Sweet Dinner Rolls
What goes better with a big bowl of warm beef stew, than a soft and sweet roll fresh from the oven? Since work was a little slower yesterday I took advantage of the extra time to make homemade rolls to go with our stew for dinner. While I have made yeast bread before, I had never tackled any type of roll, and now I’m sorry that I didn’t try them sooner! This was a very simple recipe to put together – the ingredients came together quickly and the dough only needed about 5 minutes of kneading time on my Kitchen Aid. It was very easy to work with and I simply divided the ball of dough into 16 semi-equally shaped balls.
Sweet Dinner Rolls
(Source: Amber’s Delectable Delights)
Ingredients:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1/4 cup butter, softened
Directions:
1) Place water and milk in microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute or until liquids reach (110 degrees F/45 degrees C). Pour liquids into mixer bowl; add sugar and stir to dissolve. Add in yeast and let set for 10-20 minutes to proof (the mixture will be foamy).
2) Mix on low speed adding the salt, butter and egg. Once well mixed add in the flour 1/4 cup at a time. Remove the paddle attachment and attach the dough hook. With the machine, knead the dough for 5-10 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
3) Remove the dough from the bowl and shape into desired shapes (I cut the ball of dough into quarters, and then quartered each of those, and then rolled each piece into a ball). Cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place for an hour. Gently brush the tops of the rolls with half of the softened butter.
4) Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Upon removing the rolls from the oven brush them with remaining softened butter once again.
Sweet Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- ½ cup (125 ml) water
- ½ cup (122 ml) milk
- 1 egg
- â…“ cup (75.67 g) butter, softened
- â…“ cup (66.67 g) white sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 ¾ cups (468.75 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 package active dry yeast, (.25 ounce )
- ¼ cup (56.75 g) butter, softened
Instructions
- 1. Place water and milk in microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute or until liquids reach (110 degrees F/45 degrees C). Pour liquids into mixer bowl; add sugar and stir to dissolve. Add in yeast and let set for 10-20 minutes to proof (the mixture will be foamy).
- 2. Mix on low speed adding the salt, butter and egg. Once well mixed add in the flour 1/4 cup at a time. Remove the paddle attachment and attach the dough hook. With the machine, knead the dough for 5-10 minutes or until smooth and elastic.
- 3. Remove the dough from the bowl and shape into desired shapes (I cut the ball of dough into quarters, and then quartered each of those, and then rolled each piece into a ball). Cover with a clean towel and let rise in a warm place for an hour. Gently brush the tops of the rolls with half of the softened butter.
- 4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) and bake for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. Upon removing the rolls from the oven brush them with remaining softened butter once again.
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
I tried and it came out ok. I like the white bread recipe more the one which is your favorite too  ;)
I notice there is not much of proofing time? So no rise before making the balls?
Hi Kelly, That is correct!
This is great . my wife loved it and she have faith in me as a cook !
Not the best recipe I have made. Pretty disappointed. Wondering only one rise using a non rapid rising yeast. Many roll recipes uses rapid rise yeast with 2 rises. It was pretty flat and dry. Followed to the T. The dough was nice but just not as good as others I have tried.
I would love to try this recipe but it makes too many for us. Can I freeze the dough and if so, how would I go about doing that. Thank you for your response in advance.
Hi Camille, I haven’t tried it, but I think you could. I would put them in a freezer bag after shaping them, then thaw and let rise at room temperature before baking. Enjoy!
I see two types of yeast in the store. active dry yeast and instant quick rise yeast. is there a difference? I purchased instant quick rise by accident. how would you adjust the recipe for using a different yeast?
Hi Greg, There is a difference. Active dry yeast needs to be activated in a warm liquid (usually water or milk) before being added to the rest of the ingredients. Instant quick rise can be mixed right into the dry ingredients and does not need to be “bloomed” in a warm liquid first. It also tends to make the dough rise faster than active dry yeast. You can use the instant yeast in place of the active dry without any modifications to the recipe, it may just rise a bit faster than indicated in the recipe.
These were great! Followed directions to the letter and baked on parchment paper and they turned out perfectly.
I made this recipe as directed (except that I switched to broil for the last two minutes to brown the tops) and it turned out FABULOUS! So yummy fresh out of the oven with that delicious buttery top! I made them to accompany a whole slow-roasted apple-wood chicken. Superb!
Thanks so much for this recipe, it’s one I’m going to keep in the books.
Tried these twice following the recipe exactly. They failed to rise both times. Not sure what went wrong.
Fantastic! I’ve tried several bread recipes this past year and thought I’d try this roll recipe. My, oh, My they’re great! My husband, two boys and I each ate three a piece! Oink Oink Easy to follow. I did use Kitchen aid mixer. Concentrate when adding 1/4 c flour at a time and count. I’m a non-cook and a beginner baker. These turned out yummy for me!
