Is there anything better than fresh homemade rolls? The rolls are definitely my favorite part of any meal whether it be Thanksgiving, Easter, or just plain dinner. I mean fresh rolls, some gravy, and mashed potatoes. Yum! We typically switch between making these homemade yeast rolls and these homemade crescent rolls – just depends on what we’re in the mood for. They’re both pretty easy to make and delicious! You’ll love these dinner rolls because they’re soft, fluffy, and have the perfect amount of salt! Plus, it’s a super easy recipe to double for a crowd or double the recipe and freeze a bunch for later. Or don’t. They’re so good that even if you double the recipe you may not have any to freeze later.
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Bread Flour – make sure you’re using bread flour and not all-purpose flour (or any other kind of flour). The bread flour is ideal for the getting the fluffy and soft rolls. Oil – you can use any oil you want as long as it’s flavorless (so no coconut or olive oil). Avocado, canola, and vegetable oil all work. Water – make sure the water is hot (doesn’t need to be boiling) to activate the yeast. Yeast – any kind of quick acting yeast works fine in this recipe
Instructions
This recipe is pretty straightforward and simple, it just includes a good amount of mixing, rolling, and rising. It does take a bit of time because of all the rising but it’ll be worth in the end – promise! First you’re going to mix 3 cups of flour, salt, water, oil, and sugar together. Mix those in a large bowl until they’re smooth. Once that’s smooth, go ahead and add in the eggs and beat the mixture together. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the mixture and again mix well. Last you’re going to add in another 2-3 cups of flour while you’re mixing the dough with a bread hook. Add the flour slowly and gradually and stop when the dough hook cleans the sides of the bowl (aka the dough no longer sticks). Let the dough stand in the bowl 15 minutes then beat it down. Don’t beat too hard, just punch it gently. Do this again three more times, so you’ll be punching it down 4 total times over the course of an hour. After the hour is up, take out pieces of dough and shape them into rolls. Place the rolls on a greased or non-stick baking sheet with just a little bit of space between them. Let the rolls rise on the baking sheet for another 30-60 minutes or until doubled in size. While the rolls are rising, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Once they’ve risen one last time, it’s finally time to bake! Bake in the preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until they’re lightly golden brown on the top. Brush with butter when they come out of the oven. Serve with butter or your favorite spreadable topping. I recommend a little honey butter or even apple butter would be good! These are super yummy alongside pretty much any dinner (or as a sandwich), but I really like them with our baked ziti, grilled balsamic chicken, or as the bread part of these pulled pork sliders.
Expert Tips
Freeze cooked rolls for up to six months in an airtight container. Thaw then reheat in the oven, toaster oven, or microwave once thawed. Double the recipe and freeze one batch for later! You’ll only have to do the work once and will have delicious rolls for another time. Use salted butter to butter the rolls for a little added flavor. Or if you’re adverse to salt, unsalted butter works as well. Punch the dough lightly when you’re beating it down during its rising time. You want to punch it down to get rid of the air but don’t need to really beat it hard.
More Bread Recipes
Cranberry orange breadDutch oven cornbreadEasy garlic breadsticksChocolate chip zucchini breadPineapple coconut bread