Let’s be real: in the hierarchy of foods, bread wins. If it’s on the table, it upstages everything else. And if it’s warm from the oven? Game over.
And yet baking bread can be intimidating. Even the most confident baker might get nervous with a yeast dough recipe. After all, yeast is alive, unpredictable, and tough to control.
For those who want to dabble in bread baking, or for those who need a success after any discouraging yeast dough failure, dinner rolls are a fantastic entry point. Our basic dinner roll recipe requires just seven ingredients and almost zero technique. (Truly, if you can pour yourself a bowl of cereal, that’s about the skill level required to master these dinner rolls!) Plus, the dough is relatively fast to make, proof (i.e. rise) and bake, compared to lengthier bread projects.
Of course, mastering dinner rolls is its own reward: the best reason to make them is the buttery flavor and pillowy texture of warm bread, straight from the oven to the table. Bring them to the backyard barbecue, the holiday table, a tea party, or anywhere you want to hear oohs and ahhs.
Ready to start your first (or next) bread-baking project? Use our tips to ensure you wind up with tender, golden dinner rolls every time.
Start with rich, whole ingredients
The more fat in a bread dough, the softer the end result. So for this tender style of bread, you definitely need to use the best whole ingredients like whole milk, high-quality butter, granulated sugar and all-purpose flour. This isn’t the place to sub in low-fat milk, alternative sugars or flours. Follow the ingredients to the letter for the flakiest, most toothsome dinner roll.
Check your yeast
We call for active dry yeast in our recipe, which takes a good 1-2 hours to fully proof the dinner roll dough. Be sure that your yeast is younger than its expiration date, or it’s very possible your rolls won’t rise. And when you bring your warm milk, yeast and sugar together to proof for five minutes in a bowl, if the yeast doesn’t bubble and foam a little, cut your losses and start over. Better to go back to the beginning than end up with a pan of flat dinner rolls.
Keep your butter at room temperature
This makes it fluid enough to work throughout the dough for a soft texture. Bring sticks of Challenge Butter to room temperature by letting them sit on the kitchen counter for an hour or so.
Use a stand mixer
We prefer a stand mixer with a dough hook for the most consistent dinner roll dough. Don’t have a stand mixer? No problem. With a wooden spoon, elbow grease, and a little extra time, you can mix the dough by hand. Just make sure the dough comes to an elastic, springy texture that’s not too sticky.
Don’t add too much flour
If your dough is so sticky it’s impossible to work with, add a little flour — just a tablespoon at a time — and work each addition into the dough. Be careful not to add too much, or it will make your rolls heavy and leaden rather than light and fluffy.
Pick a warm spot for proofing
For dough to proof, think of it like a cat: it wants a warm spot to hang out. This might be in your turned-off oven with the pilot light on, beside a radiator, or even in a sunny spot on the living room floor. Wherever the air is warm and draft-free, your dough will grow.
Shape your dough like socks
Once the dough has proofed and you’ve cut it into several pieces, practice pinching the dough into a soft, round shape. Form each piece into a ball and pull at the edges to fold the roll in on itself at the back — almost like tucking one sock into the other when you fold laundry. Be gentle, rotating the roll to get all of the edges tucked in. Then pinch it to close for a smooth, round roll before placing it in the greased pan.
Know your make-ahead options
Dinner rolls are a great candidate for making ahead of time, then refrigerating or even freezing. Once your rolls are shaped and placed in the pan, cover them tightly with plastic wrap and transfer to the fridge up to a day in advance. Three hours before you want the rolls ready, pull them from the fridge, remove the plastic wrap and cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel to rise for one to two hours before putting them in the oven. You can also freeze your rolls after they’re shaped and in the pan. Cover and freeze until you’re ready to bake them. Then pull the frozen buns from the freezer, remove the plastic wrap, place a clean kitchen towel over the pan and allow them to rise four to five hours before baking. (This is a great option for holidays when you’d rather be celebrating than working in the kitchen!)
Bake to a golden brown
Once your dinner rolls are in the oven, keep an eye on them to ensure they’re not overbrowning. Use your nose, too: you can usually smell when any baked item is fully done and ready to pull from the oven. Train yourself to pay attention, not just with your eyes but with your sense of smell. If the rolls are really toasty brown but they don’t smell or appear fully baked, put a sheet of aluminum foil over the top to prevent burning.
Now that you make the perfect dinner roll, why not introduce new flavors to the dough? Consider adding herbs and lemon zest, chopped bacon and maple syrup, or scallions and grated sharp cheddar. Then think about all the ways you can serve these rolls: with pulled pork for dinner, mimosas for brunch, or even a slathering of honey butter for a midnight snack.
