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Soft Dinner Rolls Recipe

4.5 from 69 reviews
  • Author: Villerius
  • Prep Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 22 minutes
  • Total Time: 3 hours 47 minutes
  • Yield: 14-16 rolls
  • Category: Bread
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American

Description

These soft dinner rolls are fluffy, tender, and lightly golden, perfect for any meal or holiday table. Made with simple pantry ingredients including warm milk, instant yeast, butter, and flour, these homemade rolls offer a comforting texture with a slightly sweet honey butter glaze. The dough is easy to prepare using a stand mixer or by hand, with two rises ensuring the rolls are perfectly airy before baking in the oven. Enjoy warm, fresh-baked rolls with butter or as a side to soups, stews, and roasts.

Ingredients

Scale

Dough

  • 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
  • 2 and 1/4 teaspoons Platinum Yeast from Red Star instant yeast (1 standard packet)
  • 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and cut into 4 pieces
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 cups (390g) all-purpose flour or bread flour (spooned & leveled)

Optional Topping

  • 2 Tablespoons (28g) melted unsalted butter
  • 1 Tablespoon honey

Instructions

  1. Prepare the dough: In the bowl of your stand mixer, whisk together warm milk, instant yeast, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. Cover and let sit for 5 minutes to activate the yeast. If you don’t have a mixer, combine in a mixing bowl and stir with a wooden spoon.
  2. Mix the dough: Add the remaining tablespoon of sugar, egg, softened butter, salt, and 1 cup of flour to the yeast mixture. Using a dough hook or paddle attachment, mix on low speed for 30 seconds, then scrape down the bowl. Add the remaining flour and beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and slightly pulls away from the bowl sides, about 2 minutes. If too wet, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until manageable but still slightly sticky.
  3. Knead the dough: Continue kneading in the mixer for 5 more minutes or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes. Add small amounts of flour as needed to keep the dough soft and slightly tacky, avoiding dryness. Perform the windowpane test by gently stretching a small piece of dough to see if light passes without tearing, indicating proper kneading.
  4. First rise: Lightly grease a large bowl and place the dough inside, turning to coat in oil. Cover with foil, plastic wrap, or a kitchen towel. Let the dough rise in a warm area for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
  5. Prepare baking pans: Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan or two 9-inch pans. Optionally, a cast iron skillet or lined baking sheet can be used.
  6. Shape the rolls: Punch down the risen dough to release air. Divide into 14-16 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball and arrange them spaced evenly in the prepared pan.
  7. Second rise: Cover the shaped rolls and let rise until puffy, about 1 hour.
  8. Preheat oven: Position the oven rack low and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C) to ensure even baking and prevent overbrowning of tops.
  9. Bake the rolls: Bake rolls for 20-25 minutes until golden brown, rotating pan halfway through baking. Tent with foil if tops brown too quickly. Remove from oven.
  10. Apply topping: Brush hot rolls with a mixture of melted butter and honey, if using, then cool slightly before serving.
  11. Store leftovers: Keep rolls tightly covered at room temperature for 2-3 days or refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Notes

  • Freezing Instructions: Prepare dough through the shaping step. Place shaped rolls in a greased pan, cover tightly, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw and allow to rise for 4-5 hours before baking. You can also freeze baked rolls for up to 3 months; thaw and reheat at 300°F (149°C) for about 10 minutes.
  • Overnight Instructions: After shaping, cover rolls tightly and refrigerate up to 15 hours. Remove 3 hours before baking for counter rise. Alternatively, perform the first rise in the fridge overnight, then remove and allow 2 hours at room temperature before shaping and baking.
  • Baking Pan Preference: Glass 9×13 inch pans yield more even browning compared to metal. Baking on a lower oven rack helps prevent burning tops.
  • Yeast Options: Platinum Yeast from Red Star is used here as instant yeast. Active dry yeast can be substituted but may require longer rise times.
  • Flour Choice: Both all-purpose and bread flour work. Bread flour results in chewier texture; all-purpose creates soft, fluffy rolls. No other recipe adjustments needed.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 roll
  • Calories: 150
  • Sugar: 3g
  • Sodium: 180mg
  • Fat: 5g
  • Saturated Fat: 3g
  • Unsaturated Fat: 2g
  • Trans Fat: 0g
  • Carbohydrates: 22g
  • Fiber: 1g
  • Protein: 4g
  • Cholesterol: 35mg

Find it online: https://emilyscook.com/soft-dinner-rolls-recipe/