a pastry brush to brush the rolls with melted butter and bake for 15-20 minutes. This is also the time you will want to brush on any of the butters listed below in the recipe notes. Rolls should be baked to a golden brown color. Transfer to a festive serving platter and serve warm.
Notes
- Melted Butter: 1/2 cup
- Herbs: Minced garlic (2-3 cloves), fresh parsley, and thyme.
- Cheese: Grated Parmesan or Romano cheese.
- Melted Butter: 1/2 cup
- Herbs: Dried oregano, basil, and rosemary or Italian seasoning blend.
- Cheese: Mozzarella or a blend of Italian cheeses.
- Melted Butter: 1/2 cup
- Herbs: Ground cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg.
- Cheese: Cream cheese for a sweeter, creamy texture.
