I love baking bread. Having fresh bread hot out of the oven is truly one of life’s simple pleasures. This dinner roll recipe is relatively quick and easy for a yeasted dough. I have made this recipe so many times that there was a moment in my life where I didn’t think I would ever not know the recipe by heart. Time is going on and I’ve made it less regularly but every time I make it it’s just like riding a bike. This dough is super versatile. I like to use it to make dinner rolls like I’m showing here but you can also make the rolls larger and use it for hamburger buns, you can use it for flatbread, really anything that you would use a soft roll dough for.
Baking bread can definitely seem intimidating, but if you just follow these simple steps, you’ll have fresh bread in no time! We start by blooming our yeast. Blooming is the process of reawakening the yeast from its dormant stage when it’s dried. I mix my warm water, warm milk, sugar, and yeast in the bowl of my mixer and let that sit for about 10 minutes until the yeast is frothy and bubbly. Once your yeast has bloomed, we’re going to start adding in the rest of our ingredients. Add in your melted butter, egg, salt, and flour and with the dough hook attachment kneed the dough for at least 10 minutes. You’ll know your dough is ready when it forms one smooth ball and peels away from the sides of the bowl. One thing about making bread, or any baked goods for that matter, is that there are a lot of variables within your kitchen that can change your recipe. Sometimes I add my 4 cups of flour and the dough still seems too wet so I add another quarter cup or so until I get the right consistency. Don’t be afraid to add more flour if it doesn’t seem correct.
Once you’ve kneaded the dough and it has come together in one nice smooth ball, we’re going to let it rise. This is going to be our first proof. Cover your bowl with a warm, wet towel and place the bowl in a warm place, I typically use my oven. I’ll turn it on for just a minute or two until it is just warm and then turn it off and put in the bowl. You don’t want your oven to be hot. It just needs to be above room temperature. Let your dough proof for about 20 minutes or until it has doubled in size. Once your dough has doubled in size, we’re going to punch it down, yes, I literally mean punch it, and take it out onto your work bench. At this point we are going to separate our bread into the rolls size. I like to do 2 ounces, using my kitchen scale, for dinner rolls. Once I’ve separated out all of the rolls now we need to shape our bread. You shape a dinner roll by making a C shape with your hand. Using that C shape, along with the tension the dough has on the worksurface, swirl your dough into a perfect round ball. I personally do not flour my work surface because I want the dough to stick to the workbench. If you need a little extra help on how to shape your bread dough, I have a video on my Instagram page. If you make 2 ounce rolls, you will fill one baking sheet perfectly. Place your rolls on a lined baking sheet in rows of three about 1.5 inches apart from each other and fill up your tray. At this point we will do our second proof. Cover your rolls again with a warm, damp towel and let them rise for an additional 15 to 20 minutes until they are nice and puffy.
The last step before baking is to egg wash your rolls! I do a combination of egg and half-and-half or cream, use whatever you’ve already got in your fridge. Using a pastry brush, brush on a thin layer of egg wash on each roll then sprinkle your everything bagel seasoning over the top. Bake your rolls at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Bake your rolls until they are nice and golden brown and you are ready to enjoy! And of course, don’t forget to serve them with lots of butter!
Super Soft Everything Dinner Rolls
Equipment
- 1 Stand Mixer
- 1 Baking Sheet
- 1 Pastry Brush
- Kitchen scale (recommended)
Ingredients
- ¼ Cup Whole Milk
- 1¼ Cup Warm Water
- ¼ Cup Sugar
- 2 Tbsp Yeast
- 2 Oz Salted Butter
- 1 Egg
- 4 Cups Bread Flour
- 1 tsp Sea Salt
- Everything Bagel Seasoning
Egg Wash
- 1 Ggg
- 1 tbsp Heavy Cream or half and half
Instructions
- In the bowl of your stand mixer, bloom your yeast by mixing the warm water, milk, sugar and yeast. Allow the yeast to bloom for 5-10 minutes until the yeast has become active and bubbly.
- Once your yeast has bloomed, add in the rest of your ingredients. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed for at least 10-15 minutes until the dough forms into one smooth ball. If the dough seems too wet add in more flour, one tablespoon at a time until you get the correct consistency.
- Now that the dough is in one smooth ball, cover your bowl with a warm, damp towel and allow the dough to proof for approximately 20 minutes. Proof your dough in a warm place like the oven with the light on. The dough should double in size.
- When your dough has doubled in size, punch it down and turn onto your work surface. Separate the dough into 2 oz portions. You should get 21 – 2 oz portions of dough.
- Shape your pieces into rolls and place on a lined sheet pan 1.5 inches apart from one another. You should be able to fit all rolls on one sheet in rows of three.
- Cover with a damp towel and allow to rise one more time. Approximately 10-15 minutes, until they are nice and puffy.
- Mix together the egg wash and brush a thin layer on each roll. Sprinkle the everything bagel seasoning on each roll and place in a 350° oven for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.
- Allow the rolls to cool slightly before tearing in and be sure to serve with lots of butter! Enjoy!
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