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.