Soft and fluffy milk bread rolls. These versatile dinner rolls make excellent sliders or mini sandwiches.
These rolls are soft and fluffy fresh from the oven! For extra rich flavor, brush hot rolls with melted butter. Follow with a sprinkling of Maldon sea salt flakes. The addition of salt really elevates the flavors of the fresh baked dinner rolls.
Best of all, nothing beats the rewards of making your own bread. No preservations, no chemicals, no ingredients you can’t pronounce.
When it comes to bread making, all you really REALLY need is a kitchen scale and a kitchen thermometer.
Bread making is a science, a predicable science when measured correctly.
Dinner Roll Ingredients
These dinner bread rolls are made using your standard yeast dough ingredients with the exception of a dough starter or water roux. Here are notes regarding key ingredients and substitutions:
- Flour: For best results, measure flour by weight using a kitchen scale. Otherwise, use the stir and spoon method to measure by volume (cups). This recipe may be made using either all-purpose flour or bread flour with minimal difference.
- Salt: Recipe uses Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt. Diamond Crystal is less salty than Morton Kosher Salt. It also dissolves quicker. See recipe notes for measurements using other salt brands.
- Butter: Use softened unsalted butter. If you choose to use salted butter, you will have to experiment with the amount of salt needed in the recipe.
- Yeast: Recipe uses active dry yeast. This comprehensive baking with yeast tutorial breaks down how tackle any yeast recipe! Yeast is responsible for leavening the dough.
- Sugar: There is a small amount of sugar to aid yeast activation. These dinner rolls are more savory than sweet. If you prefer, you may swap in honey or agave.
- Milk: Whole milk provides the best flavor. However, you may use any milk of your choice including non-dairy milks.
Dough Starter: Tangzhong Water Roux
Water roux is a simple mixture of flour, water and milk. It is mixed and cooked together to form a paste. The resulting paste should have the consistency of mashed potatoes.
As shown in the image above, stir together flour and liquids. Microwave until mixture is smooth and thick like the image on the right.
This water roux helps to ensure the dinner rolls bake up soft and fluffy. It’s the same technique popularized by Hokkaido milk bread, also known as Japanese milk bread.
Proofing Yeast Dough
Knead together the soft dough. Place in an oiled container or bowl with lid. Keep in a warm place away from direct sunlight. Allow the dough to rest and rise.
As evident in the image above, this milk bread dough will nearly triple in volume!
Yeast is easy to work with as long as you have the right tools. It’s important to use a kitchen thermometer to measure the temperature of your liquids.
One of the biggest reasons breads fail is due to problems with the yeast.
Most of the time, the liquids aren’t warm enough to activate the yeast, or the liquids are so hot that it kills the yeast. A kitchen thermometer saves you from guessing.
When working with active dry yeast, it’s best to work with liquids between 95- 120 degrees F. Anything over 140 degrees F is too hot. High temperature will kill the yeast.
Portion and Shape Bread Rolls
For best results, use a digital kitchen scale to portion out the milk dough. The recipe makes 24 dinner rolls.
The images below show a dozen rolls baked in a 9×13 baking pan. You will need a 18×13 baking sheet or baking pan to bake all 24 rolls together.
- Divide dough in 24 equal portions using a kitchen scale.
- Roll dough into a tight rough ball. Cover shaped dough. Let rise in a warm area away from direct sunlight.
- Brush egg wash over proofed dough. Dough will puff and expand during proofing/resting period. will expand and puff up.
- Bake rolls until golden. Cool slightly. Serve milk bread rolls warm.
What to do with milk bread rolls?
These milk bread rolls are excellent for holidays like Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. It pairs well with ham, turkey, or roast beef.
It is wonderful paired with spaghetti or other saucy dishes like Asian braised beef. Use the rolls to scoop up and absorb all the sauce!
Slice the rolls open and fill with deli meats and cheeses to make mini sandwiches. Use to for shoyu pulled pork sliders or ricotta meatball sandwiches.
