Soft Homemade Dinner Rolls
User Reviews
5
Soft Homemade Dinner Rolls
Description
These rolls start by proofing active dry yeast in warm water with sugar until foamy, confirming the yeast is active. Butter is melted with evaporated milk diluted with water and gently warmed to lukewarm before being mixed with eggs, salt, sugar, and flour to form a soft dough. Kneading with a stand mixer helps develop gluten for structure. After the first rise, dough is divided, shaped into rolls, and placed in a 9x13 baking pan to rise again until puffy.
The rolls bake until golden, then additional melted butter can be brushed on top. The soft crumb texture comes from the enriched dough using evaporated milk and butter. The recipe notes allow substitution of whole milk. Proving the dough in a warm oven (turned on briefly then off) helps speed rising.
For convenience, rolls may be flash frozen before baking for up to three months, then thawed, allowed to rise again, and baked fresh. Baked rolls also freeze well and reheat nicely. This makes the recipe flexible for making ahead or large batches.
Ingredients
- ½ cup water 104 -108°F, warm
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 active dry yeast approx. 2 ¼ tsp, package
- 5 tbsp butter salted
- 1 12- oz evaporated milk + about ½ cup water (enough to make 2 cups with the milk, can
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2 egg lightly beaten
- 6-7 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp salt
- 2-3 tbsp butter melted, salted, additional
- sea salt optional, coarse
Instructions
Proof the Yeast:
- Add warm water, sugar and yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attachment. Mix on low for 10 seconds just to combine. Then allow the mixture to sit for 5-8 minutes until you see the yeast turning foamy. If your yeast does NOT turn foamy, it’s likely dead and you’ll want to redo this step with fresher yeast or cooler water.
While that's Proofing:
- In a small saucepan set over medium-low heat, melt the butter.
- Next open your can of evaporated milk. Add enough water to the milk to make 2 cups. **See note below. Add to the saucepan and give it a quick stir.
- Bring the milk-butter mixture just to lukewarm to get the chill off of it (104°F - 108°F). If you have an instant read thermometer, this is a great time to use it. Too hot and you could kill the yeast. Remove from heat and set aside to cool if necessary.
- Lightly beat your eggs.
Making the Dough:
- Turn your mixer on low and let it stay on low while you add in your ingredients.
- Add in your beaten eggs, the sugar, milk mixture, 3 cups of the flour and lastly the salt. Increase mixer to medium speed, and let mix for 1 minute.
- Add in 2 more cups of flour. Increase to medium speed, and let mix again for 1 minute.
- Slowly add in remaining 1-2 cups of flour - ½ cup at a time until mixture comes away from the edges of the bowl and a dough ball forms that is lightly sticky.
- Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl. Cover with a damp cloth or plastic wrap coated with cooking spray and place in a warm area to rise. Let rise 50-60 minutes or until doubled in size.
- Pinch off pieces of the dough and form 24 rolls. Try to keep them uniform if possible by dividing the dough into half, then fourths and each fourth section then into 6 rolls.
- Place the rolls into (2) lightly greased or parchment lined 9x13 inch baking pans. Cover with damp cloth or lightly greased plastic wrap and let rise an additional 30-45 minutes or until doubled in size.
- While those are rising preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Bake the rolls for 14-17 minutes or until rolls are golden brown on top. Expert tip: If you have an instant read thermometer bake until center of a roll reaches 195°F.
- Remove rolls from the oven, and brush the hot rolls with butter and add a pinch of sea salt on each one. Serve immediately or store cooled rolls in gallon sized bags for up to 2 days.
Notes
- Measure evaporated milk and add water to reach a total of 2 cups for the milk-butter mixture.
- Use a warm place like a briefly heated then turned off oven to encourage dough rising.
- You can substitute whole milk for evaporated milk if unavailable, though texture may vary slightly.
- Flash freeze dough balls on parchment before baking to store up to 3 months; thaw and let rise before baking.
- Baked rolls freeze well; thaw and reheat as needed for fresh taste.
- Use a 9x13 baking pan for taller rolls, or a quarter sheet pan for flatter ones.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 24rolls
Amount Per Serving
Calories 179 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1roll | |
| Calories | 179kcal | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 28g | 9% |
| Protein | 5g | 10% |
| Fat | 5g | 8% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 27mg | 9% |
| Sodium | 343mg | 14% |
| Potassium | 85mg | 2% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 160IU | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 1mg | 1% |
| Calcium | 48mg | 5% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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