Dinner Rolls With Honey Butter
These big, soft, and fluffy Dinner Rolls with Honey Butter are made using a stand mixer, requiring no hand kneading. They’re the perfect buttery dinner rolls to serve alongside a warm bowl of soup or a hearty pasta dish.
- Uses a stand mixer: I love this dinner rolls recipe because it requires minimal effort and cleanup. All the mixing and kneading are done in a stand mixer, allowing you to prepare dinner while the dough is kneading.
- Prepare ahead: These dinner rolls are perfect for the holidays, whether it’s Thanksgiving, Easter, or Christmas! You can prepare them in advance and bake them just before serving for fresh, warm rolls at your table.
- Versatile: Serve these rolls with soup, pasta, or as a side for dinner. You can also turn them into sandwiches! Just add Kewpie mayo, cheese, meat, and your favourite toppings, and they make some of the BEST sandwiches I’ve ever had!
Ingredients For Dinner Rolls With Honey Butter
- Milk – Whole milk creates the softest and fluffiest rolls, but I’ve also tried this recipe with 2% and 1% milk, and it works just as well!
- Yeast – Only use instant yeast for this recipe.
- Granulated Sugar – I recommend using granulated sugar, but you can substitute it with brown sugar or honey. If using honey, you may need to add extra flour, as honey adds extra liquid to the dough.
- Egg – This recipe requires one large egg at room temperature.
- Butter – Use unsalted butter, but if you only have salted butter, omit the 1 teaspoon of salt in the recipe. You’ll also need room-temperature butter for the honey butter topping.
- Flour – For the fluffiest and chewiest rolls, use bread flour. While all-purpose flour works as a substitute and produces similar results, bread flour creates the ideal texture for dinner rolls.
- Salt – I use table salt in the dough, but you can also use kosher or sea salt. For extra flavour, sprinkle flaky salt on top of the rolls after baking.
- Honey – Use your favorite honey to mix with unsalted butter. Honey butter is an absolute must for these dinner rolls!
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1: Dry ingredients. In a bowl, combine bread flour with salt and whisk, then set aside.
Step 2: Proof the yeast. Pour the milk into a microwave-safe cup or bowl and heat the milk for about 1 minute or until it reaches 100–110°F. (If you don’t have a food thermometer, test by dipping your finger into the milk and it should feel lukewarm, not hot). Pour the warmed milk into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add instant yeast and sugar, then whisk until combined. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rest for 5 minutes, allowing the yeast mixture to foam.
Step 3: Knead dough. Attach the dough hook to the mixer and add the egg, softened unsalted butter, and the flour. Mix on low speed (speed 2) for 3 minutes. Once the flour is incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium (speed 6). If the dough is too sticky, add 1 tbsp bread flour at a time (up to 3 tablespoons or more if needed) until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should still feel slightly tacky and stick slightly to the bottom of the bowl. Knead the dough in the mixer for 6 to 8 minutes. To check if the dough is done, perform the windowpane test by pinching off a small piece of dough and gently stretching it. If it stretches without tearing, it’s kneaded enough.
Step 4: First rise. Grease a large bowl with oil or butter and transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size, about 1–2 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
Step 5: Shape the rolls. Once the dough has doubled, punch it down to release the air. Divide the dough into 18 equal pieces and roll each piece into a smooth ball. Arrange the balls in two greased 8×8-inch pans (9 balls per pan). Cover with a towel and let the rolls rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Step 6: Bake the rolls. Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the rolls for 25–28 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. If they brown too quickly, cover the pans with foil during the last 10 minutes.
Step 7: Finish with honey butter. In a small bowl, mix softened butter with honey. Once the rolls are done, place the pans on a cooling rack and immediately brush the tops with the honey butter. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Let the rolls rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with any remaining honey butter.
Expert Tips
Listed below are some tips to create the best dinner rolls:
- Use a food scale: For baking, I highly recommend using a food scale for accurate measurements. It helps ensure you’re not adding too much flour, which can lead to hard, dense rolls.
- Milk temperature: If you have a food thermometer, heat the milk to 100–110°F before adding the yeast. If you don’t have a thermometer, test the milk with your fingertip. The milk should feel lukewarm, but if it’s too hot, let it cool for a few minutes and check again. Never add yeast to hot milk, as it will kill the yeast and prevent the dough from rising.
