Everyday Dinner Rolls
It is my belief that a solid recipe for everyday dinner rolls should be in any home cook’s back pocket. At most holiday meals families will have this staple on the table, regardless of other food traditions.
I will confess that until about a year ago I had failed at innumerable dinner-roll-making attempts. This was actually one of the very first things I tried to bake for Eat Joyfully back in 2014. I finally gave up for a year or so and didn’t even touch a packet of grocery store yeast! Most of the time I found my results too dry, too sweet, or too difficult to cook evenly. It was frustrating and time-consuming.
Finally, last November, I tried out this recipe on a whim. The rolls were heavenly. Super easy, inexpensive, and absolutely delicious. I made them again for Thanksgiving that year and yet again for Christmas. Since then, I’ve made the full recipe many times simply to freeze the bulk of them so that I can warm them as a nice dinner side on busy nights. [Another benefit of this recipe is how well they reheat from frozen!]
So, I have been keeping this recipe for everyday dinner rolls somewhat of a secret BUT in my defense I had not gotten the chance to take nice pictures of the process until a few weeks ago!
These are salty, buttery, moist, and fluffy; enjoy!
Everyday Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 4 1/2 cups AP flour
- 2 tablespoons instant yeast
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk
- 1 stick salted butter, divided
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon Maldon salt, for finishing
Instructions
Mix dough
-
In the bowl of a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment, combine 3 cups of flour with the yeast, sugar, and salt. Turn on low to mix.
-
Measure out milk and warm to 110F, no higher. It should feel just slightly warm to the touch.
-
Soften 5 tablespoons of the butter.
-
Add milk, butter, and egg to the mixer. Put speed on medium and beat for 2 minutes.
-
Add 1/2 cup flour and beat until the flour is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
-
Add an additional 1/2 cup and beat for 2 minutes.
-
Dough should form a clear ball and be only slightly sticky to the touch. If dough is still wet and sloppy, add additional 1/2 cup flour and beat for 2 more minutes.
First rise
-
Cover the mixer bowl with a towel and let the dough rise for at least 30 minutes. It should double in size at least.
Shaping
-
Grease a small jelly roll pan* (see notes).
-
On a food scale covered in parchment paper, weigh the entire dough ball. Divide total weight by 24. This will be the weight of each roll.
-
Pinch off sections of dough and weigh each roll to get them as even as possible.
-
Roll each into a ball and pull the sides under and pinch them together to create a smooth, rounded top. Repeat and place all weighed and shapped rolls into the prepared pan.
Second rise
-
Cover the pan with a tea towel and rise for another 30 minutes. They will rise to fill out the open space in the pan.
Bake
-
Preheat the oven to 375F and bake the rolls for 15 minutes, checking for browning.
-
Tent them with tin foil to prevent too much browning, and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes. They are done right when there is no raw dough around the center roll.
Dress and serve
-
Melt remaining butter and brush onto tops of baked rolls.
-
Sprinkle with finishing salt and serve immediately** (see notes).
Recipe Notes
- *Use a quarter sheet pan (12.5″ x 9″) like this one with low sides for even baking and spacing of rolls. 1 pan is the perfect size for this recipe.
- **These rolls, once cooled, can be frozen for up to 6 months and then reheated with a bit of butter in the middle and they are still just as good!
