Sure, you have your Aunt Gretchen who makes the best chocolate pie, and your grandma’s homemade noodles are something you look forward to all year, but so often the one thing that gets overlooked or forgotten at most holiday get-togethers are the dinner rolls. At best, you end up with some day-old supermarket bakery rolls, at worst, something that’s been in your freezer since last Thanksgiving. But here’s the thing, it doesn’t have to be that way! I started making this recipe 4 years ago, took them to Thanksgiving for the first time 3 years ago, and every year this is one of my most requested recipes. And here’s the best part – you can make these from start to finish in LESS THAN 2 HOURS, closer to 1 hour if you’re in a pinch!

Crave-Worthy Dinner Rolls –

aka The Only Roll Recipe You Ever Need! 🙂

*5 1/2 heaping tsp of Active Dry Yeast (or 4 1/2tsp Instant)
*2/3c granulated sugar
*1c warm milk
*1/2c warm water
–>You CAN “proof” your yeast for 5-10mins here, or if you trust that it’s fresh, you can keep moving along.
*1tsp kosher salt
*1/4c softened butter (I usually add an extra Tbsp for good measure, so 5Tbsp total)
*5-5 1/2c flour (I usually use a mix of King Arthur’s Hi-Gluten and All-Purpose Flour, but these are also fantastic with just Hi-Gluten or Bread Flour, a mix of Bread Flour + AP, or even AP-only if that’s what you have on hand. These are YOUR rolls, have fun with them! :))

Add everything but the flour to your bowl. Gradually mix in flour (I usually just add in about 4 cups and then slowly add the rest as it comes together) with dough hook on stand mixer or knead by hand. The dough should be soft and have some elasticity, but not be too sticky. Be careful not to add too much flour, for me about 5 1/8-5 1/4c is perfect.

Grease bowl, cover and let rise in a warm place for 20-30mins, if you are using a mixing bowl, it should rise to at least the top of it. Then dump dough onto a clean work surface (silpats are perfect for this), and divide the dough into 15 or 30 equal pieces. I find it’s easier to divide the dough in 4ths, then divide those into 4ths again so you end up with 16 pieces and just add the extra to the smaller rolls (there will always be the runts that need a little more dough! :)). If you are making these for a larger crowd, definitely go with making 30 instead. They will rise considerably so you will still get a nice-sized rolls. The larger rolls that you get if you only make 15 are perfect for sandwiches (leftover ham or turkey is amazing with these!), and I’ve even used them as hamburger buns! This time I made one batch of 15 and one of 30 so there are pictures with both.

To shape the rolls, pull the sides down and pinch them together at the bottom. Try not to over-handle them at this point, and then place them pinched-side down side-by-side in a well-buttered 9x13in baking dish.

Cover and let rise again until at least doubled in size (15-20mins). Bake in preheated oven at 375° until the tops are golden brown, about 16-18 minutes. Run butter over the tops while still hot. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and enjoy! 🙂

Notes: If you want to double this recipe, I would recommend just making the dough twice and then letting the first batch rise for the extra 10 minutes it takes to whip up the second. I have a 5qt Professional Kitchenaid stand mixer and the single recipe is enough to give it a good workout!

*Recipe inspired/adapted from Mel’s Kitchen