Old-Fashioned Dinner Rolls
12 rolls
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Ingredients
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- 4 ⅛ cups (500 g) strong white bread flour
- 1 cup (250 ml) whole milk, scalded & cooled
- ½ stick (60 g) butter, plus extra to brush
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- 1 egg, beaten
- 7 g (1 sachet) fast-action yeast & 1½ tsp salt
Method
- Scald the milk. Warm the milk in a pan until it steams with tiny bubbles at the edge (just below the boil), then stir in the butter to melt. Leave to cool to lukewarm — hand-warm, never hot.
- Make the dough. Mix the flour with the sugar and yeast on one side and the salt on the other. Pour in the cooled milk and the beaten egg, and bring together to a soft, slightly sticky dough.
- Knead. Knead for 8–10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Resist adding flour — a soft, tacky dough is what makes the rolls pillowy.
- First prove. Cover and leave somewhere warm for 1–1½ hours, until doubled in size.
- Shape. Knock back and divide into 12 (about 75 g each). Roll into tight, smooth balls and sit them just touching in a greased, lined 20 × 30 cm tin, in rows of 3 by 4.
- Second prove. Cover and prove for 30–45 minutes, until puffy and pressed together. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C, fan 170°C).
- Bake. Bake for 20–25 minutes, until risen and deep golden. Brush generously with melted butter while hot. Best served warm.
Granny's tip
If the kitchen's cold, prove the rolls in the oven with just the light on and a mug of just-boiled water alongside — that gentle warmth coaxes them to double every time.