Anytime Dinner Rolls
By America's Test KitchenPublished on June 29, 2009
Yield
Makes 24 rolls
Ingredients
Before You Begin
It’s important to keep the pieces of dough covered while rounding them into rolls or else they will quickly dry out and develop a tough “skin.” Surprisingly, the baking times for frozen, refrigerated, or fresh rolls are about the same (give or take a few minutes). You will need about 2 tablespoons melted butter for brushing the tops of the rolls prior to baking. We prefer the soft texture of rolls that meld together during baking, which is what will happen when they are spaced ½ inch apart on the baking sheet.
Instructions
- 1.Whisk the milk, butter, yolks, and egg together in a medium bowl; set aside. Mix 4 cups of the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt together in a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook. With the mixer on low speed, add the milk mixture and mix until the dough comes together, about 1 minute.
- Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (After 5 minutes, if the dough seems very sticky, add the remaining 1/4 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough clears the side of the bowl but sticks to the bottom.)
- Turn the dough out onto a clean counter and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover loosely with greased plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Following the illustrations below, divide the dough into 24 even pieces and cover with greased plastic wrap. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time (keeping the other pieces covered), round the dough into a small roll. Lay the rolls on the prepared baking sheet, spaced about 1/2 inch apart. Cover the rolls loosely with greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until the rolls have doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Without pressing on the rolls, wrap the tray tightly with greased plastic wrap. Freeze the rolls until frozen solid, about 6 hours. Transfer the frozen rolls to a large zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to 1 month. (Do not thaw before baking.)
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the rolls on the sheet, about 1/2 inch apart. Brush the rolls with melted butter and bake until golden, 15 to 25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
to store
to serve
Yield
Makes 24 rollsIngredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
For a durable, butter-rich yeasted roll recipe that could go from freezer to oven, we used all-purpose flour, whole milk, a lot of butter, and egg yolks (whites toughened the dough), along with a couple of tablespoons of sugar to speed up proofing and enhance the rolls’ wheaty flavor. We baked some buns after they had risen overnight in the refrigerator and others that had been frozen after rising and in both cases the buns baked up beautifully, especially after being brushed with a bit of butter before being slid into the oven.
Before You Begin
It’s important to keep the pieces of dough covered while rounding them into rolls or else they will quickly dry out and develop a tough “skin.” Surprisingly, the baking times for frozen, refrigerated, or fresh rolls are about the same (give or take a few minutes). You will need about 2 tablespoons melted butter for brushing the tops of the rolls prior to baking. We prefer the soft texture of rolls that meld together during baking, which is what will happen when they are spaced ½ inch apart on the baking sheet.
Instructions
- 1.Whisk the milk, butter, yolks, and egg together in a medium bowl; set aside. Mix 4 cups of the flour, sugar, yeast, and salt together in a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook. With the mixer on low speed, add the milk mixture and mix until the dough comes together, about 1 minute.
- Increase the speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. (After 5 minutes, if the dough seems very sticky, add the remaining 1/4 cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough clears the side of the bowl but sticks to the bottom.)
- Turn the dough out onto a clean counter and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl and cover loosely with greased plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside. Following the illustrations below, divide the dough into 24 even pieces and cover with greased plastic wrap. Working with 1 piece of dough at a time (keeping the other pieces covered), round the dough into a small roll. Lay the rolls on the prepared baking sheet, spaced about 1/2 inch apart. Cover the rolls loosely with greased plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until the rolls have doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Without pressing on the rolls, wrap the tray tightly with greased plastic wrap. Freeze the rolls until frozen solid, about 6 hours. Transfer the frozen rolls to a large zipper-lock bag and freeze for up to 1 month. (Do not thaw before baking.)
- Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and lay the rolls on the sheet, about 1/2 inch apart. Brush the rolls with melted butter and bake until golden, 15 to 25 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.
to store
to serve
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