Many of my roll recipes start here.
Very tender, light and tasty. These are my very favorite dinner rolls. They can be started in a bread machine (mixing only) and completed in three hours or even less if the room is warm. Variations, including cinnamon rolls, are endless.
Ingredients:
* 1 cup warm milk (if using skim milk which is usually all I have, replace 2 Tablespoons of milk with heavy cream)
* 1/4 cup shortening
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 egg
* 3 tablespoons sugar
* 3 cups unbleached flour
* 2 1/4 teaspoons bread or instant yeast
Directions:
Place ingredients into bread machine in order listed. Select dough cycle. After about 5 minutes, check dough. It should barely stick to sides and then pull away. If too wet, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time. If too dry, add water or milk one tablespoon at a time. See pictures of what dough should look like here. When finished, dough should be doubled in size and light. If not, allow to stay in bread machine a few more minutes till risen. (This may happen if the house is cold.)
Punch down gently. Place on floured surface and form into two large balls. Divide each ball into 8 pieces.
Watch this video tutorial for more details.
Make balls from each piece by pulling dough toward the bottom while turning the dough.
Arrange balls in 8 or 9-inch round or square pan and cover with towel or loose plastic wrap. Place in a warm spot until doubled. (I put mine in the microwave where I have already boiled a cup of water for 5 minutes to make it warm and steamy.)
Bake in 350-degree preheated oven until golden brown, usually about 10-12 minutes. Within 5 minutes, dump baked rolls out of pan and let cool on rack or paper plate so they won’t get soggy from the steam they produce.
Variations:
* Substitute 1 cup whole wheat flour for unbleached.
* Add 3/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries into dough before forming into balls.
* Make cinnamon rolls. (post to follow)
* Add 3/4 – 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese (large grate) into dough before forming into balls.
Notes:
* If you aren’t sure when they are done, buy yourself a quick-read digital thermometer and test rolls. They should be around 185-190 degrees in the oven. I highly recommend this method if you are an inexperienced baker or even if you are experienced. Since I started testing my bread with a thermometer, I have had no more raw bread. Rolls will brown fast so keep an eye on them but be sure they are done.
* Bleached flour may be substituted but you may need 1/4 cup more.
* Dark colored pans will make a nicer brown crust than light colored.
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{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
these look truly delicious.
Thank you for your favorite dinner rolls recipe. I used your dinner roll recipe tonight with the use of bread flour. Like you said, it was so soft, tasty and light. Everybody in my family enjoyed it.
The chocolate mini bundt cakes look so good. Would it be possible to request for the recipe? My 3 1/2 year old son loves chocolate cakes. I would like to bake it for him. Thanks
Hi Paula,
I would like to share your dinner rolls recipe with my sister in lawabroad. Can she use all purpose flour instead of bread flour since she can not find bread flour at her local grocery store? It would be her first time to bake bread and she is very excited to do it. Thanks.
Yes, she can definitely use all purpose. Unbleached is better than bleached but bleached will also work. Normally, you have add a little more flour if using unbleached instead of bread flour and maybe even more if using bleached flour. I hope it works out for her. Working with yeast dough is a little tricky and takes practice.
These dinner rolls are the absolute best! My family thanks you for the recipe… I have made them twice a week for the past few months, and they never get tiring. They are light & fluffy, and a definite keeper. Thanks!
I followed the link to this recipe from your post on bread machines (I love mine for the exact same reasons!). Have you ever tried freezeing these for future use? Thanks
Cecelia
Cecelia, I have frozen them before. Not as good as straight out of the oven but good enough if you don’t keep them more than a couple weeks.
Thanks for the feedback Paula. There are only two of us in the house and it’s nice to be able to freeze some items for future use! I’m making these tonight for dinner with friends.
I love your recipes. You are amazing. Thank your for being so kind to share and spreading happiness all over the world. Is there a stage of the sweet milk bread, where you could freeze it and take it out and let it thaw, rise and bake?
Hello, I’m a newbie to the bread machine and so this question may seem silly: Can I put the ingredients for any recipe in there and press the dough cycle if I don’t want it to bake in there? I have a book with recipes, but the directions explain what buttons to push for it to bake inside… And as you’ve suggested, I’d like it to only make the dough so I can shape it and bake in the oven. Thanks!
I don’t think I ever commented on your blog how much I LOVE these rolls! They turn out so tender and soft. Thanks so much for sharing! Just noticed you make cinnamon rolls with the same dough, looking forward to trying that myself!
Stacie,
Thanks for coming back to say so. I’m working on a whole wheat version right now. Just as good.
Hello!
First, I have to say, your website is just jam packed with amazing recipes.
Actually, I’ll be making some cheesy dinner rolls for Thanksgiving.
Second, have you ever heard of Malt Powder? It’s supposed to help the yeast mature
to its fullest and enhance flavor. Maybe this will help in the making of wheat bread.
I’ve never used it though. I believe I’d have to buy it at a specialty shop or natural
food shop.
Thanks for the tutorial on making rolls. I’m 73 but didn’t start making yeast bread until I purchashed a bread machine a few years ago. Now I use my mixer and love to make yeast bread. I need to make rolls for our small group Christmas Dinner and I wanted them to really be nice so the tutorial really helps. I will try it soon. I am always anxious to look at your blog every time it hits my mail box. Thanks again. We’re never too old to learn new trick. : )
Suzanne sent me this link to these rolls. I love this recipe. Super easy and fast. And I love the whole wheat option. Thanks you for publishing these.
My dough is in the bread machine right now. I’ve not used this recipe before so I thought I had better make a test run before tomorrow. Nothing like waiting until the last minute. My husband is disappointed that I am not making my grandmothers angel biscuits (really soft rolls- don’t know why they are called biscuits). They are soooo labor intensive that I am hoping these will win him over and he will be a convert!! I love, love, love your site. Especially the microwave shortcuts. (made the brown butter icing last week for cinnamon rolls…AMAZING! Took them to a whole nother level.
I am so glad to have found you. Just began making bread, grinding my own wheat etc. and have not had much success. My baked bread looks nothing like yours and while it is good it’s not delicious. I have so many ideas from you I am actually looking forward to trying again and being able to use my bread machine just for dough! Keeping my fingers crossed.
Hi Karen,
Welcome! So glad to hear from you. I have not tried grinding my own wheat although my sister keeps encouraging me. I know it takes longer to rise so it may have to sit in your bread machine longer than the cycle to rise to double before you make it out. Let me know how it goes. Paula