The Secret to Rich, Soft, and Fluffy Dinner Rolls

There’s nothing quite like the smell of freshly baked dinner rolls wafting through the kitchen— so comforting, so tempting! These golden, pillowy-soft rolls are the perfect addition to any meal, be it a holiday feast or a cozy weeknight dinner. They’re buttery, slightly sweet, and ridiculously easy to pull apart (spoiler alert, there is a secret ingredient!) Trust me, once you try these dinner rolls, you’ll want to make them for every occasion. Let’s dive into the recipe and bring these beauties to your table!

Ingredients for Dinner Rolls

• Warm milk – 0.6 cups: By this, I mean just slightly over half a cup of milk. If you use exactly half a cup, you’ll notice that your dough is a little on the firm side, which may not do your dinner rolls good. Add about two tablespoons of milk to that half a cup and you’re all set.
• Egg – 1: Must be at room temperature so as not to interfere with the performance of the yeast.
• Condensed milk – 3 tbsp: The secret ingredient! Condensed milk is a secret weapon in baking dinner rolls, delivering both flavor and texture. Its sweetness adds a subtle richness to the dough without being overpowering, making the rolls taste indulgent. Additionally, the milk solids and sugar in condensed milk help create a beautifully golden crust while keeping the interior soft and tender. It’s a simple ingredient that makes a big difference in achieving bakery-quality rolls at home!
• Yeast – 1 tsp: Use instant yeast for faster rising. I mean, do you wanna wait that long to enjoy these super appetizing dinner rolls?
• All-purpose flour – 2 cups: Loosen up or sift your flour before measuring so that you do not overmeasure. Also, ensure the cups are flat on top. Excess flour will mess up the ratios and result in dense, tough, and dry dinner rolls.
• Salt – 1/2 tsp: Add this to the flour, not to the wet ingredient mixture as salt is known to inhibit yeast activity.
• Unsalted butter – 2 tbsp: Well, what beats buttery dinner rolls? Butter is the magic ingredient that takes dinner rolls from good to utterly amazing. It contributes to the soft, tender texture of the dough, ensuring each bite is rich, fluffy, and moist, and simply melts in your mouth. Let’s not forget the glossy, golden finish on top when you brush melted butter over the rolls straight out of the oven!
• Milk and butter for brushing: You’ll need about two tablespoons of whole milk to brush the dinner rolls just before they go into the oven, and about a tablespoon of unsalted butter to brush them soon after they come out of the oven for that captivating glossy look.

Steps for Dinner Rolls

1. Combine warm milk, one egg, condensed milk, and yeast in a large bowl. Whisk to combine well.
2. Add flour and salt. Fold in with a spatula or mix with a clean hand until all flour is absorbed into the dough. Cover the dough and let it rest for 20 minutes. This allows time for the yeast to start working through the dough.
3. Add softened unsalted butter to the dough and knead until smooth. You can do this step in the same bowl but it is much better if done on a wide and flat surface such as on a pastry mat. It allows you to spread and fold, even beat the dough ask you knead it, resulting in a much smoother and non-sticky dough (see recipe video).
4. Cover and let the dough rise for one hour or until doubled in size.
5. Punch the air out. Lay the dough on a wide dry surface and divide it into nine equal pieces. Shape each piece into a neat ball.
6. Cover the dough balls with cling wrap or a clean kitchen cloth and let them rest for 15 minutes. This will make the next step much neater.
7. Shape each dough ball further into a neat ball by tucking in any protruding ends.
8. Arrange the dough balls in the baking tray. Space them out evenly.
9. Cover again with a clean kitchen cloth and let them rise for 50-55 minutes.
10. Brush the dinner rolls with cold whole milk. Make sure to evenly brush all exposed sides for even browning.
11. Bake at 340F for 20 minutes. If the dinner rolls begin to brown too quickly, tent them with aluminum foil.
12. Once ready, brush the rolls with softened butter while hot. Allow them to cool down in the tray for about 5 minutes then transfer them to a wire rack to cool further.
13. Enjoy these rolls with a spread of butter or jam!

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Conclusion

And there you have it—perfectly golden, soft, and rich dinner rolls that are sure to wow you and everyone else you’ll share them with. Serve them with a hearty stew like this chicken stew with coconut milk, for a holiday feast, or simply slather them with fresh, creamy butter for a daytime snack. Once you see how easy they are to make, they’ll quickly become a staple in your household. No doubt, homemade dinner rolls just hit different!