Moist & Fluffy Dinner Rolls

Fluffy dinner rolls made from scratch can be made a day ahead of time. These yeasted dinner rolls are baked to golden brown perfection and have the best buttery flavor. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas or Sunday night dinner. 

There are very few things I love in life more than chocolate. Travel is one, family and friends as well, but have you ever had fresh bread out of the oven? With a nice bit of butter all melty in the fluffy layers? Literally, I am weak at the knees and salivating thinking about it.

It's almost too easy- I won't tell you how many rolls I ate. Or my sister Lydia ate. I am telling you fresh bread is DANGEROUS!

I'm gonna bake two batches for Thanksgiving so we can have leftovers. Since the whole reason for baking a big ol' Turkey is to have leftovers right? And with my leftover bread, leftover turkey and squeezable butter -- that means the kids can make Aunty Bunny a sandwich- while she kicks her feet up after cooking all day! And hopefully, some midnight shopping too 😉

Let's get to it.

How do you make homemade bread rolls?

This recipe uses yeast- I know that yeast has a scary reputation. But yeast is a beautiful thing- hello fresh bread rolls or cinnamon rolls.

Place the water and flour in a small bowl and set the bowl on top of a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Whisk the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture thickens to a smooth pudding-like texture. (You can also do this in the microwave in 20-second increments)

In the bowl of a stand mixer add the flour paste and milk then whisk to combine. Next whisk in the egg, then add the flour and yeast. Attach the dough hook and mix on low to medium speed just until combined- 1 to 2 minutes. Let the dough stand for 15 minutes.

Once the dough has rested for 15 minutes add the granulated sugar and salt then mix for five minutes on low speed. After five minutes with the mixer still on low add the softened butter, 1 piece at a time. Continue mixing for five more minutes scraping down the side of the bowl and the dough hook as needed.

Spray a large bowl with vegetable oil.

Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough to form a ball. Place the dough in the prepared bowl with the seam side facing down. Spray the top of the dough with a bit of vegetable oil, then place a tea towel or plastic wrap on top of the bowl. Set it aside to rise for roughly an hour, until the dough has doubled in size.

Grease a 9-inch pan and set aside- I use my cake pans.

Once the dough has doubled in size transfer the dough to the flowered work surface. I like to use my Silpat countertop workspace- easy cleanup!

Use your hands to pat and stretch the dough to form an 8" x 9" rectangle. With the 8" side facing you, cut the dough in half lengthwise, then cut each half in half again to create four long strips. Then cut the dough the opposite way into thirds to create 12 equal pieces of dough.

Take one piece of dough and stretch the dough to form an 8 "x 2" strip. Roll the dough up into a cylinder shape and place the dough in the prepared pan, with the seam side of the dough face down. Repeat with all pieces of dough and cover the pan with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let rise again until doubled 35 to 55 minutes. (You could wrap the dough in plastic wrap and keep in the fridge to bake the next morning or place in the freeze for a few weeks ahead of time)

How long do bread rolls take to cook?

When the dough is ready to bake preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the rolls on the lowest rack in the oven for 22 to 28 minutes, or until a deep golden brown. Let the bread cool on a wire rack for five minutes then place a tablespoon or two of Land O Lakes® Soft Squeeze™ Spread on top and use a pastry brush to brush all over the tops of the rolls.

These rolls would be great with my Guinness Beef Stew. Another side dish I love are these salt and vinegar smashed potatoes or roasted fingerling potatoes.

★★★★★ Please let me know if you make this recipe by leaving a star rating and comment below!

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Dinner Rolls From Scratch

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Fluffy dinner rolls made from scratch can be made a day ahead of time. These yeasted dinner rolls are baked to golden brown perfection and have the best buttery flavor. Perfect for Thanksgiving, Christmas or Sunday night dinner.

• Total Time: 2 hours 55 minutes
• Yield: 12 1x

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• 4oz (½ Cup) Water
• 3 Tablespoons Bread Flour
• 4oz (½ Cup) Cold Milk
• 1 Large Egg
• 250 grams (2 Cups) Bread Flour
• 1 ½ Teaspoons Rapid Rise Yeast
• 1 Tablespoons + 1 Teaspoon Granulated Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter softened and cut into 4 pieces
• 1-2 Tablespoons Land O Lakes® Soft Squeeze™ Spread for brushing on top of the rolls
• Extra Land O Lakes® Soft Squeeze™ Spread for spreading inside rolls

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Instructions

1. Place the water and flour in a small bowl and set the bowl on top of a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bowl does not touch the water. Whisk the mixture for 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture thickens to a smooth pudding-like texture.*
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer add the flour paste and milk then whisk to combine. Next whisk in the egg, then add the flour and yeast. Attach the dough hook and mix on low to medium speed just until combined- 1 to 2 minutes. Let the dough stand for 15 minutes.
3. Once the dough has rested for 15 minutes add the granulated sugar and salt then mix for five minutes on low speed. After five minutes with the mixer still on low add the softened butter, 1 piece at a time. Continue mixing for five more minutes scraping down the side of the bowl and the dough hook as needed. Spray a large bowl with vegetable oil and set aside.
4. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough to form a ball. Place the dough in the prepared bowl with the seam side facing down. Spray the top of the dough with a bit of vegetable oil, then place a tea towel or plastic wrap on top of the bowl. Set it aside to rise for roughly an hour, until the dough has doubled in size.**
5. Once the dough has doubled in size transfer the dough to the flowered work surface. Grease a 9-inch pan and set aside.
6. Use your hands to pat and stretch the dough to form an 8" x 9" rectangle. With the 8" side facing you cut the dough in half lengthwise, then cut each half in half again to create four long strips. Then cut the dough the opposite way into thirds to create 12 equal pieces of dough.
7. Take one piece of dough and stretch the dough to form an 8 "x 2" strip. Roll the dough up into a cylinder shape and place the dough in the prepared pan, with the seam side of the dough face down. Repeat with all pieces of dough and cover the pan with plastic wrap or a tea towel and let rise again until doubled 35 to 55 minutes.
8. When the dough is ready to bake preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Bake the rolls on the lowest rack in the oven for 22 to 28 minutes, or until a deep golden brown. Let the bread cool on a wire rack for five minutes then place a tablespoon or two of Land O Lakes® Soft Squeeze™ Spread on top and use a pastry brush to brush it all over the tops of the rolls. Serve with Land O Lakes® Soft Squeeze™ Spread.

Equipment

Cake Pans

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OXO Kitchen Scale

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Notes

• *You can also microwave whisking every 20 to 30 seconds.
• ** I turn my oven on to 200°F/93°C and then turn it off immediately then place the dough inside the oven to rise.
• Can you make these overnight? Make the rolls up to the second rise. So once the dough balls are in the pan cover with plastic wrap and set in the refrigerator overnight. When ready to bake the homemade rolls take them out of the fridge and let them sit at room temp. to rise for 30-45 minutes- until the dough roughly doubled in size again.
• Can you freeze these? Totally, I prefer to freeze my dough unbaked and let the dough sit in the fridge overnight then let the dough rise on the counter at room temp. for 30-45 minutes. Then bake according to the recipe below.
• Can you make them a day before? You can totally make them the day before and reheat them in the oven. All you have to do is wrap the rolls in foil and bake for 10-15 minutes at 350F/180C.

Recipe Slightly Adapted: Cooks Illustrated

• Author: Elizabeth Waterson
• Prep Time: 2 Hours 30 Minutes
• Cook Time: 25
• Category: Bread
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: American

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