Homemade Oven Fresh Buttery Soft & Fluffy Dinner Rolls in three different styles. As your Classic Dinner Rolls, Split Rolls, Trinity or Clover Rolls. With the aroma of fresh-baked bread filling the air, sometimes all you need as a side dish is a good Dinner Roll.
Dinner Roll Ingredients
Made with Flour, Milk, Sugar, Oil, Egg, Instant Fast Active Yeast, Salt, and Butter.
Dinner Roll Steps
With only a few simple ingredients, you can make the best Dinner Rolls to serve at the table. As Dinner Rolls, Split Rolls or Clover or Trinity Rolls. There is just nothing like Homemade Oven Fresh Dinner Rolls. The basic steps are outlined below.
- Slurry: The Dough starts with a Slurry that is proofed for just a bit, 30 minutes to an hour or until very bubbly.
- Dough: Additional Flour & Salt are added and mixed or kneaded to create a Dinner Roll dough. The Dough should take on a whiter color and should be tacky. Add more flour if needed to achieve a tacky dough.
- Portion: The dough is then portioned into dough balls and dipped in melted butter before being placed into a baking pan with walls or a muffin tray.
- Proof & Bake: The Dinner Rolls are covered and proofed again before being baked at 350 F until golden. Removed from the oven and rested.
Dinner Roll Slurry
The Slurry consists of the cooled down Milk at about room temp, Oil, Sugar, one Egg, Yeast and only 2 cups of the Flour.
Use a cover or Garbage Bag to cover the dough every time for proofing. From the Slurry & Dough to the proofing in the casserole or muffin tray.
How to make a dough slurry
- Scald the Milk and empty into a bowl with Oil & Sugar to make the Slurry Liquids and whisk. Let cool to about room temp.
- Add the Eggs and whisk well and sprinkle Yeast on top.
- Add 2 Cups of Flour. Whisk really well and leave to rest, while covered, for about 30 minutes, or until there is good bubbling action.
Oven Proofing
Make use of the oven to proof doughs much faster. Turn the oven on for about 10–30 seconds, then shut it off and place the dough inside, covered with the plastic bag. This significantly improves proofing times, causing the dough to rise faster.
Dinner Roll Dough
Add in 2 more cups of flour with Salt, reserving the last cup of flour to add more flour to the dough if needed. You will use most of it, if not all. But you want to see where the dough is at. I have had some days when all wasn’t needed and others where it was and then some. In general, look for a tacky dough.
Making the Dinner Roll Dough
- Add 2 Cups of Flour & 2 tsp Salt
- Knead until the dough becomes a whiter color and is tacky, adding more flour from the last 1 cup of flour and more if needed to get a tacky dough.
- Cover and proof again for about 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Kneading Dinner Roll Dough
I have made these by hand, and you can get away with it. You just have to knead for a pretty long time for the best results. What you’re looking for is the dough to take on a whiter appearance and to be tacky, instead of sticky. Keep adding flour until the dough is kneaded well and tacky.
A dough mixer makes this a lot easier and not as messy. Mix for about 5–8 minutes, or when you see the dough take on a whiter appearance. Initially, the dough will be very loose and sticky. Keep adding flour until you get a tacky dough. Once the dough is formed, cover and place into the oven to proof again for about 1 hour, or until doubled.
Dinner Roll Sizes
Once the dough doubles in size, you are ready to portion and shape into Dinner Rolls. There are a few different options depending on what type of Dinner Rolls you want. At 90 g each, the yield is anywhere from 12 to 16 dinner rolls.
- Classic Dinner Rolls — 90 g, placed in a deep casserole tray.
- Split Rolls — 2 × 45 g, placed in a muffin tray
- Clover Rolls or Trinity Rolls — 3 × 30 g, placed in a muffin tray
Weigh your Dough
You want the Dinner Rolls to be exactly the same every time — Consistency. In order to do this, you need to weigh out the dough. The scales are not that expensive, and you will use the scales for other things too. I am able to cut my dough weights almost all the time to pretty close to what I am looking for (I do make it a game) and I still use the scale to make sure it is 90 g.
Shaping Dinner Rolls
When making the Dough Balls, you want to form into a tight ball. Sort of wrapping the dough around towards the bottom and sealing. This takes practice, but once you get it, you will be able to shape dough balls extremely fast.
Dip them in 1/2 C melted Butter, or place into a buttered tray with high walls. Cover with a Garbage bag and place into the oven again for the final proof. They are ready to cook when they have doubled in size and are touching.
Classic Dinner Rolls
For Classic Dinner Rolls, weigh out 90 g portions, shape, and dip in melted butter before transferring to a casserole with high walls. In the image below I was making all three types of Dinner Rolls so used a smaller casserole for Seven (7) Classic Dinner Rolls.
Clover Dinner Rolls
For Clover Rolls, weigh out 3 × 30 g dough balls and shape. Dip in butter and transfer to a muffin tray for final proof.
Split Dinner Rolls
For Split Rolls, weigh 2 × 45 g dough ball s and shape. Dip in Butter, and place into a muffin tray for final proof.
How to Freeze Dinner Rolls
Wrap the Rolls in Tin Foil and cover with a Bag. Place in the freezer. You can do this one by one or by batches.
Reheating Dinner Rolls
Either take the Dinner Rolls out of the freezer an hour before cooking or cook straight away. Place the Tin foiled wrapped Dinner Roll/s in the oven at 350 F until defrosted and nice and warm.
How to Bake Dinner Rolls
Bake Dinner Rolls in a preheated oven at 350 F in the middle rack position for 20–30 minutes, or until pleasant and golden color. Take them out of the oven when done and brush with any leftover melted butter. Let it rest, they are still cooking from the residual heat.
Equipment
- 1 Dough Mixer
- 1 Deep Casserole
Ingredients
- 5 C Flour - or more if needed to achieve a tacky dough
- 2 C Scalded Milk
- 1 Egg
- 1/4 C Sugar
- 1/4 C Oil or Lard
- 1 Tbl Instant Bread Yeast
- 2 tsp Sea Salt
- 1/2 C Melted Butter
Instructions
- Scald the milk, remove from heat and pour into a Bowl. Add Oil/Lard and Sugar to the milk and let cool. Add 1 or 2 Ice Cubes to cool down faster but keep the liquid at room temp or slightly above.
- Add an Egg to the Milk mixture and mix well. Sprinkle on the yeast and add 2 Cups of Flour. Mix vigorously with a fork or whisk. Cover and proof for 30 minutes.
- Add 2 more cups of flour with the salt and mix well in a dough mixer for 5–8 minutes, or Knead by hand. Add more flour from the remaining 1 C of flour or more if needed to achieve a tacky dough.The Dough will change to a whiter color and be tacky. When handling, it won't stick to your hands.Cover and let proof until doubled in size.
- Divide the Dough into 90 g portions. Form into a ball and dip in melted butter, or brush on melted butter all the way around. Place on a Baking Pan with high walls. Cover & Let Proof until doubled in size.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 350 F, with rack in middle position, for about 20–30 minutes or until desired golden color. Brush on Butter and let cool.