Heavenly Dinner Rolls

Rolls… they’re my weakness. I mean, who can resist that squishy, buttery, golden brown goodness? I can’t. These heavenly dinner rolls have been a favorite of ours for months now. They’re kind of a labor of love, but so so worth it. 

Heavenly Dinner Rolls | lifemadesimplebakes.com

Don’t let me scare you off. By labor of love, I mean that they’re more time consuming than my 1 hour soft & fluffy dinner rolls. ???? But they’re definitely doable- just ask my little sous chefs. They were there every step of the way. What makes these rolls extra amazing is 1.) their starter (milk, water, flour, cooked into a thick paste) 2.) dry milk 3.) a 20 minute knead time <- yes, 20 MINUTES – You’ve got this!

Heavenly Dinner Rolls | lifemadesimplebakes.com

To make the starter, in a small saucepan set over low heat, whisk together the whole milk, water and flour until smooth. Cook until the mixture thickens, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. Then, in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, dry milk (use a quality brand if you can like Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Flour), granulated sugar, salt and instant yeast. Mix on low until combined. In a 2 cup glass measuring cup, warm the milk in the microwave (I do about 45 seconds). Whisk in the starter, eggs and melted butter. With mixing speed on low, gradually add the wet ingredients. Mix just until a dough forms. Switch to the dough hook and knead for 15-20 minutes. This is what helps give these rolls their flaky, pull-apart texture. I highly recommend doing the full knead time!!

Heavenly Dinner Rolls | lifemadesimplebakes.com
Shape the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly buttered bow. Cover with plastic wrap and place into a warm oven (I turn mine on to 200 degrees, then turn it OFF when it reaches that temperature) for 60 to 90 minutes or until doubled. Gently deflate the dough by pressing a fist into the center. Divide into 12 equal pieces, and shape each piece into a ball. I like to pinch the bottom of the balls of dough and then form a C shape with my hand and roll the ball on the counter to make a smooth, tout circle. Does that make sense? If not, check this video out. It helps ensure that the rolls have a more uniform shape. If you have a kitchen scale, weighing them will help with that too.  Note to self: stop putting off buying that scale already. Geesh.

Heavenly Dinner Rolls | lifemadesimplebakes.com
Place the rolls into a lightly buttered quarter sheet pan or 9×13-inch pan. Cover with a clean towel and return to the oven. Let the rolls rise for 40 to 50 minutes, or until puffy.

Heavenly Dinner Rolls | lifemadesimplebakes.com

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl whisk together the egg and milk. Brush the tops of the rolls and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown on top (a digital thermometer inserted into the center of the roll should read 190 degrees +). You want the bottoms to be fully cooked. Remove the rolls from the oven and brush the tops with butter. Allow the rolls to cool for 10 minutes before pulling apart and serving. 

Heavenly Dinner Rolls | lifemadesimplebakes.com

Enjoy warm with a smear of butter or whipped honey cinnamon butter. You can thank me later! Enjoy & happy baking!!

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Heavenly Dinner Rolls | lifemadesimplebakes.com

Heavenly Dinner Rolls Recipe

These sky-high heavenly dinner rolls are light, fluffy and absolutely divine. They're my go-to rolls for special occasions!
4.50 from 2 votes
Pin Rate
Course: Rolls
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 2 hours 20 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 12 rolls
Calories: 267kcal
Author: Andrea
Print Recipe

Ingredients

For the Starter

  • 4 1/2 tbsp whole milk
  • 4 1/2 tbsp water
  • 3 tbsp all purpose flour

For the Dough

  • 3 3/4 cup all purpose flour
  • 3 tbsp powdered milk - also known as dry milk
  • 6 tbsp sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tbsp instant yeast
  • 3/4 cup whole milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter - melted

For the Wash

  • 1 egg
  • 1 tbsp whole milk

Instructions

To Make the Starter
  • In a small saucepan set over low heat, whisk together the whole milk, water and flour until smooth. Cook until the mixture thickens, about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside.
To Make the Dough
  • In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, dry milk, sugar, salt and yeast. Mix on low until combined. In a 2 cup glass measuring cup, warm the milk in the microwave. Whisk in the starter, eggs and melted butter. With mixing speed on low, gradually add the wet ingredients. Mix just until a dough forms. Switch to the dough hook and knead for 15-20 minutes.
  • Shape the dough into a ball and transfer to a lightly buttered bow. Cover with plastic wrap and place into a warm oven (I turn mine on to 200 degrees, then turn it OFF when it reaches that temperature) for 60 to 90 minutes or until doubled.
  • Gently deflate the dough by pressing a fist into the center. Divide into 12 equal pieces, and shape each piece into a ball. I like to pinch the bottom of the balls of dough and then form a C shape with my hand and roll the ball on the counter to make a smooth, taut circle. That way the rolls have a more uniform shape. If you have a kitchen scale, weighing them will help with that too.
  • Place the rolls into a lightly buttered quarter sheet pan or 9x13-inch pan. Cover with a clean towel and return to the oven. Let the rolls rise for 40 to 50 minutes, or until puffy.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl whisk together the egg and milk. Brush the tops of the rolls and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown on top (a digital thermometer inserted into the center of the roll should reach 190 degrees +).
  • Remove the rolls from the oven and brush the tops with butter. Allow the rolls to cool for 10 minutes before pulling apart and serving.

NOTES

-If you don't have a electric mixer, try kneading the dough for as long as you can stand. The dough can also be kneaded in a Bosch mixer or bread machine.
-Freeze these rolls and let them thaw at room temperature for a few hours before warming.

Nutrition

Serving: 12serving | Calories: 267kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 325mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 288IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 56mg | Iron: 2mg

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About the Author

Andrea

Hi I'm Andrea!

Hotelier turned Food Blogger to help make your life simple, one recipe at a time.

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