Dinner Rolls

The first time I met my husband’s family, his niece could not pronounce my name. She was probably 3 or 4 at the time and thought my name was “dinner roll.” The name stuck and 12 years later I am still occasionally called “dinner roll.” I am grateful that she at least associated me with a delicious food!

Rolls are such a great addition to a meal. They can stand alone or you can use them to sop up all the extra deliciousness from your meal. They are small, light and the perfect texture to not fall apart when you dip them into those last bites of dinner. You just have to be careful not to eat the whole pan.

Start by combining the yeast, sugar and warm water into the bowl attached to a stand mixer with a dough hook. You can also make these by hand using a large mixing bowl and a dough whisk. Let the mixture sit for about 10 minutes to allow the yeast to proof, or grow.

While the mixture is resting, combine the milk and butter in a microwave safe dish. Microwave on high for 2 minutes to heat the milk and melt the butter. Let it cool slightly before adding it to the yeast mixture.

Once proofed, add the egg, salt, milk/butter, and 3 cups of flour to the yeast. Mix until incorporated. Continue adding the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and is tacky. Continue kneading the dough for about 5 minutes.

Cover the dough with a clean dish towel, saran wrap, or a shower cap and let it rise for 1-1 1/2 hours.

Remove the dough from the bowl onto a clean, lightly greased surface. Then, divide the dough into 14-16 equal portions. Form the portions into a ball and place onto a greased pan about 1-2 inches apart.

Cover and let the dough rise again for about 45 minutes, or until they have doubled in size.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the rolls from the pan onto a wired rack to cool. Enjoy warm!