Soft Dinner Rolls

Soft Dinner Rolls

These Soft Dinner Rolls are like something from a dream: buttery, soft, and tender. Plus, you don't have to choose between White and Whole Wheat since this recipe makes both! Serve these warm at brunch, lunch, or dinner; they'll be a huge hit.

Ingredients

Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
· 7 3/8 ounces milk (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons or 7 fluid ounces)
· 2 teaspoons sugar
· 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
· 2 ounces butter (1/4 cup), cut into tablespoons
· 1 egg, lightly beaten
· 7 3/8 ounces bread flour (1 3/4 cups)
· 6 3/8 ounces whole wheat flour (1 1/2 cups)
· 1 teaspoon salt
·
White Dinner Rolls
· 6 3/8 ounces milk (3/4 cup or 6 fluid ounces)
· 2 teaspoons sugar
· 1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast
· 2 ounces butter (1/4 cup), cut into tablespoons
· 1 egg, lightly beaten
· 13 3/4 ounces bread flour (3 1/4 cups)
· 1 teaspoon salt
·
Glaze
· 2 tablespoons milk
· 1 ounce butter, melted (2 tablespoons)

Instructions

1. Note: If you have enough kitchen equipment you could make both doughs at the same time, and knead the white bread dough by hand while you have the whole wheat dough kneading in your stand mixer. (The white dough will be easier to knead by hand.) However, I've written the recipe as I did it, making the whole wheat dough first and the white dough second.

Prepping and First Rising:

2. Begin with the whole wheat dough. Scald the milk in a heat-safe bowl in the microwave by heating it until it reaches 180°F (about 80-90 seconds). Then, let it cool (about 20 minutes) until it reaches 110°F-115°F. Transfer the milk to the bowl of your stand mixer and stir in the sugar to dissolve. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk and stir it in. Let the mixture sit until foaming on top, about 15 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, microwave the butter for about 30 seconds, and then stir until it has melted completely (microwave a bit longer if needed). Make sure the butter is below 115°F before combining with the yeast. Start working on the white dough: Scald the milk as you did for the whole wheat, and let it cool to 110°F-115°F.

4. Pour the butter into the proofed yeast mixture and add the lightly beaten egg. Sprinkle the flour on top, and then the salt. Using the dough hook attachment, start the mixer on low speed. Let the machine knead the ingredients, and once they've come together into a dough, continue letting the machine knead for 5-8 minutes, until you have a soft and fairly elastic dough. Shape into a round with a smooth top and transfer to a greased bowl double the size of the dough, turning the dough once to coat the top with cooking spray. Cover with greased plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place. While the machine is kneading the whole wheat dough, start proofing the yeast for the white dough, and melt the butter for the white dough, setting it aside to cool.

5. Prep the white dough just as you did for the whole wheat, placing the prepared dough in another bowl to rise. Let both doughs rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 1/2 - 2 hours.

Shaping and Second Rising:

6. Starting with the whole wheat dough, punch it down gently. Divide it into 6 equal pieces (they should weigh about 4 ounces each). Keeping the remaining pieces covered, work with one portion of dough at a time, shaping it into a ball by stretching the dough out with your palms to form a smooth top and pinching the edges together underneath. Cup the sides of the dough ball in your palms and rotate it gently to further smooth it out. Cover and repeat with remaining pieces of dough.

7. Repeat the previous step with the white dough. Each portion of dough should weigh about 4 ounces for the white dough.

8. Place the rolls into a 9" x 13" baking dish, alternating between white and whole wheat rolls in 3 rows of 4. Leave space between each column of dough to allow room for rising. Cover with greased plastic wrap and leave to rise in a warm place for another 45 - 60 minutes, until doubled in size, filling up the space in the baking dish, and at least as high as the top of the dish. Once the rolls appear close to being fully risen, preheat oven to 350°F.

Glazing and Baking:

9. Brush all exposed areas of the rolls with 2 tablespoons of milk. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, until the roll are puffy and barely getting a bit of color on top. Immediately brush the rolls with the 2 tablespoons of melted butter (use it all). Allow the rolls to cool briefly before serving, which will also give the butter time to soak in and soften the tops. Cover the rolls with a light kitchen linen while they cool.

Storing:

10. Once the rolls are no longer very warm, place them in a zip-top bag to store. If they're still warm enough to produce steam in the bag, leave the bag open until the rolls have cooled completely. Store airtight at room temperature. Rolls can be reheated in the microwave wrapped in a very light cloth.

Comments and suggestions are ALWAYS welcome