Dinner rolls recipe built on a rich milk and butter dough, mixed in one bowl and baked soft and golden in a 9×13 pan. That makes it an easy make ahead bread for Christmas dinner, Thanksgiving or a Sunday roast, since both rises finish before the oven goes on. Fourteen to sixteen rolls per batch.
Knead the dough a full five minutes, then stretch a piece until light passes through it without tearing. Stop short of that and the rolls bake dense instead of pulling apart in soft shreds.
The source offers a 9×13 pan, two round pans, a skillet or a bare baking sheet without saying what changes. Rolls packed into a filled pan steam each other into soft sides, while a loose sheet pan crusts every face.
Soft Dinner Rolls
Course: Side DishCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalA sweet milk dough enriched with egg and butter, kneaded until it passes the windowpane test. Shaped into balls, baked close together until deep gold, then brushed with honey butter straight from the oven.
Ingredients
1 cup (240ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110F
2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast (1 packet)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1 large egg
1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter, softened and cut into 4 pieces
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups (390g) all-purpose flour or bread flour
Optional topping: 2 tablespoons melted butter mixed with 1 tablespoon honey
Directions
- Start the yeast: Whisk the warm milk, yeast and 1 tablespoon of the sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Cover and leave it 5 minutes.
- Make the dough: Add the remaining sugar, the egg, butter, salt and 1 cup of the flour. Mix on low 30 seconds, scrape the bowl, add the rest of the flour and beat on medium about 2 minutes until the dough pulls away from the sides.
- Knead and rise: Knead 5 full minutes in the mixer or by hand, adding flour a teaspoon at a time only if it sticks. Put it in a greased bowl, cover, and let it rise 1 to 2 hours until doubled.
- Shape and rise again: Punch the dough down and divide it into 14 to 16 pieces. Roll each into a smooth ball, arrange them in a greased 9×13 pan, cover and let them rise about 1 hour until puffy.
- Bake: Heat the oven to 350F with the rack in a lower position. Bake 20 to 25 minutes until golden, rotating the pan halfway, then brush with the honey butter.
FAQs
How many calories are in one dinner roll?
The source publishes no nutrition at all, so this one is calculated from the ingredients and comes to about 145 calories per roll. That assumes fifteen rolls from the batch and leaves out the optional honey butter. Brushing them adds roughly twenty calories each.
Should I use bread flour or all-purpose flour?
Either works and the recipe lists both, but they do not give the same roll. Bread flour has more protein, so it builds more gluten and gives a chewier roll that holds its height. All-purpose gives a softer, more tender crumb, which is what most people want on a holiday table.
Why did my dough not rise?
Milk that is too hot kills the yeast, so keep it near 110F and warm rather than steaming. A cold kitchen only slows the rise, it does not stop it, so give it the full two hours before worrying. Old yeast is the other common cause and it will not foam in the first five minutes.
What do I serve with dinner rolls?
Anything with gravy or juices on the plate, because that is what the rolls are for. Roast meat and a starchy side make the obvious pairing on a holiday table. A pan of christmas stuffing with bacon next to them covers most of a Christmas dinner.
How are these different from Parker House rolls?
Parker House rolls are folded over before baking and brushed heavily with butter, so they pull open in two buttery layers. These are plain round balls, lighter on the outside and softer all the way through. For the folded version, try these Bobby Flay Parker House rolls.
