The BEST Fluffy Dinner Rolls
These fluffy dinner rolls are for those of us who want the goods without the fuss—easy, quick, and oh-so-delicious! Made almost entirely in your trusty stand mixer and finished off in the oven, these rolls are buttery, tender, and perfectly textured, and still 100% homemade! The secret? A mix of butter, shortening, and nonfat milk solids—each ingredient plays its part to bring you the ultimate roll experience. So here’s the game plan: Make these rolls, eat these rolls, and whatever you do, slather them with LOTS of butter. Because if you’re going to do it, do it right, and go big, boo!
Ingredients
- 12.5 oz. Water lukewarm
- 3 ¾ tsp Dry Active Yeast
- 21 oz. Bread Flour
- 2 tsp. Salt
- 2 oz. Sugar
- 1 oz. Nonfat Milk Solids
- 1 oz. Shortening softened & room temperature
- 1 oz. Butter softened & room temperature
- 1 egg beaten (for egg wash)
Instructions
- Grab your bowl, it's time to wake up the yeast! In the bowl, mix warm water, yeast, and a pinch of sugar—just a gentle stir, no need to overdo it. Let it chill for about 5 minutes until you see a bubbly party on the surface. Those bubbles (aka yeast farts) mean our yeast is alive and ready to rock! No bubbles? Give it a few more minutes, if you still don't see any activity your yeast may be expired! Grab a fresh batch and start over if needed.
- But if you've got bubbles, you're in the game! Add your flour to the bowl, attach the dough hook, and toss in the remaining ingredients. Set your mixer to medium speed and watch as it comes together into a rough dough.
- Then, switch to low speed and let it knead for 10-12 minutes until you've got a smooth, elastic dough that's ready to rise and shine.
- Transfer that dough ball into a large bowl spritzed with pan spray (don’t forget to give the top a little spritz, too). Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm, cozy spot—80°F is ideal—for about 1 ½ hours, or until it doubles in size.
- Time for some dough therapy! Punch it down by folding the edges into the center, then shape it into a smooth ball.
- Divide the dough into 16 pieces (or fewer if you’re craving bigger rolls). Roll each piece in a circular motion on your counter until smooth and place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet, giving each one a couple of inches to breathe (2 inches apart).
- Brush the tops lightly with egg wash for that glossy, golden finish, and let them proof for another 20 minutes until they double up again.
- Brush the tops lightly with egg wash for color and let proof for another 20 minutes. They should double in size again.
- Pop them in a 400°F oven and bake until they’re perfectly golden brown. Boom! Fresh, warm rolls that are ready to steal the show. Enjoy!