Basic Dinner-Roll Dough

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  • Level: Intermediate
  • Total: 2 hr 45 min
  • Prep: 15 min
  • Inactive: 2 hr 30 min
  • Yield: 2 1/4 pounds dough

Ingredients

Directions

  1. Warm the milk and 1/2 cup water in a small saucepan or in the microwave until very warm (110 degrees F). Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook; mix in the sugar, yeast and 1 cup flour until combined but still lumpy. Let stand until the mixture is very bubbly, about 30 minutes.
  2. Add the butter, salt and 2 cups flour; mix on medium speed until smooth and elastic, 2 to 3 minutes. Mix in the eggs until combined, scraping the bottom and side of the bowl as needed. Add 1 1/4 cups flour and the mix-ins, if using; mix until the dough is smooth and starts to gather into a loose ball, about 4 minutes. The dough should be slightly sticky; if it's too wet, add the remaining 1/4 cup flour.
  3. Lightly oil a large bowl; scrape the dough into the bowl and turn to coat with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm place until doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Cook’s Note

You can freeze the finished rolls for up to a month. Before serving, thaw at room temperature for 30 minutes, then reheat in a 375 degrees F oven for 10 minutes. Yeast Tips Check the label: Make sure you use the type of yeast in the recipe. Active dry yeast is not interchangeable with rapid-rise or instant yeast. Use a thermometer: Don't guess the heat of the liquid you're adding; take its temperature. It must be at least 110 degrees F to activate the yeast. Watch your dough: Rising times can vary depending on the heat of your kitchen. Use the times as a guideline and follow visual cues for all the steps.