Ingredients

whole milk – Whole milk provides a rich and moist texture. If you don’t have any, use the milk you have.

culinary lavender – You’ll use this to make the simple lavender milk (and strain out the lavender).

active dry yeast – This is what helps the rolls rise since the sourdough discard isn’t active, so it can’t be a leavener.

honey – This is the only sweetener added to the sweet roll dough. Granulated sugar and honey will be added to the filling (along with a sweet cream cheese frosting).

egg – Only one egg is needed. This helps the dough come together while it’s kneading.

butter – Use softened butter. I prefer salted butter. If you only have unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon of salt.

all-purpose flour – I prefer King Arthur brand, but any unbleached all-purpose flour works great.

salt – Just a dash of this is used to help balance the flavor.

sourdough discard – You’ll use inactive sourdough discard. If you wish, you can use active and bubbly sourdough starter.

The ingredients for the filling: honey, granulated sugar, melted butter, culinary lavender.

melted butter – I use salted butter. Softened or melted butter works well.

granulated sugar – This adds the perfect amount of sweetness.

culinary lavender – Just a teaspoon of this is used as it goes a long way.

honey – Helps bring out more of the honey flavor in these sweet rolls.

For the honey cream cheese frosting:

softened cream cheese – Room temperature full-fat cream cheese (block style) is best for the creamiest cream cheese frosting.

honey – A bit of honey adds the perfect touch to these honey lavender sourdough sweet rolls.

vanilla extract – Just a bit of this adds so much flavor to the cream cheese frosting.

milk – I use whole milk. You could also use heavy cream. Both of these provide a creamy texture, though any milk will suffice.

powdered sugar – Sifting the powdered sugar beforehand will remove any clumps.

A single sourdough lavender honey sweet roll sits on a plate with a fork. A bowl of honey with a honey dipper is in the bowl.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Make the lavender milk

Milk and dried lavender sit in a medium saucepan. A bushel of dried lavender sits to the side of the pan.

Start by making the lavender-infused milk. Gently heat the milk in a saucepan on the stove over low-medium heat to around 100–110°F, then stir in the dried lavender.

The lavender milk is being strained into a mixing bowl to remove the dried lavender pieces.

Let it steep for a few minutes to infuse the flavor, then strain out the lavender and allow the milk to cool slightly.

Make the lavender sourdough sweet rolls

The first four steps of how to make these lavender sourdough sweet rolls: The first picture is the bowl of a stand mixer with the lavender milk, honey, and active dry yeast. The next picture shows the bowl with the mixture bubbly and active. The third picture is the dough being kneaded in a stand mixer with a dough hook. The final picture is the dough in a ball before it rises.

Step One: Next, activate the yeast by combining the warm lavender milk with honey and yeast in a small bowl.

Step Two: Let the mixture sit until it becomes foamy—this means the yeast is active and ready to work its magic (about 5-7 minutes).

Step Three: In a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer), combine the yeast mixture with softened butter, egg, salt, and sourdough discard. Gradually add the flour, mixing until a soft dough forms. Knead the dough by hand or a dough hook if using a stand mixer until it’s smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky to the touch (7-9 minutes).

Step Four: Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover it, and let it rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size. This usually takes about 1.5–2 hours, depending on room temperature.

The first picture is the filling mixed together in a bowl. The next picture is the dough ball after rising. The next picture shows the dough rolled out into a rectangle. The final picture shows the rolled out dough with the filling spread on it.

Step Five: While the dough is rising, prepare the filling by mixing sugar, dried lavender, softened butter, and honey until smooth and spreadable.

Steps Six and Seven: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and roll it out into a rectangle on a lightly floured surface.

Step Eight: Evenly spread the lavender honey filling over the surface, leaving a small border around the edges.

The first picture is the dough cut into strips. The next is the rolled unbaked sweet rolls in the baking dish. The third picture shows the freshly baked sweet rolls. And the final picture shows the cream cheese frosting being mixed by a hand mixer.

Step Nine: Use a dough cutter (pizza cutter works great, too) to cut the dough into 8 strips.

Step Ten: Roll the sweet rolls and arrange them in a greased 9-inch baking dish.

Step Eleven: Bake the rolls for 30-35 minutes or until they are golden brown on top and baked all the way through.

Step Twelve: Once the rolls are out of the oven, allow them to cool slightly as you prepare the cream cheese frosting.

Beat together softened cream cheese, vanilla extract, honey, and milk. Slowly add powdered sugar and mix until smooth and creamy.

Spread the frosting generously over the tops. For an extra touch, sprinkle a little dried lavender over the rolls before serving.

Storage

Store any leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can reheat them in the microwave.

A baking pan with unfrosted freshly baked sweet rolls.

Closeup of eight baked sourdough doughnuts.

Breads | Breakfast | Cakes | Dessert | Sourdough Discard Recipes

Sourdough Honey Lavender Sweet Rolls

Ingredients

Step-by-Step Instructions

Make the lavender milk

Make the lavender sourdough sweet rolls

Storage