There’s something so completely magical about warm, freshly-baked bread with holiday meals, but these Soft Yeast Dinner Rolls are the most irresistible of them all. This is the best dinner roll recipe I’ve found; every bite is super soft, pillowy, and cloud-like.
If you’ve never made yeast rolls before, roll up your sleeves and get ready to bake up a new tradition.
With everything going on during a bustling holiday season, it’s tempting to grab a package of frozen rolls for the table as an afterthought…I’ve certainly done it. Who needs bread, anyways, with all the rest of the food?
I do. And maybe you do, too.
They’re slightly sweet but not overly so. Wait until you sample one fresh out of the oven, with butter. It’s not just their texture; it’s their taste that is what makes them the best dinner roll recipe around.
These homemade dinner rolls are so good, I always find myself regretting it if I go with store bought rolls. After all they’re not so difficult to make–the dough spends most of its active time rising, letting the yeast work. All I have to do is gently portion it into balls and guide them into shape every once in awhile.
Ingredients
- 4 ½ teaspoons 2 packets Active Dry Yeast
- 1 ½ cups Warm Water 110-115 degrees
- 5 ½ cups Bread Flour
- 1 Tablespoon Salt
- ¼ cup Sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Dry Milk Powder
- 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter softened
- 1 Egg
- Egg Wash
Instructions
- Soften (bloom) the yeast in warm water for 5 minutes.
- In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook attachment, combine flour, salt, sugar, dry milk powder, butter, and egg. With the motor running on low, slowly drizzle in the yeast mixture.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium and mix until shiny and smooth, about 10 minutes.
- Turn out the dough onto a dry surface and shape into a ball. Place into a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm place (80 to 85 degrees, see notes) until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Punch down the dough and allow to rest a few minutes for the gluten to relax.
- Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Turn out the dough onto a dry surface. Using a bench scraper, divide the dough into 4 equal portions and then divide those into 8 equal portions (about 1 ¼ oz each). Shape each portion into a round ball by pushing and turning the palm of your hand in a circular motion against the countertop and place 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets.
- Cover the shaped rolls with a clean kitchen towel and place the baking sheets on top of the oven. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and proof the shaped rolls until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
- Gently brush the tops with egg wash. Bake until golden brown, about 18-20 minutes, rotating the baking sheets halfway through. Serve warm or allow to cool, place in Ziplock bags, and freeze for another night.
Recipe Notes
To create a warm environment ideal for yeast-rising, preheat your oven to its minimum temperature (170 degrees, 200 degrees), but shut it off once the temperature reaches 110 degrees. Place your dough (in a greased bowl, covered with plastic wrap), on a baking sheet and in the oven. The oven temperature will drop when you open the oven door, but enough residual heat will remain that your dough should steadily rise.
