The BEST Dinner Rolls Recipe
This easy dinner rolls recipe is made with buttermilk to make soft, buttery, yeasty, slightly tangy, old-fashioned rolls that melt in your mouth with each bite.
Equipment
- Stand mixer with dough hook attachment (not required)
Ingredients
- 1 ⅓ cup full fat buttermilk
- ½ stick unsalted butter plus 3 tablespoons softened butter for the bowl, pan, and brushing the rolls after they’ve baked
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 5 cups all purpose flour
- 2 packets rapidrise or quick rise yeast
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt I prefer Diamond Crystal brand, see note below
- 3 eggs divided
- Maldon sea salt for serving
Instructions
- Add buttermilk, ½ stick of butter, and sugar to a small saucepan and heat over medium low, stirring occasionally with a spatula. Heat just until butter has melted, then remove from heat. Use a thermometer to check the temperature. It should be warm but not hot and read somewhere between 100 and 110°F. If your mixture registers hotter than that, let it cool on the counter for a bit, or pop it in the fridge for a couple of minutes, then recheck with your thermometer. Otherwise, if the liquid is too hot it could kill your yeast.
- You can also warm your buttermilk, butter, and sugar in the microwave. Just use a microwave-safe bowl and cook 1 minute at a time, stir, check, repeat until your butter has fully melted. Don't forget a microwave shield or your liquid will spatter.
- Add the flour, yeast, and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the buttermilk mixture, followed by 2 eggs. Mix on medium speed for about 5-7 minutes, or until dough is smooth, elastic, and comes free from the sides of the bowl. (If you don’t have a stand mixer and dough hook, you can mix this in a bowl with a spatula or wooden spoon, and then knead with your hands for about 10 minutes.)
- Preheat oven as low as it will go (mine is 170°F) just for one minute, then turn it off (the oven will be just warm enough for proofing your dough). Brush a large bowl with softened butter. Transfer the dough to the bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Place in the oven to proof for 1 hour (the dough will double in size).
- Divide the dough in half, cutting it with a bench scraper or sharp knife. Cut each half in half and those halves in half. You’ll want to have 15 equal pieces of dough (for 15 rolls). I recommend weighing each with a kitchen scale if you want, to ensure they’re all the exact same size, about 70g each. If you have any dough leftover, cut off little pieces and add to each roll.
- To shape your rolls, you want to allow some friction between the dough and your work surface. Lightly flour your work surface. Cup your hand around the dough ball, resting the side of your hand on your work surface as you gently roll in quick, tight, circular motions until you have a smooth, round shape (don't worry about the bottom as much). As you're rolling, cover your other dough portions with a kitchen towel so they don't dry out.
- Brush a 9×13-inch baking dish with softened butter. Arrange each of your rolls in the pan in three rows of five across. Cover with a dish towel and let sit someplace warm for the rolls to proof (I like stashing mine in the microwave), for 1 hour (if the rolls have not doubled in size by then, you may need to allow another 30 minutes of proofing time).
- Once the rolls have finished proofing, preheat your oven to 350°F. Break your remaining egg into a small bowl and whisk well. Brush each roll with your egg wash (you will not use all of it) and place rolls in the oven to bake for about 20-23 minutes, or until golden brown. Once the rolls are done, brush them with more softened butter and top with a sprinkling of flaky sea salt.
Notes
• If using Morton’s kosher salt instead of Diamond Crystal, you won’t need as much—use just 1 ¼ teaspoons.
• If preferred, use honey instead of sugar (cut the quantity to ¼ cup, since honey is sweeter than sugar).
• Use active dry yeast instead of rapidrise or quick rise, if that’s what you have. To activate it in this recipe, combine your yeast with ½ cup of warm water and 2 teaspoons of sugar and let it sit for about 10 minutes or until it’s nice and foamy (if it doesn’t get foamy, your yeast may be old and you’ll want to throw it out and start over). You may find when mixing your dough that it’s a bit sticky due to the extra liquid, so you might need to add more flour (add 1 tablespoon at a time).
• This recipe makes enough for a crowd but can easily be cut in half if you’re having a smaller gathering. I don’t recommend doubling the recipe, so if you want more than 15 rolls, make two separate batches.
• Do ahead: You can proof the dough overnight before rolling them. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and proof in the refrigerator overnight or up to 24 hours.
• You can also let the rolls rise overnight in the fridge. Cover your baking dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Remove them from the fridge and keep the plastic wrap on. Let the rolls sit on the counter for about 30-45 minutes or so before you want to bake them so they can come to room temperature. They might need a bit of extra time in the oven.
• To rewarm the rolls, wrap them in foil and place in a 350°F oven for 7-10 minutes. These are best on the first day but hold up really well for sandwiches the next day.
• These rolls can be frozen. The best way to defrost them is in the oven. Place them on a sheet pan and heat in a 325°F oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until completely warmed through. Tip: These rolls would be extra delicious with some honey butter. Simply combine 1 softened stick of salted butter with ¼ cup honey and whisk well. Add more honey if desired.
• These rolls can be frozen. The best way to defrost them is in the oven. Place them on a sheet pan and heat in a 325°F oven for about 20-30 minutes, or until completely warmed through. Tip: These rolls would be extra delicious with some honey butter. Simply combine 1 softened stick of salted butter with ¼ cup honey and whisk well. Add more honey if desired.