It’s hard to imagine a more classic side dish than dinner rolls. They’re at almost any restaurant dinner table, and they pair well with almost any entree. They can be served with some butter, used to sop up any leftover gravy or sauce, or even dipped into a nice hearty stew. They are truly a jack of all trades and are comfortable in nearly any dinner setting. There are plenty of options in the frozen aisle of the supermarket, but why not try making them at home? They will taste fresher, and they can be made ahead of time and heated up when ready for use. You can even freeze some for a longer storage time!
Time: 2 Hours (most of which is rising and baking time)
Ingredients: (makes 8 rolls)
- 2 Cups of All Purpose Flour
- 3/4 Cup of Warm Water
- 2 Teaspoons active dry yeast
- 1 Teaspoon of Salt (I like kosher or sea)
- 1 Teaspoon of Sugar (white, brown, or honey crystals depending on what flavour subtleties you would like)
- Optional: Egg
Method:
- Mix your yeast and sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer (or a regular bowl if making by hand). Then, slowly add your water, and let sit for about 5 minutes until the yeast forms a bit of a foamy layer on top of the water.
- Add in about half of your flour, and mix to combine. Then, add in the rest of your flour, and knead for 8-10 minutes until your dough forms and is tacky but not sticky.
- Spray a little oil into a deep bowl, and place your dough ball in the bowl, and cover it with some plastic cling wrap. Let sit for an hour until it doubles in size.
- When the dough is done rising, give a quick oil spray to a muffin tin.
- Cut your dough into 8 equal parts, and working one at a time, cut each into thirds, and roll each piece into a ball. Then place the three balls together in one cup from your muffin tin. Repeat until all of your dough is in the muffin tin, and cover the tin with a tea towel for about 30 minutes to rise again.
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
- Optional: If you’d like to have your rolls come out of the oven shiny and golden brown, beat an egg, and brush it on top of your rolls now.
- Place your rolls in the oven for about 20 minutes.
- Plate, devour, and enjoy! Or, let them cool and stash them in your fridge for later use.
