These easy dinner rolls are the perfect addition to any holiday meal! They are vegan as written and have a rich, buttery flavor and a tender crumb that just melts in your mouth!
2cups all purpose flour divided, you may use less or more
2tablespoons granulated sugar
¼ouncefast action yeast 1 envelope
½teaspoon salt
½cup milk of choiceregular or almond works great!
¼cup water
2tablespoonsbutter regular or vegan, plus extra for brushing
Instructions
In a large bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 packet of fast action or instant yeast, ½ teaspoon of salt, and 1 ¾ cup of flour, and mix well with a fork. Reserve.
Heat ½ cup milk of choice, ¼ cup of water, and 2 tablespoons of butter of choice in a glass jar for 45 seconds to 1 minute in the microwave until warm (make sure they are not too hot!) Alternatively, bring the mixture to a gentle simmer until it barely starts boiling on the stove, and transfer it to another pot.
Pour the wet mixture over the dry ingredients.
With the help of an electric mixer (stand or hand mixer) with the dough hook attached, beat for 2 minutes on medium speed, scraping the bowl as needed. Alternatively, use a silicone spatula and mix well until combined.
Use enough of the remaining flour to make a soft dough (adding a little each time to prevent adding too much) - up to ¼ cup of flour - while beating, on high speed for a further 2 minutes until a soft dough has formed. The dough will feel slightly sticky, but not stick to your hands or feel unworkable.
Take the dough to a clean, lightly floured surface and work the dough with your hands until smooth and elastic, for about 7 to 8 minutes.
Put the dough back in the bowl, cover with a clean cloth and leave to rise for 10 to 15 minutes in a warm place. The dough should rise about ¼ to ½ of its size at least (but longer the rise time, the better!) See notes for more details.
Preheat the oven to 375ºF / 190ºC.
Gently scrape the dough from the bowl and divide it into 12 equal balls.
Place in a greased 8-inch, round, rectangular or square baking pan. Cover with the cloth and let it rise for an extra 15 to 20 minutes. Again, longer the better! See notes for make-ahead instructions to maximize overnight rise time.
Bake the dinner rolls for 20 minutes. However, start checking them at 15 minutes to make sure they're not too brown. If they are, then add some foil on top so they continue cooking but don't burn. At 20 minutes, check one of the rolls in the center to make sure they're done cooking.
Remove from the oven and leave to cool before removing from the pan, brush a little extra melted butter on top and serve warm. Enjoy your buttery soft dinner rolls!
Video
Notes
Butter and Milk: I have used Country Crock plant butter and almond milk in this recipe, but you can use butter and milk of your choice!
Make sure your milk is not too hot! This can kill the yeast and you won't get any dough action. Lukewarm or warm milk (not hot!) is critical. P.S., Make sure your yeast isn’t expired!
Don't skip the rise time, and allow as much as you can get! More rise time, the better. I have instructions for making this recipe the night before too. But allow at least 15-20 minutes (if not 30-60 minutes) for each rise. Make sure to cover the dish with the rolls really well and keep in a draft-free location.
Ambient Temperature: The temperature of your home will affect the time to raise your dinner rolls. If making this recipe on a cold day, preheat your oven to the lowest setting for 5 minutes, turn it off just to be warm and place the dough inside to rise. If it gets too hot, open the oven door and leave it to cool down a bit, we want a comfortable warm oven, not hot! Alternatively, if you need just a little heat, just turn the oven light on.
Portion and shape the rolls evenly. This ensures an even bake time. You don't need to get your ruler, but making them roughly the same size helps.
Check the rolls at 15 to 17 minutes. If they're golden brown, that's great; if they're too dark, then cover the baking dish with some foil so they can continue cooking without burning.