I made these tonight just to put butter and cinnamon-sugar on them. My fave way to eat any kind of bread :) So yummy! However, mine didn’t really rise during the hour but got nice and puffy when I baked them. Also, I baked them in a dark nonstick round cake pan with about 1in space between them and the bottoms were darker than I wanted, though not burned. What type of dish do you use to bake them and how to you arrange them?
Hi Jessica, Anytime you use dark non-stick bakeware, you should reduce the oven temperature by 25 degrees to keep from over-browning. I bake these on a regular baking sheet with parchment paper, a few inches apart.
Hi Michelle,
Do you think these could be made several days in advance, frozen, and then reheated? Or would it be better to make just the dough in advance and then bake the day of?
Thanks for your help. I adore your site.
Zena
Hi Zena, Yes, you could make and freeze these, then reheat for dinner.
Hi Michelle, I tried making these and I really enjoyed the flavor. My rolls turned out nice and light and fluffy…and crumbly. I don’t think the last part was supposed to happen. Do you have any idea what I may have done wrong? Thanks!
Hi Alexis, Hmm crumbly could be due to a few different factors – not kneading the bread long enough, letting it rise too high, or using too much flour when kneading/mixing.
Hmm, I kneaded for 10 minutes, so I don’t think that was the issue. It may have been the extra flour I used when kneading (the dough kept sticking to my counter) or the rising. My rolls were about 3-4 times larger by the end of the hour long rise. Is that about right? Or too much? Thanks for your help!
Hi Alexis, The rising could definitely be it. They should be about 2x larger when done rising.
This recipe is a keeper. I did not have any milk so used !/2 & 1/2. Came out great. I made a pan of rolls (a dozen good sized) then formed the rest of the dough into a small loaf shape and baked that. I topped the small loaf with an orange blossom honey, butter and coarse sea salt after baking… served with honey butter as an appetizer. I was able to get one piece of it before it was devoured by guests (only 2 plus my DH).
I don’t have a stand mixer so is it ok if i mix and knead the dough by hand?
I have a 600W stand mixer but NEVER use it to make my bread. I prefer the hand method all the way. SO Yes, It is ok to do by hand. If you are not use to working with dough you may find it hard to know when you have kneaded enough. Just need for at least 5 minutes and keep going if the dough is still too sticky and ‘flat’. No matter, just try it. Bread making has simple ingredients however, it is a learning process. You will not learn if you do not try :-) .
Absolutely!
Hi, I’m in the midst of making these and I was wondering: when you add in the yeast to let it set should you stir it in or just leave it?
Hi Riley, You can give it a quick stir, but it should be fine either way.
This is a beautiful dough to work with. They are rising on top of the stove as I write. Soup is in the crockpot and I believe I have the perfect meal for a cool, overcast day. Thank you for sharing!
Just wondering what kind of pan you used, and was it greased? And do the rolls rise in the pan they will be cooked in? Thanks.
Hi Charlotte, I’ve used regular baking sheets as well as a 9×13. On a baking sheet, I use parchment; glass pan would be buttered. Yes, you can let the rolls rise on the pan they will bake on.
I needed a simple dinner roll recipe, and as always, I came to you for my baking needs. Oh my goodness… I can’t stop eating these!!! They came together gorgeously… did not rise much during the hour, but puffed up perfectly while baking. I added a bit of salt, pepper and garlic to the butter I brushed then with, but everything else was done to the letter. Now I need them out of my house so I don’t eat them ALL!
Helke, just replace the flour with a gf flour mix (make sure it contains xanthan or guar gum). If you’ve no gf all purpose flour you can make your own:
2 cups brown rice flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1 tsp guar or xanthan gum
Mix. Use as you would regular flour. For this recipe, I’d add 1tsp baking POWDER because GF stuff needs help rising. For the yeast I use Red Star. It’s gf/corn free.
Good morning, These look awesome and I’m planning on trying it out for Thanksgiving. I also need to make a batch of gluten-free rolls, would you have a recipe similar to this I could use? My mom would love me even more ifi can make that happen! Thank you.
Hi Heike, Unfortunately I don’t have any gluten-free bread recipes right now.
I have a jar of yeast…do you know how many tsp./Tbl. are in a packet? Thanks!
Hi Louise, Yes – one packet of yeast equals 2 & 1/4 teaspoons. Happy Baking!
Thank you!
I am in the process of making these now. Im confused as to how much butter goes into the mixture 1/3 cup or 1/4 cup? Im new at this and sorry if it sounds dumb.
