Easy Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls

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There aren’t many things in life better than the warm dinner rolls served at a restaurant before dinner… except these homemade Easy Garlic Butter Dinner Rolls! They are really simple and fuss-free to make, don’t require a mixer, and are pillowy soft and light in texture. And I mean it when I say they’re better than any restaurant bread. Once you make these at home, there’s truly no going back.

Read the full blog post below for detailed notes, tips, tricks, photos and videos.

WHY YOU SHOULD TRY THIS RECIPE

I honestly believe this is the best recipe you’ll ever try for homemade garlic butter dinner rolls, and here’s why:

• They are easy and fuss-free. I have especially developed this recipe to make bread less intimidating and more approachable for the average joe / jane. There are no unnecessary steps, and it’s hard to mess them up
• They don’t require a mixer. If you want to use a mixer to skip the kneading, you can use one, but I knead them by hand and so can you
• They’re fluffy and pillowy soft. They have the absolute dreamiest, most unbelievable texture which is usually very hard to achieve at home. Just feeling them in your mouth is an experience of its own
• They taste absolutely delicious. Warm and buttery with the perfect balance of sweet, salty and garlicky. Pure perfection

HOW TO PROPERLY KNEAD DOUGH FOR DINNER ROLLS

Kneading is probably the single most important step in order to get the coveted light and fluffy texture of dinner rolls. It activates the gluten in the dough, and gluten provides the structure or scaffolding which allows the rolls to rise while baking while still holding their shape. If there isn’t enough gluten in the rolls, they won’t be able to rise properly, and therefore won’t be light and soft. Here’s how to get it right:

Kneading by hand

Start by bringing the ingredients together in the bowl using a large spoon, then knock the dough out onto a clean working surface. Start kneading by using a push, pull motion with your palm. You want to lock your elbow and use your body weight as opposed to bending your elbow, as that will tire you out a lot more quickly.

At first, the bread will feel quite sticky. But as you keep kneading it, it will start to become smoother and easier to work with. Avoid adding more flour, and keep kneading for a good 15 minutes.

You know the dough is well kneaded when it gets very smooth and stretchy, and passes the window-pane test. Stretch a section of dough slowly between your fingers until it becomes paper thin without ripping. If it rips quickly, you need to knead more.

Kneading with a stand mixer

Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer with the dough hook attachment to knead the dough. This will take almost 10 minutes on medium-high speed. You will know the dough is done when it pulls away from the edges of the bowl, looks very smooth, and passes the window-pane test.

HOW TO PROPERLY PROOF DINNER ROLLS

“Proofing” is the term used for rising bread dough. This is the second most critical step to get right for the perfect dinner rolls, and is achieved when the yeast becomes active and starts feeding on the sugar and water to release carbon dioxide, which then creates little air bubbles which make the dough rise.

Proofing happens in 2 steps, and here’s how you can get them right:

• First proof. After you knead the bread, place it in a large, clean bowl sprayed with oil. Cover with plastic wrap, and place the bowl in a warm, humid place, ideally around 75-80F. If your kitchen is too cold, you can place a bowl of hot water in your oven, and place the bowl inside the oven. The first proof is done when the dough at least doubles in size, and passes the “poke test”. Gently poke with your finger – the dough should spring back part of the way but not fully.
• Second proof. After you shape the dinner rolls, it is time for the second proof. This is important because shaping the dough removes some of the air trapped in it during the first proof. Place the rolls in the baking sheet, and let them rise again in a warm spot until the rolls look puffy and pass the “poke test” again.

Why your dough is not rising

If you feel like your dough is not rising even after waiting, there could be a few reasons for it:

1. Your yeast has expired. To test this, mix the yeast with warm water and wait for 10 minutes. If it does not start bubbling up, it has expired
2. Your milk was too cold or too hot. The temperature of the milk should be between 100-110F. If it is colder, the dough will be cold and it will take longer for the yeast to activate. If it is hotter, there’s a risk it will kill the yeast
3. Your kitchen is too cold. Yeast needs heat to work, so make sure you place the dough in a spot that is 75-80F

How to proof the dough overnight

If you want to split the work between 2 days, you can do the first proof overnight in the fridge. Due to the colder temperature, the dough will take longer to rise. Make sure it has at least doubled in size before you shape the next day, and do the second rise in a warm spot as instructed.

PROCESS WITH PHOTOS

The detailed recipe is written in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but let’s quickly go over the key steps with photos to help you visualize everything:

Stir the yeast with warm milk, then add all the other ingredients to the same bowl:

Bring the ingredients together into a shaggy dough with a spoon, then turn onto the counter:

Knead until the dough is smooth and stretchy:

Transfer to a bowl and let the dough rise:

After the dough has proofed, divide it into 12 equal portions:

Shape each piece into a smooth ball:

Transfer to a baking sheet and brush with egg wash:

Allow the rolls to rise again, then give a second coating of egg wash:

Bake until golden, then brush over garlic butter:

And now it’s time to enjoy!!

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

I’ve covered questions about kneading and proofing/rising above, so make sure to read those sections!

Once you perfect these easy garlic butter dinner rolls, you can also attempt my other bread recipes!

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