Soft Pillowy Dinner Rolls
Enriched with milk, butter, and egg, these yeasted rolls bake up impossibly soft and pull apart in feathery layers, brushed with butter straight from the oven. A holiday-table classic worth the rise time.
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk, warmed to 110f
- 2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast (1 packet)
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled, plus 3 tablespoons for brushing
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 1 tablespoon neutral oil, for the bowl
- 1 large egg yolk, for egg wash
- 1 tablespoon water, for egg wash
- 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt, for topping
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the 1 cup warm milk, 2 1/4 teaspoons yeast, and 1 tablespoon of the sugar; let sit 5 to 10 minutes until foamy on top.
- Whisk the 4 tablespoons melted butter and the whole egg into the foamy yeast mixture.
- Add the 4 cups flour, remaining sugar, and 1 teaspoon fine salt to the bowl. Fit the mixer with the dough hook and mix on low speed for 1 minute to combine.
- Increase to medium speed and knead for 7 to 8 minutes, until the dough is smooth, elastic, and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, tacky but not sticking to your fingers.
- Shape the dough into a ball, place it in a large oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in a warm spot for 1 to 1.5 hours, until doubled in size.
- Punch down the dough gently and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide it into 15 equal pieces (about 2 ounces each).
- Roll each piece into a tight, smooth ball by cupping your hand over the dough and rolling it in small circles against the counter.
- Arrange the balls in a buttered 9x13-inch baking pan in rows, seam-side down, spacing them evenly so they touch slightly.
- Cover the pan loosely with a towel and let the rolls rise a second time for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until puffy and nearly doubled.
- Preheat the oven to 375F. Whisk the egg yolk with 1 tablespoon water and brush gently over the tops of the risen rolls, then sprinkle with the flaky sea salt.
- Bake at 375F for 18 to 20 minutes, until the tops are deep golden-brown and the internal temperature reads about 190F.
- Immediately brush the hot rolls with the remaining 3 tablespoons melted butter and let cool in the pan for 10 minutes before pulling apart and serving warm.
Why You'll Love This
- Enriched dough with milk, butter, and egg produces an ultra-soft, tender crumb
- Baking the rolls touching in a pan creates soft pull-apart sides
- Double butter brushing before and after baking adds shine and rich flavor
Test the dough's readiness with the windowpane test: stretch a small piece thin between your fingers; if it stretches translucent without tearing, it's kneaded enough.
Warm milk that feels like a baby's bathwater (about 110F) activates yeast fastest; hotter than that can kill it and the rolls won't rise.
Nutrition
| Calories | 195 |
| Protein | 5 g |
| Fat | 6 g |
| Carbs | 30 g |
| Fiber | 1 g |
| Sodium | 210 mg |
Estimated per serving
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