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looking down at Dinner Rolls in cast iron pan
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5 from 6 votes

Dinner Rolls

The best homemade Dinner Rolls are soft and chewy. This classic yeast roll recipe takes time but is really easy and always makes the best rolls!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Rise time2 hours
Course: Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Servings: 16 rolls

Ingredients

Instructions

To Prepare the dough:

  • Whisk the warm milk, yeast, and 1 Tablespoon of sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Allow to sit for 5 minutes.
  • Add the remaining sugar, egg, butter, salt, and 1 cup flour. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then add the remaining flour. Beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes.
  • Transfer attachment from the paddle to the dough hook and knead the dough on medium high speed for about 2 minutes.

Initial rise:

  • Lightly grease a large bowl. Transfer dough to bowl, cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel, and allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 1-2 hours or until double in size. If your house is incredibly cold, you can preheat your oven to 200 degrees F and as soon as it hits temperature, turn it off. Crack the door to let a little heat escape and then allow the dough to rise in your warm oven.
  • Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan or two 9-inch square or round baking pans or a very large 14-inch round cast iron skillet.
  • When the dough is done with the first rise, punch it down to release the air. Divide the dough into 16 equal pieces. To do this, I cut in half, then each piece in half, then each of those into four pieces. To shape each piece into a smooth ball, you can tuck any corners of the dough underneath, essentially making a smooth mound. Arrange equally spaced in prepared baking pan.

Second rise:

  • Cover shaped rolls with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise until puffy, about 1 hour.

To bake the rolls:

  • Adjust oven rack to a lower position and preheat oven to 350°F.
  • Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top. You can rotate pan half way through cook time to promote even cooking. Remove from oven, brush with melted butter, if desired, and allow rolls to cool for a few minutes before serving.

Notes

Make Ahead and Freeze Instructions:
  • Prepare recipe through the step where the first rise is complete and you've punched down the dough.
  • Divide the dough into 16 portions, form into round rolls, and set on parchment lined baking sheet. Set in freezer for about an hour.
  • Once frozen, the rolls can be transferred to a plastic freezer bag or container and stored frozen up to 3 months.
  • To bake, arrange the dough balls in a greased baking pan, cover tightly, then let them thaw and rise for about 4-5 hours. Bake as directed.
To freeze cooked rolls:
  • Allow them to cool completely, then freeze in air tight container for up to 3 months.
  • Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then reheat as desired.
Make Ahead Overnight Instructions:
  • Prepare recipe through the step where the first rise is complete and you've punched down the dough.
  • Cover the shaped rolls tightly and refrigerate for up to about 15 hours.
  • At least 3 hours prior to baking, remove the rolls from the refrigerator, keep covered, and allow to rise on the counter for about 1-2 hours before baking (or less if they already doubled in size while refrigerated). 
Recipe adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction - my baking hero.

Nutrition

Calories: 135kcal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 158mg | Potassium: 63mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 128IU | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg