These dinner rolls are tender and buttery; they simply melt in your mouth. I use this recipe all the time and share it with my friends. Fluffy Dinner Rolls are just the beginning. This dough makes the best hot dog buns, onion rolls, garlic rolls, herb rolls, meat pockets, even cinnamon rolls. The list is endless.
The trick to making these rolls is adding the last bit of flour a tablespoon at a time, to the mixer. (I use a Kitchenaid for all my bread dough.) As the dough firms up, watch it pull away from the sides, until all that sticks is the bottom. Be sure to mix it until the dough forms a ball. The dough will turn into a ball, and as you mix the dough the dough will try to settle on the bottom, add a tablespoon more flour mix in then stop.
You control just how light and fluffy they are. The more flour you add the more dense they will be, after a point.
For a change of pace, add some sourdough starter, after the yeast proofs, just remember to reduce the flour accordingly. The more you make this recipe, the more comfortable you’ll become at making changes.
Ingredients
Wheat Sandwich Rolls*
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm water (105-115)
1/3 cup sugar + 1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons RealSalt
1 cup scalded milk
1 egg, room temperature, lightly beaten
4 1/2 cups bread flour (or all-purpose flour)
2 tablespoons melted butter, for brushing rolls
2 tablespoons coconut oil, for the bowl
*Substitute one cup of bread flour for wheat flour.
Directions
Step 1: Add yeast and one teaspoon of sugar to your mixing bowl, add a 1/4 cup of warm water to your mixing bowl. (Water should feel comfortably warm when dropped on wrist.) Let sit 10 minutes. Add remaining sugar, 2 cups of flour and RealSalt to mixing bowl.
Step 2: Scald milk (warm milk just until a film develops on the top) then add butter directly from the refrigerator to the pan with the milk. The butter will cool the milk until just about right. Cool mixture to 100 to 115 degrees F.
Step 3: Add milk mixture to yeast, then beat in egg. Beat for 2 minutes on medium speed.
Step 4: Add one cup of flour, knead until all the flour is mixed in, continue adding flour a little at a time. Knead the dough lightly for 5 minutes, working in the remaining flour. Place dough in a bowl, greased with coconut oil; turn the dough until all the dough in coated. Cover and let rise in a warm (not hot) place until doubled in bulk, about 2 hours.
Fluffy Dinner Rolls
Step 5: Punch dough down and lightly knead dough on a lightly floured pastry cloth. (I have a large plastic map that works well for this.) Dough will be slightly sticky, but use as little flour as possible for flouring your hands and the pastry cloth, otherwise the rolls will not be as feathery light as they should be. Pinch off small chunks of dough and shape into round rolls about 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 inches in diameter. (I use a scale and for the rolls I weigh them out between 2 oz. and 3 oz.) Place in neat rows, not quite touching, in a coconut oiled 13- by 9- by 2-inch pan. Cover rolls and let rise in a warm place until doubled in bulk, 30 to 40 minutes.
Hamburger Buns
Step 6: Brush tops of rolls with melted butter, then pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place rolls in oven, turn the heat down to 375 degrees F, bake for 18 to 20 minutes or until nicely browned. Serve warm with plenty of butter.
You can make hamburger and hot dog buns out the dough too.