Soft Dinner Rolls

5 from 1 vote

This Soft Dinner Rolls Recipe makes golden, pillowy rolls that are easy, fluffy, and perfect for any meal or holiday table.

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Rise Time1 30

Total Time3 35

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Servings: rolls

Calories: 279kcal

Author: Lisa Killian

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk warm, but no hotter than 110°F
1 tablespoon instant yeast or one standard packet*
¼ cup white sugar
1 large egg
¼ cup unsalted butter Cut into four pieces
3 ½ cups flour 420 grams
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large bowl, or a stand mixer bowl, combine flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.
1 tablespoon instant yeast, ¼ cup white sugar, 3 ½ cups flour, 1 teaspoon salt
In a microwave-safe dish, heat your butter and milk. Heat for 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until your mixture is warm and the butter is melted. The temperature on an instant-read thermometer should be between 115°F and 130°F*.
1 cup whole milk, ¼ cup unsalted butter
Mix the warm liquid and the egg into the flour mixture until a dough forms. Then knead for 5-10 minutes until the dough is sticky. If using a stand mixer, after the dough forms, switch to a dough hook attachment and knead for 5 minutes.
1 large egg
1st Rise: Lightly grease a bowl with oil or nonstick spray (like Pam). Transfer the dough to a clean bowl and lightly cover it with a clean kitchen towel or plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a warm spot in the kitchen until it has doubled in size, ~45 minutes.
Once doubled punch the dough down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide dough into 9 pieces and roll into balls. Grease a 9x9 baking dish and place rolls evenly spaced in it.
2nd Rise: Loosely cover the baking dish with a dish towel or plastic wrap, and allow rolls to rise in a warm place until doubled ~45 minutes.
Adjust oven rack to the lower third of the oven (to prevent roll tops from burning), and preheat oven to 350F°. Bake rolls for 20-25 minutes. The tops of the rolls should be golden brown. If rolls are browning too quickly, cover with foil.
Once rolls are cooked, remove from the oven and brush with melted butter.
1 tablespoons unsalted butter

Notes

Tips and Tricks

Yeast: If you don't have instant/rapid rise, you can use Active Yeast, but heat the milk until it is between 105-110°F, add the yeast and sugar, and allow to activate for 5 minutes. Then mix the yeast/milk mixture into the flour, salt, egg, and melted butter until the dough forms. The dough will take longer to double in both the first and second rise (expect up to 1.5-2 hrs for the 1st rise, and 1 hr for the second).
Overnight Instructions: Prepare the recipe through step 6. Once you have shaped your rolls and placed them in the baking dish, cover them with plastic wrap (making sure to create a tight seal), and refrigerate overnight, for up to 15 hours. Refrigerating will slow the second rise, preventing the dough from overproofing. 3 hours before you bake, remove the dough from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature. Continue with baking instructions in step 7.
Dough Freezing Instructions: Prepare the recipe through step 6. Once you have shaped your rolls and placed them in the baking dish, cover with plastic wrap (you want a tight seal), and freeze for up to 3 months. You can move the frozen balls of dough to a bag once they're frozen to save freezer space, as they won’t be sticky anymore. Keep frozen for up to 3 months. When ready to bake, arrange the frozen dough balls in a greased baking dish, cover, and let them thaw for 4-5 hours. Then bake as directed in step 7.
Baked Rolls Freezing Instructions: Freeze baked rolls that have cooled completely in an airtight baggie for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw overnight in the refrigerator before eating. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven at a low temperature (~300°F).

Nutrition