Hi Kathy, The 1/3 cup of butter goes into the dough. The remaining 1/4 cup is for brushing on the tops of the rolls, as indicated at the end of the recipe.
Thanks so much for the recipe. Made these last night..so fluffy..love ’em.
i made these last night. i followed directions to the T but they came out real heavy. any ideas y?
Hi Jaime, If they turned out heavy they may not have been left to rise long enough.
Hi Michelle! Will you confirm that these rolls only rise once? I’ve made these many times (from allrecipes.com) but their recipe specifies twice. Of course, once would be easier. Thanks!
Hi Kim, Yes, the way I’ve always made this recipe is with one rise. Enjoy!
OMG, these are the BEST yeast rolls! I’ve been testing various recipes and these were the easiest and the tastiest. Best right out of the oven, with butter!!
Do you stir in the yeast and let it get foamy or do you just throw it on top and leave it?
Hi Cyndee, It will foam up either way, but I usually just sprinkle it on top, swirl it with my finger, and let it sit.
Hi, do you think I can refrigerate the rolls after step 3 and bake it the next day?
Yes, I think you should be able to do that without a problem.
What is the best kind of flour to use for these rolls? I have recently discovered that every brand of flour has different levels of protein which can vary the result of bread. Soft flour like White Lily or unbleached flour like King Arthur or something in the middle like Pillsbury, Gold Medal, or Martha White? I’m new at this! Thank you!
Hi Kim, I use King Arthur flour for all of my baking, so that’s always my #1 choice. Aside from them, I would recommend a middle-of-the-road option like Pillsbury or Gold Medal.
Wow! These are amazing!!!!! The first time I tried them I formed them and froze them. Then tried to thaw them and bake them. And they were good but didn’t have the light and fluffy texture. I made them again today and baked them right after they had risen for and hour and OMG! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. This is going to be my go-to dinner roll recipe for company!
Am wanting to make these for Thanksgiving dinner but was wondering if I could make them in advance and freeze/refrigerate the dough so that they could be ready right on time.
Hi Caitlin, Although I haven’t tried it with these rolls specifically, you can usually freeze the dough once you have shaped them. Thaw them in a refrigerator, and then bake.
I haven’t ever made bread with yeast before and only have a hand mixer. Do you have any advice on making these and kneading them by hand?
Hi Hannah, You could definitely make these by hand. Just use a wooden spoon to mix, and then knead by hand. Enjoy!
I would like to try these but I was wondering if I can use KA bread flour? I have some that I purchased and was wondering if this would be a good use for the bread flour.
Hi Denise, Bread flour has more protein and gluten in it than all-purpose flour, so it would result in rolls with a different texture, and I haven’t tested this recipe with bread flour, so I couldn’t say for sure how they would turn out. I would recommend going with the all-purpose.
Thanks for the quick reply. I am going to try these tomorrow with the AP flour.
Hey Michelle, I’m waiting for the rolls to rise right now ~ was it 3 3/4 cups or three 1/4 cups of flour?
3 and 3/4 cups of flour.
Perfect and Yummy!!
WOW, these are right up there at the top of the roll recipes. Such good flavor and so moist and soft. And with only one rise, they are a real time saver! Awesome recipe!!!
I was looking for a recipe for Texas Roadhouse’s dinner rolls and I found them! Thank you so much for providing a Cooking Haven for me! I LOVE you Brown Eyed Baker:)
I made these with the hearty beef stew tonight. They were really good.
made this yesterday ….yummy i love to bake bread thanks
Thank you for the recipe! You saved the day! I can’t wait to try these with the potato soup I made for dinner tonight!
Hi Tammy – I’m so glad you enjoyed these! They are a favorite of mine; I need to make them again soon!
I made these rolls today for my family and everyone loved them….they were very soft and smelled heavenly in the oven.. however i did have to add more flour to the dough because it was too sticky but they came out very good…thanks for sharing this recipe
I made these rolls for Thanksgiving dinner (my husband and my first time hosting!). They were so delicious, soft, and perfect for left over mini turkey sandwiches! It’s a great recipe for someone that loves to bake but hasn’t had a lot of experience with breads. Kudos BEB!
I made your rolls and they were lovely. Thank you
xxx
I really like the look of your rolls. I am finding the American way of making rolls using all purpose flour much more satisfactory. They are always light and soft. Lovely blog too.
i will be making these within the next few days to take to my aunt’s house for christmas. how far in advance do you think i can make them? we’re going to her house wednesday night. can i make them monday? should i freeze them if i’m going to make them 2 days in advance?
I am planning on making beef stew this week. I think I may have to make these to accompany the stew as well.
I am glad you enjoyed these. They are sooo good! They look great.
i just made these today and they are delicous. Best recipe i have ever used for bread thanks!