Yeasty Dinner Rolls

The holiday season approaches, with the attendant feasts. But, no matter the main dish, one side that must be had are rolls. Hot, fresh from the oven, split with butter or used to wipe up gravy, these are a critical supporting actor to an all-star meal.

I am more than a little pedantic when it comes to bread baking; over the years, I have become addicted to the evil white powder that is flour. And over the years, and many failed bakes, I have learned that proper measuring is crucial to a successful bake.

Whilst I tend to cowboy many of my recipes when doing anything with bread, I become very precise, switch to the metric system, and scale everything.

Another thing that has caused many failures is dead yeast. So do proof your yeast. When placed in a rich media (milk or water with honey) at a temperature of not more than 110 F (check this with a thermometer), the yeast should activate and produce a foam head within 10 minutes (5 minutes actually, but give it an additional 5). If not, toss it and start over.

A slow proof and a gentle rise are vital for generating the exquisite taste yeast can provide, so take the time.

From Wikipedia:

A roll is a small, usually round or oblong individual loaf of bread served as a meal accompaniment (eaten plain or with butter). Rolls can be served and eaten whole or are also commonly cut and filled – the result of doing so is considered a sandwich in American English and in Britain.

Yeast Dinner Rolls

Yeasty, Soft, Buttery, Absolute Heaven, fresh from the oven.
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 15 minutes
Rise Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Course Breads, Dinner, Side Dish
Cuisine Global
Servings 12 Rolls
Calories 189 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 Stand Mixer Or knead by hand
  • 1 Baking Dish 9×13
  • 1 Thermometer Instant Read
  • 1 Kitchen Scale With Tare and grams
  • 1 Liquid Measure Cup In ml

Ingredients
  

  • 240 ml Water ~ 1 cup, Filtered Please
  • 30 Grams Butter ~ 2 tbsp, Melted
  • 120 ml Milk ~ 1/2 cup Whole Fat
  • 50 grams Honey ~ 2 tbsp, Real Stuff
  • 15 grams Active-Dry Yeast ~2 packages or 1 tbsp
  • 580 grams AP Flour ~4 cups Sifted
  • 6 grams Sea salt

Instructions
 

  • Mix the wet components (Water, Butter, Milk, Honey) in a microwave bowl.
  • Microwave for 60 sec, stir and check temp.
  • Continue microwaving the mixture in 15-second intervals until it reaches 110°F.
  • Add the yeast, stir, cover, and let rest for 5 minutes.
  • After 5 minutes, the mixture should have a head of foam; if not, toss it and get fresh yeast.
  • Place the wet components into the bowl of the stand mixer
  • Add 500 grams of flour and all the salt
  • Use the dough hook to mix in the dry ingredients on medium-low speed until combined
  • If the dough is sticky (sticks to the side of the bowl), add more flour in 25-gram increments. We want the dough to pull away from the bowl and be slightly sticky to the touch.
  • Mix / knead for an additional 5 minutes.
  • Form the dough into a ball and move it to a greased bowl
  • Cover the bowl with a damp towel and rise in a warm place for 1 hour. It should double in size and retain a dent when poked.
  • Gently punch the dough down and divide it into 12 equal-sized pieces. (scale them)
  • Form each piece into a ball and place the dough balls in the greased baking dish.
  • Preheat the oven to 400
  • Cover the dish with a damp towel and let the dough rise for 30 minutes.
  • Uncover and bake for 15 minutes or until the rolls are lightly golden brown on top and cooked through.
  • Transfer the baking dish to a wire cooling rack and brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter.

Notes

  1.  Heat the mixture to 110. NO MORE, it can be anything over 100
  2. Check the expiration date on your yeast.
  3. PROOF YOUR YEAST
  4. SCALE / MEASURE your ingredients. 
  5. DO NOT SKIP THE PROOF OR RISE.
I’m being a bit pedantic in this write-up, but over the years my addiction to the evil white powders, (AP Flour, Bread Flour, etc), has taught me this is not a time to play cowboy.  Follow the SOP religiously, and measure precisely.
These can be prepared up to 48 hours in advance, just cover the baking dish tightly, and refrigerate.  Allow 2 hours for the rolls to come to room temperature before baking.
One can add finely minced or grated garlic, or finely minced herbs, to the dough or sprinkle with grated parmesan after baking.

Nutrition

Calories: 189kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 5gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 571mgPotassium: 91mgFiber: 2gSugar: 6gVitamin A: 79IUVitamin C: 0.02mgCalcium: 85mgIron: 2mg
Keyword Baked, Bread, Yeast
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

  Filed under: Baked, Bread, Global, Vegetarian

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