Dinner Rolls

Rolls, Rolls, and More Rolls!

Bread... It can be made into loaves, rolls, sticks, buns; it can be sweet, savory, or just plain, delicious bread! Nothing beats a fresh piece of bread straight from the oven. Especially with some homemade butter and a sprinkle of salt! Mmm, it doesn't get any "butter" than that!

One of my favorite bread recipes, one that is simple and pairs with almost any dinner: dinner rolls. Warm, soft, and freshly baked dinner rolls. I have experimented with this recipe for quite some time, and I think I have it almost perfect. I have had my fair share of mess-ups in the process, though.

Creating your own recipe doesn't sound all that difficult until you're second-guessing yourself with measurements. Let's be honest, you can throw about anything in a bowl and get some sort of bread. It's the correct measurements of the right ingredients that make a good bread. We all know the basics of bread, right? Start with some warm water, yeast, and sugar. Let that sit until it gets frothy; then, add some flour, butter, milk, salt, and a couple of eggs. Boom, bread dough! The first few times I made this, I didn't think it had much of a taste. I soon figured out that the key to this recipe is warm milk and butter!

The first time I ever made this recipe, I got hockey pucks as a result. The rolls didn't rise at all during either of the proofs; they didn't rise in the oven, and they came out with a thick crust. As always, I retraced my steps, thinking about what I could have done wrong. I checked all my ingredients and had everything I was supposed to. So, I decided to make it again. I followed the recipe as I had it written down, triple-checking the measurements before adding them to the bowl. Made the dough, placed it in an oiled bowl, and covered it to let it rise, hoping that it would rise this time. An hour goes by... it did not rise. I am so confused! I followed the process to see if I would receive the same outcome as before. I sure did. I had another batch of rolls that looked the same as before.

Still confused and feeling defeated, I went to the internet. I searched so many different recipes to compare mine. It was probably the tenth recipe when I had a thought. I was using all-purpose flour, as opposed to bread flour, and I don't think my yeast ratios were right! Back to baking!

Side note: Did you know you can make your own bread flour? You can make all kinds of flour at home! Bread flour, cake flour, even self-rising flour!

This time, I doubled the amount of yeast I was previously using, and guess what? My dough doubled in size on the first proof, like it was supposed to! I was overfilled with joy! I punched my dough down, worked it for a minute, divided it into twelve pieces, and rolled them into balls. I set them on a lined baking sheet for a final proof before going into the oven. I covered them and let them rise for about fifteen minutes before giving them an egg wash and going into the oven. They puffed up bigtime and filled the house with the sweet smell of victory! Out of the oven, they got brushed with butter and a sprinkle of salt. They were the best rolls I have ever made, and I was beyond proud of them! Here's the recipe.

The last time I used this recipe, I made nine pieces instead of twelve: 1. because we only had a few people eating, and 2. because I did my math wrong, dividing the dough in a hurry. They came out HUGE, but were just as good! They baked at the same temperature for the same amount of time, and baked all the way through. They didn't come out as pretty as I had hoped. I didn't roll them well enough before the final proof. I wasn't paying too much attention to rolling them out. I was also ready for them to proof and bake because I was hungry.

So, the moral of today's story: don't be afraid to experiment with bread! It can be a fun, although frustrating, experience. I learned a lot during the process of creating what I think is the perfect dinner roll recipe, which you can find here. I felt defeated more times than I can count, but I persisted and kept at it, learning from previous failures to make something delicious- as approved by the whole family!

Don't let the feeling of discomfort or aggravation overcome you next time you feel as if in the kitchen. Take a break, and a breath, retrace your steps, do a little research, and you can achieve anything! Thank you so much for stopping by! It means more than you know. Subscribe for exclusives, follow the socials, and see ya next time! <3