How to Make Warm and Flaky Dinner Rolls From Scratch

Ah, dinner rolls.  Warm and flaky dinner rolls right out of the oven are the kind of thing that can bring the entire family to the table within minutes.  They also have the most amazing, comforting smell to them, it’s a wonder why dinner roll scented candles have not been invented yet.

 

This recipe is to make light and fluffy traditional dinner rolls using simple grocery store ingredients.  Because it is a traditional recipe, these rolls will take about 2 hours total to prepare and bake, so plan ahead.  This recipe makes about 24 rolls, so if you need much less, simply cut the ingredients in half. 

 

Note: It is best to prepare these using a stand mixer. If you do not have a stand mixer, make sure to beat the dough very well as you add the flour.

 

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup whole milk

  • 2 pkg. dry yeast

  • 1/2 cup butter, melted

  • 1/4 to 1 tsp. salt

  • 1/4 cup sugar

  • 2 eggs

  • 4-1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

 

Warm the milk in a small saucepan over low heat.  Next, mix 1/3 of the milk with the dry yeast in a small bowl and let sit about 15 minutes (yeast should start to bubble). 

 

In a large bowl, combine the remaining milk, melted butter, salt and sugar and beat until the sugar is dissolved.  Add the beaten eggs and bubbly yeast.

 

Next, add flour, 1/4 cup at a time, beating on high speed of mixer for about 5 minutes.  When the dough gets stiff, stir in the rest of the flour by hand to make the dough softer.  Spread some flour on a flat surface or counter-top and knead the dough until smooth. 

 

Place the dough in greased bowl, flipping over to grease the top.  Cover the bowl and let dough rise in a warm place until light and doubled in size.  This should take about 1 hour.

 

Tip: If you are preparing these rolls for a big feast the next day (e.g Thanksgiving or Easter), you can cover the dough (before it has had a chance to rise) and place it in the refrigerator overnight.  The dough won’t rise much in the refrigerator.  The next day, remove the dough from the fridge and let stand at room temperature to rise like normal for 1 hour before proceeding.

 

After the dough has risen, roll out dough on floured surface to ½ inch thickness and cut with a 3 inch cookie cutter.  Brush each roll with melted butter and fold in half (rolls should look like a half moon).  Pinch edges lightly so the rolls don’t unfold as they rise.

 

Place rolls onto two greased 13×9″ pans, cover, and let rise again for about 45 minutes (If you refrigerated the dough overnight, this will take about 60-75 minutes).  The rolls should now be double in size.

 

Note: If the rolls don’t rise, it is likely the yeast you used was “dead,” or expired.  Make sure to use fresh yeast and don’t make the milk too hot.  It should just be warm when you add the yeast.

 

Bake rolls at 350F for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove rolls from pan and brush with freshly melted butter.  Serve immediately.  

 

Subscribe for newsletters &
Get Latest Updates & Offers

Stay
Connected