This recipe delivers a wonderfully soft dinner roll. It uses an easy to make dough. With just a little effort you can have a great accompaniment to your lunch or dinner. Of course you do have to proof the dough. But there is no effort in that, just waiting time. So they are easy soft dinner rolls.
The recipe will make 9 small rolls or, as I made, 3 small and 3 larger rolls. I used a muffin pan and a jumbo muffin pan to shape my rolls. But you can also make the rolls without the use of those pans. Simply shape the dough into balls and bake them on a baking tray.
I used active dry yeast in my recipe. However if you wish to use instant yeast that will work too. Simply skip the process of activating the yeast. Instant yeast is just mixed into the other ingredients.
This is actually a very simple recipe. First you make a shaggy dough. That is then allowed to proof. Then you must knead the dough. But that process doesn’t take too much effort. Although the kneading can be done in a stand mixer it is is easy to do it manually. In fact I think it is easier to do it manually. Next is the shaping of the dough to form the rolls. After another period to proof the dough it is time to bake the rolls.
Proofing
The final proofing is a critical aspect of making any bread. The dough needs to rise until it is risen to the point where, when gently pressed, it slowly springs back. The dough is not ready to bake if it springs back quickly. Equally, if the indentation made by pressing doesn’t spring back at all you have over-proofed the dough.
My Bake
I baked my rolls for 12 minutes. The internal temperature reached higher than 88C/198F. That confirmed that the rolls were fully cooked.
I took them out of the oven and immediately transferred them to a wire rack. Then I brushed some butter over the tops. That was to soften the crust.
I baked my rolls without any topping. However brushing some egg over the dough and sprinkling with sesame or poppy seeds would be very good too.
The rolls had a great texture. Soft and light they had a perfect crumb. The flavour was excellent too. I found them perfect to accompany my soup.
Another recipe I like is Easy Cheese & Herb Foccacia.
Easy Soft Dinner Rolls
Course: BreadDifficulty: Easy9
servings3
hours30
minutes12
minutesIngredients
135ml(1/2 cup + 1 tbsp) lukewarm water, warmed to 40C/104F
275g(1 2/3 cups + 2 tbsp, based on scooping packed flour into a 250ml cup) bread flour
4g(1 tsp) active dry yeast
19g(1 1/2 tbsp) caster sugar
12g(1/2 tbsp) oil
26g(1/2) medium egg(large in USA), beaten
3g(1/2 tsp) salt
Directions
- Add about 1 teaspoon of sugar into the water and then add the yeast as well, giving it a quick stir.
- Leave the yeast to activate for about 5 to 10 minutes, until it has started to become frothy and foamy.
- In a large bowl place the activated yeast water, with the oil, sugar and egg, then whisk to combine.
- Add the salt and most of the flour.
- Stir everything together until it begins to clump into a shaggy mass.
- Keep mixing for a minute or two, adding more of the flour, to create a dough that is tacky. You may not need all of the flour, since depending on humidity etc, flour absorbs liquid at different rates.
- You can use your hands to finish the mixing to the tacky dough stage, cleaning the sides of the bowl.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave to proof, in a warm place, for about an hour, until the dough has doubled in size.
- Place the dough onto a floured surface, knocking out the air.
- Knead the dough for 5 or 6 minutes, until you can stretch a test piece for the window pane test. You may need to add a little more flour if the dough is sticking to you hands, but don’t use too much.
- Divide the dough into 9 equal pieces and form them into balls.
- For small rolls divide each ball into two pieces and shape each into a ball then place them side by side in a greased muffin cup.
- For larger rolls place two balls into a greased jumbo muffin cup.
- Cover the pans (or baking tray if making free form rolls) with lightly oiled plastic wrap and allow the dough to proof until it has risen above the top of the muffin cups.
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F.
- Test the dough to check it is proofed, by gently pressing to form an indentation that slowly springs back.
- Bake the rolls in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes(mine took 12 minutes) until they have risen well and the internal temperature is at least 88C/198F.
- Remove the rolls from the oven and transfer to a cooling rack, then brush the tops with butter to soften the crust.
- Allow the rolls to cool completely before serving.