Best Soft Dinner Rolls Recipe

dinner rolls being brushed with herb butter

4.96 from 25 votes

Best Soft Dinner Rolls Recipe

A soft dinner rolls recipe with a butter and egg enriched dough. The tangzhong custard helps create a very delicate and soft roll, perfect for any meal.

Prep Time50

Total Time2 10

Course: Baking, buffet, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: bread, dinner rolls, homemade rolls, tangzhong

Servings: rolls

Calories: 128kcal

Author: Tara Teaspoon

Ingredients

Tangzhong Starter

½ cup water
½ cup whole milk
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Rolls

4½ cups (to 4¾ cups) all-purpose flour (576g)
1¾ teaspoons fine salt
1 tablespoon plus ½ teaspoon instant yeast
2 tablespoons nonfat dry milk
¾ cup whole milk warmed
2 large eggs room temperature
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened plus extra for brushing
Canola or Avocado oil for work surface
¼ cup chopped mixed herbs (such as rosemary, parsley, oregano, and thyme) for garnish OPTIONAL

Instructions

Tangzhong Starter

For tangzhong: In a small saucepan over medium heat, whisk together water, milk, and flour. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring, to thicken. Transfer to a covered bowl and refrigerate until cool.

Rolls

For dough: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough hook, combine the 4½ cups (579g) flour, salt, instant yeast, and dry milk. In a separate bowl, whisk together warm milk, eggs, and cooled tangzhong paste.
Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients in the mixer. Mix on medium speed until combined. Dough will be dry. Add butter a tablespoon at a time as the mixer is going. After the butter is incorporated, knead on medium speed for 6 minutes. Cover bowl with a clean towel and let rest 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, knead the dough again on medium-high speed for 6 more minutes until a smooth dough forms. Add a few tablespoons extra flour as the dough is mixing if it is really sticky. Dough should be soft and smooth.
Remove dough hook and use a rubber scraper to bring dough together into a ball. Spray dough and inside of bowl with cooking spray. Cover and transfer to a warm place to proof. Let rise until almost doubled in size and until finger imprint remains and doesn't bounce back when touched, 35 to 45 minutes.
Prepare high-sided pans by spraying with cooking spray or brushing with butter.
Turn dough out onto an oiled work surface. Measure and weigh into 1½- to 2-ounce pieces. (1 made 25 [1.8-ounce] rolls.) Gently roll into tight balls. Arrange ¼- to ½-inch apart in pans. cover and let rise again until almost doubled in size and until a finger imprint remains on the side when touched, 30 to 40 minutes.
While rolls rise, heat oven to 350℉. Once rolls have risen, bake until just golden, 15 to 18 minutes. Brush tops with extra butter and sprinkle with chopped herbs if desired.

Notes

Note: This recipe benefits from weighing the flour in the dough. A food scale helps make this recipe perfect. You can also use your scale to weigh each ball of dough to create uniform rolls.

Note: Bake rolls in one big pan or several smaller pans.

Nutrition