Dinner Roll Recipe - Rooms For Rent blog

Hi Friend!

It’s crazy to think that Thanksgiving is only two weeks away! Whether you are hosting, or attending at someone else’s home, I have a great recipe for you that’s everyone will love, and it’s easy to transport too! Dinner Rolls! And what is better than homemade dinner rolls?! I always used to be intimidated to make homemade dinner rolls, but after successfully making them a few times now, I’m convinced there is nothing better than homemade bread.

Check out the recipe below ~

I’m teaming up with some blogging friends today who are also sharing delicious Thanksgiving recipes, so be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for more yummy recipes to try!

It’s true, I will totally admit it! I used to be so intimidated to make homemade dinner rolls. Honestly I think my biggest stumbling block was trusting the yeast to rise. You know when you have a bad experience with it one time, how it will taint the way you look at something from then on out. Yep that was me with yeast.

My very first time I tried using it, I tried making homemade cinnamon rolls, and I just couldn’t get the dough to rise. I almost threw out the thought of making any kind of homemade bread from that moment on, but luckily a few years later I had success with an easy no-knead artisan bread recipe. Then again with sourdough, and then years later when I tried making homemade cinnamon rolls again – only this time the dough rose!

Last year for Easter, my confidence in baking homemade bread had come along way, so I decided to try making homemade dinner rolls for the first time. And you know what? It WORKED! They came out so yummy, I couldn’t believe that I actually made them. They are light and fluffy on the inside, and slightly browned on the outside giving you that perfect crust. I’ve learned a few things in my attempts at making homemade bread, so I’m sharing those with you too!

Tip #1 – Test your Yeast.

Yeast can go bad or expire, and I think that was part of my problem with my first attempt in using it making cinnamon rolls all those years ago. A tell tale sign if yeast is bad is if it doesn’t get foamy when you mix it. You can test your yeast and check if it is still active by adding 1 teaspoon of sugar and 2 1/4 teaspoons of yeast (or one packet) to 1/4 cup warm water (not too hot) and see if the mixture bubbles after waiting about 5-10 minutes. I know everyone has their favorites when it comes to brands, but I swear by Bobs Red Mill Active Dry Yeast. It’s always worked better for me instead of the packets, but that is just my opinion.

Tip #2 – Ensure your Dough Rises.

In my early days of making homemade bread, I would get impatient with allowing my dough to rise before baking it, especially if a recipe called for a second rise time. I would rush, and now allow my dough to double in size, thinking it was “good enough” and that resulted in some really dense bread that was lacking in the fluffy texture that makes bread so delicious. One thing I learned, if my house is too cold and I don’t have a warm spot for my dough to rise in, is I can use my oven.

I set my oven temperature to 170 degrees, and place my dough on the middle rack. I don’t leave it in there for too long, and check on it every 5-10 minutes, but sure enough my dough will begin to rise. You can also turn your oven on to a warmer temperature and place your dough on top of the stove, and create a warm place so that your dough will rise.

Also check out my Classic Stuffing Recipe! I make this recipe every year for Thanksgiving!!

Family Dinner Rolls

Serving Size:

makes 25 rolls

Time:

1 hour 50 minutes

Difficulty:

easy

Ingredients

1/2 cup warm water
4 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
2 teaspoons sugar + 1/3 cup – optional (for sweeter rolls)
1 1/2 cups of whole milk
5 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 large eggs
1 stick of butter at room temperature.
Cooking spray

Directions

In a small bowl, combine warm water, yeast, and 2 teaspoons of the sugar. Let stand until foamy, 5-10 minutes.
Warm milk in a small saucepan or in the microwave in 30 second increments until milk reaches 100-110 degrees.
In a stand mixer with a dough hook, combine 5 1/2 cups of flour, 1/3 cup of sugar (if using), and the kosher salt. Stir until just combined.
Turn mixer on low, and slowly add yeast mixture, warmed milk, eggs, and softened butter. Mix until smooth dough is formed. The dough will be slightly sticky, but should pull away from the bowl. If dough is sticking to the bowl add more flour, 1 tablespoon at a time until dough is less sticky.
Transfer dough to a medium bowl, lightly greased, and cover with plastic wrap. Allow dough to rise until doubled in size. About 1 hour.
Remove plastic wrap, and lightly punch down dough to release the air.
Using a kitchen scale, divide and weigh the dough into 25 pieces (about 2.2 ounces each). Gently roll them into balls and place them touching on a baking sheet.
Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise at room temperature for 40 minutes. Rolls should look soft and fluffy. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Remove plastic wrap, and place rolls in oven. Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown.
Serve immediately.