Soft Yeast Dinner Rolls
These pillowy soft rolls are what Sunday dinner is all about — golden brown on top, tender and buttery inside, perfect for sopping up gravy or slathering with butter. They take a little time with the rising, but they're not fussy at all, and your house will smell like heaven. Once you make these from scratch, you'll never want store-bought again.
Cooking tutorial
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk, warmed to about 110°F (warm to the touch, not hot)
- 1/2 cup warm water (about 110°F)
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (one packet)
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 1/2 tsp salt
- 4 1/2 to 5 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 3 tbsp butter, melted (for brushing)
Instructions
- 1
In a large bowl, combine the warm milk, warm water, and sugar, then sprinkle the yeast over top. Let it sit for about 5 to 10 minutes until it gets foamy — that means your yeast is alive and ready to work.
- 2
Add the melted butter, eggs, and salt to the yeast mixture and stir it all together with a wooden spoon.
- 3
Start adding the flour one cup at a time, stirring after each addition, until the dough starts to come together and pull away from the sides of the bowl. You might not need all 5 cups, or you might need a little more — the dough should be soft and just slightly sticky.
- 4
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for about 8 to 10 minutes until it's smooth and elastic. If it's too sticky, add a tablespoon of flour at a time, but don't overdo it — you want soft rolls, not tough ones.
- 5
Place the dough in a greased bowl, turn it over so the top is greased too, then cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let it rise in a warm spot for about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until it's doubled in size.
- 6
Punch the dough down gently to release the air, then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into 18 to 24 equal pieces (you can weigh them if you want them all the same size, about 2 ounces each).
- 7
Shape each piece into a smooth ball by pulling the edges underneath and pinching them together, then place them on two greased 9x13-inch baking pans, leaving a little space between each roll.
- 8
Cover the pans with the towel again and let the rolls rise for another 30 to 45 minutes, until they're puffy and touching each other.
- 9
While the rolls are doing their second rise, preheat your oven to 375°F.
- 10
Bake the rolls for 15 to 18 minutes, until they're golden brown on top and sound hollow when you tap them.
- 11
As soon as they come out of the oven, brush the tops generously with the melted butter. Serve them warm and watch them disappear.
Pro Tips
- ★Make sure your liquids aren't too hot or they'll kill the yeast — it should feel like warm bathwater on your wrist.
- ★You can make these a day ahead and reheat them covered with foil at 300°F for about 10 minutes, or freeze them after baking and warm them up whenever you need them.