Dinner Rolls

These golden-brown beauties are everything you want in a homemade roll – perfectly soft and fluffy inside with a slightly crispy, buttery crust that just melts in your mouth.

One bite of these warm, freshly-baked rolls will transport you straight to comfort food heaven. The secret? A touch of honey and whole milk that creates an incredibly tender crumb, while a brush of melted butter and sprinkle of sea salt takes them completely over the top.

Ingredients

For the Dough:

• ½ cup warm water (105°F)
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon active dry yeast
• 6 Tablespoons salted butter, melted and cooled
• 1 cup whole milk, room temperature
• 1 egg, room temperature, lightly beaten
• ½ Tablespoon sea salt
• 3-4 cups all-purpose flour

For the Topping:

• 2 Tablespoons salted butter, melted
• Coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Steps

1. Line a 9×13″ baking pan with parchment paper. In your stand mixer bowl, combine warm water, sugar, and yeast. Let stand 5-10 minutes until foamy.
2. Add melted butter, milk, and egg to the yeast mixture, stirring to combine. Mix in 3 cups flour and salt with dough hook, adding more flour gradually until a slightly tacky dough forms.
3. Transfer dough to a greased bowl, cover with damp cloth. Let rise 1 hour or until doubled.
4. Divide dough into 12 equal portions (use a scale for precision). Shape into smooth balls and arrange in prepared pan in 4 rows of 3.
5. Cover with damp towel and let rise 30-60 minutes until doubled. Preheat oven to 375°F.
6. Bake 25-30 minutes until golden brown and hollow-sounding when tapped. Internal temperature should reach 185-190°F.
7. Brush hot rolls with melted butter, sprinkle with sea salt, and serve warm.

Smart Swaps

• Use whole wheat flour for up to half the all-purpose flour (add 1 extra Tablespoon liquid per cup substituted)
• Replace butter with olive oil (use 5 Tablespoons instead of 6)

Make It Diabetes-Friendly

• Substitute sugar with monk fruit sweetener (1:4 ratio – use 1 Tablespoon)
• Use almond milk instead of whole milk (reduces carbs by 6g per serving)
• Make rolls smaller (divide into 16 instead of 12) to reduce portion size
• Pair with protein to slow glucose absorption
• Total carb reduction: approximately 8g per roll

Pro Tips

• Use a digital thermometer to check water temperature – too hot kills yeast
• Weigh dough portions for perfectly uniform rolls
• Don’t let damp towel touch rising rolls – they’ll stick
• Place pan on middle rack for even browning