Bread Variations and Options
This recipe makes 24 dinner rolls. Asides from rolls, you may use the dough to shape other breads. Here are some options:
- 12 dinner rolls + one 9×4-inch pullman loaf (or one 9x-5-inch sandwich loaf)
- 12 hot dog buns
- two loafs
More Dinner Roll Recipes
- Pumpkin Bread Rolls
- Pandesal (Filipino Bread Rolls)
- Black Pepper Cheddar Beer Bread
Milk Bread Rolls
Ingredients
Starter:
- 2 Tablespoons Bread flour, or all-purpose flour
- 2 Tablespoons Whole Milk
- 2 Tablespoons Water
Dough:
- 1 ¾ cups Whole Milk
- 3 Tablespoons Granulated sugar
- 1 Tablespoon Active dry yeast
- 2 Large eggs, , Room temp, lightly whisked
- 5 ½ cups Bread flour, (715 g) or all-purpose flour
- ½ cup Unsalted butter, (113 g), softened, room temp
- 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt
Egg Wash:
- 1 Large egg
- 1 Tablespoon Water, or whole milk
- Pinch Kosher salt
Instructions
Starter:
- In a microwave-safe bowl, mix together flour, milk and water. Microwave for 30 seconds. Stir. Microwave for another 30 seconds. Stir. The mixture should be smooth with the consistency of mashed potatoes. If mixture is not smooth, microwave for another 15-20 seconds until desired consistency is achieved.
- Transfer mixture to a bowl of stand mixer. Set aside while you prepare dough.
Dough:
- Place milk and sugar in a large microwave safe container. Microwave for 90 seconds. Stir until sugar has dissolved.
- Pour milk mixture into the same stand mixer bowl with the starter. Add yeast and stir to combine. Let mixture sit for 7 minutes to activate yeast. The mixture should be bubbly and fragrant.
- Stir in eggs. Add half of flour. Attached dough hook to stand mixer. Knead of low speed for 3 minutes until dough starts to form.
- With the mixer running, add butter one tablespoon at a time. Stop mixer and add remaining flour along with salt.
- Knead on low speed until flour has been incorporated, about 5 minutes. Dough will be wet and tacky. Turn off mixer and remove hook attachment. Cover dough and let sit for 10 minutes.
- Rested dough will appear smoother. Re-attach dough hook to mixture. Knead on medium speed for 3 minutes until dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl. *Don’t be tempted to add more flour. Dough will be a little tacky, but easily scrapes off the bowl.
- Transfer dough to an oil bowl or container. Cover dough. Allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes until dough has doubled in volume.
- Punch down risen dough. Transfer to a clean work surface. Divide dough in 24 equal parts. Roll into 24 balls. Place 12 rolls each in two 9×13-inch baking dish. Or place all 24 rolls in a large 18×13-inch baking pan.
- Cover bread rolls. Rest for 30-45 minutes until rolls have puffed up and nearly doubled in volume. Preheat oven to 350℉ while dough rests.
Egg Wash:
- Whisk together egg, water, and salt until smooth.
Baking:
- Brush egg wash over risen bread rolls. Bake for 22-25 minutes until bread is golden brown on top and has an internal temperature of at least 190℉. Allow to slightly cool in pan.
- If desired, brush bread rolls with melted butter and sprinkle sea flakes on top. Serve bread warm.
Notes
- * I used a standard half sheet baking pan (18×13-inches)
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
I tried this recipe yesterday. It turned out tasty.
Will definitely try these!! Tried other dinner roll recipes but I wasnt happy with the results. Have become a fabmn of yours since your pandesal recipe was really very good. Baked it twice and both cane out wonderful… hoping these rolls will come out good.
Can you make this dough a day ahead of time and refrigerate it before baking?
Yes, roll the dough into balls and then refrigerate it overnight (up to 12 hours). Bring it to room temperature before baking.
Hi I just baked these! They are absolutely delicious! But the top of the bread rolls came out a little hard, is that how it’s supposed to be? Or are they supposed to be ultra soft? the only thing i can think of is maybe over working the dough slightly? not sure but they tasted fantastic! thank you !!!
Thanks for trying out the recipe! Perhaps the heat from the top of the oven is a little warmer than the middle. Or, the rolls were too close to the rack above it? That could also radiate extra heat. Next time, you can also cover the rolls with foil towards the end of baking to make sure the tops of the bread don’t overcook. I hope that helps!
This looks absolutely fantastic. I wish I could pull a roll from my screen.
I think you are offically the queen of breads, these look SO perfect!!