Grandma B’s dinner rolls are tender, moist, soft clouds that beacon you to crack them open then fill ’em up with butter and jam. The best Thanksgiving dinner rolls recipe!
Look no further for the perfect dinner roll recipe because this one is it. Simple, buttery, fluffy and tender; a grand dinner roll for special occasions or everyday.
Grandma B’s dinner roll recipe will become your family’s go-to dinner rolls as it has become ours. These rolls are seriously amazing like fluffy tender clouds of heavenly goodness.
Growing up in a home where both of my parents worked full time, there was little time or energy to cook homemade breads and rolls. When I was a little girl I would get so excited for Thanksgiving in anticipation of these amazing dinner rolls. Everyone would! Grandma B would bring them fresh out of the oven and still warm. As I got older and my grandma become unable to bring the rolls, my great Aunt Sue brought them.
Years ago we were celebrating Thanksgiving dinner with my husband’s family. I couldn’t handle the thought of not having these dinner rolls at our Thanksgiving feast so I volunteered to bring the rolls, Grandma B’s dinner rolls. A little worried I wouldn’t be able to make them the way Grandma B or Aunt Sue did, I jumped right in.
I’m happy to say, from the first time I made this dinner roll recipe to the last (just this last weekend), these rolls have come out of the oven so fluffy and beautiful every time.
VIDEO!!! WATCH HOW EASY THIS RECIPE IS TO MAKE:
LOOKING FOR MORE DELICIOUS BREAD RECIPES? YOU MIGHT LIKE:
- Crusty No-Knead Artisan Bread
- Potato Cheddar Bread
- Butterhorn Rolls
- Sweet Butterhorns
- Feather Soft Cinnamon Rolls
WHY SCALD MILK FOR DINNER ROLLS RECIPE?
In this dinner roll recipe, scalded milk offers more than warmth to the dough. Scalding milk helps break down the whey proteins which provides an easier food for the yeast. This creates more air bubbles and ultimately, a softer, moister more fluffy roll.
If you’re thinking about skipping this step, DON’T! It’s worth the extra couple of minutes it takes to heat the milk.
HOW DO I SCALD MILK?
I prefer to heat the milk for this recipe in the microwave. By placing the milk in a microwave safe bowl or pitcher and heating in the microwave for 2 to 2 1/2 minutes, the milk is hot but not boiling.
Respectively, you can also scald milk on the stove. Place milk in a sauce pan, heat over medium heat stirring occasionally. When wafts of steam begin rising from the milk it’s ready. Make sure the milk don’t boil. This can cause it to curdle or become lumpy.
SINGLE RISE VS DOUBLE RISE:
The steps in this recipe are included for a reason. There’s no exception with the double rise. Both, the single and double rise offers time for air bubbles to form in the down and gluten to develop. If rolls are baked after a single rise only, the texture will be more dense.
A double rise will allow air bubbles to form without over proofing and offer tender, moist rolls once dough is baked.
I love this recipe because both rises occur before the rolls are formed. Some recipes will have you do the 1st rise, form the rolls then complete a second rise and bake. I find error can occur more easily (under or over proofing) when this method is used.
In this dinner roll recipe, the dough is covered and risen until doubled in size. At that point, the dough is punched down to release some of the air bubbles then risen again until ALMOST doubled. Once the second rise is complete the dough is carefully rolled out, cut into 3-inch circles, buttered on one side then folded in half and placed in the baking dish. They go straight into a 350°F preheated oven. This process allows little room for failure during the proofing stage.
SECRET INGREDIENT FOR SOFT, TENDER DINNER ROLLS:
Did you guess the secret ingredient in this dinner roll recipe? Was it surprising to you?
If you guessed POTATO FLAKES, you were right! Potato flakes offer long-lasting moisture and a soft cloud like texture. We keep a box of potato flakes in the pantry specifically for this recipe.
READY FOR THE BEST DINNER ROLLS?!
HERE’S THE FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE. ENJOY!
Grandma B's Dinner Rolls
Tender, soft, fluffy rolls perfect for butter and jam. Hands down, the best Thanksgiving dinner rolls recipe out there!
Ingredients
YEAST MIXTURE:
- 1/2 cup warm water, (about 100-110°F)
- 1 Tbs sugar
- 2 Tbs active dry or instant dry yeast
MILK MIXTURE:
- 2 1/2 cups milk, scalded
- 1/2 cup shortening
- 1/2 cup butter, an 8 oz cube
- 1/2 cup dry potato flakes
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 4 tsp salt
DOUGH:
- 8 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 5 eggs
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
Instructions
YEAST MIXTURE:
- In a large 16oz cup or bowl, mix yeast mixture ingredients together. Set aside to proof (will begin to rise and bubble and takes about 5 minutes).
MILK MIXTURE:
- In a microwave safe bowl or dish, heat milk in the microwave (2-3 minutes). Make sure it does not boil.
- Once scalded, pour into stand mixer fitted with bread hook attachment. Add shortening and butter. Mix until fats are soft/melted.
- Next, add salt, sugar and potato flakes.
- If mixture is still hot to the touch, allow it to cool until warm. If milk mixture is warmer than 110°F it will kill the yeast.
DOUGH:
- Once milk mixture has cooled slightly add yeast mixture.
- Add half the flour and 3 eggs. Mix until all dry ingredients have been incorporated. Scrap sides.
- Add a half of the remaining flour with the last 2 eggs. Blend until dry ingredients are mostly incorporated. Scrap sides.
- Add remaining flour. Knead until incorporated and scrap sides. Knead for an additional 1-2 minutes on medium speed. Dough will be very soft and slightly sticky.
- Leave dough in bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a damp cloth. Let rise until doubled in size.
- Once doubled, sprinkle top with flour and punch dough down. Let rise again until ALMOST doubled in size.
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare two 9x13 pans by spraying with pan spray.
- On a well-floured surface using a rolling pin, carefully roll out dough to 1/2 inch thick. Cut 3 inch circles (I like to use a small IKEA kids cup). You should get about 36 circles.
- Carefully baste one side of the dough circle with melted butter than fold buttered sides together to form a half circle.
- Place folded rolls in 3 rows of 6 rolls (18 rolls per pan).
- Bake at 350°F for about 20-22 minutes or until rolls are evenly golden brown and cooked through.
Notes
Due to the nature of ovens and how much each oven can vary, bake time may need to be adjusted depending on your oven.
If using a convection oven, adjust temperature and bake time accordingly.
If desired, use excess dough for cinnamon rolls or reroll and make additional rolls. The texture of the rolls using excess dough will be slightly more dense due to additional mixing after proofing. They'll still taste delicious but will be a little more dense.
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