- Check your yeast: If you’re unsure whether your yeast is still active, test it by adding 1 teaspoon of yeast to warm water and waiting a few minutes to see if it foams.
- Extra flour: During the kneading process, add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time if the dough is too sticky. The dough should be slightly sticky and tacky to the bottom of the mixer bowl but not overly wet.
- Windowpane test: To check if the dough is kneaded enough, perform the windowpane test. Pinch off a small piece of dough and slowly stretch it between your hands. If it stretches without tearing, the dough is ready for its first rise.
- Rolling the dough balls: To roll the dough, form a circle with your hand around the ball and move your hand in a circular motion.
- Butter: Brush the rolls with melted butter immediately after they come out of the oven. This adds flavor, keeps the rolls soft, and gives them a beautiful glossy finish.
More Side Dish Recipes
Dinner Rolls With Honey Butter FAQ
How can I prepare dinner rolls that are soft and fluffy?
The key to achieving soft and fluffy dinner rolls lies in creating a slightly sticky yet workable dough. Adding the right amount of flour is crucial since too much flour can result in dense, heavy rolls. This is why I highly recommend using a food scale for accurate measurements, ensuring you don’t accidentally add more flour than needed. Equally important is kneading the dough long enough to develop gluten, which gives the rolls their perfect structure and texture.
How many dinners rolls does this recipe make?
This recipe makes 18 dinner rolls but if you prefer larger rolls for sandwiches or sliders, you can divide the dough into 14 to 16 rolls instead.
How should I serve these dinners rolls?
Serve these dinner rolls with soup, pasta, a salad, or as part of a festive holiday dinner spread. They’re versatile enough to be transformed into sliders or sandwiches by skipping the honey butter and using regular butter for brushing the rolls.
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Dinner Rolls With Honey Butter
Ingredients
Dinner Rolls Dough
- 3 cups + 1/2 cup bread flour (420 grams), + extra as needed
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk (280 grams)
- 2 teaspoons instant yeast
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (56 grams), softened and cut into cubes
Honey Butter
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter or vegan butter, softened
- 2 tablespoons honey
- optional* flakey salt
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine bread flour with salt and whisk, then set aside.3 cups + 1/2 cup bread flour (420 grams),, 1 teaspoon salt
- Pour the milk into a microwave-safe cup or bowl and heat the milk for about 1 minute or until it reaches 100–110°F. (If you don’t have a food thermometer, test by dipping your finger into the milk and it should feel lukewarm, not hot.) Pour the warmed milk into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add instant yeast and sugar, then whisk until combined. Cover the bowl with a towel and let it rest for 5 minutes, allowing the yeast mixture to foam.1 cup + 2 tablespoons whole milk (280 grams), 2 teaspoons instant yeast, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- Attach the dough hook to the mixer and add the egg, softened unsalted butter, and the flour. Mix on low speed (speed 2) for 3 minutes. Once the flour is incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium (speed 6). If the dough is too sticky, add 1 tbsp bread flour at a time (up to 3 tablespoons or more if needed) until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. The dough should still feel slightly tacky and stick slightly to the bottom of the bowl. Knead the dough in the mixer for 6 to 8 minutes. To check if the dough is done, perform the windowpane test by pinching off a small piece of dough and gently stretching it. If it stretches without tearing, it’s kneaded enough.
- Grease a large bowl with oil or butter and transfer the dough to the bowl. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and place in a warm spot to rise until doubled in size, about 1–2 hours, depending on the temperature of your kitchen.
- Once the dough has doubled, punch it down to release the air. Divide the dough into 18 equal pieces and roll each dough piece into a smooth ball. Arrange the balls in two greased 8×8-inch pans (9 dough balls per pan). Cover with a towel and let the rolls rise for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until doubled in size.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the rolls for 25–28 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. If they brown too quickly, cover the pans with foil during the last 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, mix softened butter with honey. Once the rolls are done, place the pans on a cooling rack and immediately brush the tops with the honey butter. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt. Let the rolls rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm with any remaining honey butter.
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