Dinner Rolls
Making these dinner rolls will make you question ever buying them premade again
When I make these dinner rolls, they’re gone quicker than how long it took me to make them. For years, I was a big fan of buying premade frozen dinner rolls. I loved how easy and convenient they were, not only that but they were pretty delicious! However, as I get older, I find myself wanting to make everything (that I can) from scratch. There’s something about putting your time and effort into something that makes it taste even better. I hope when you make these, your family feels the effort and love you put into making them.
Helpful Equipment Needed for Recipe:
Stand Mixer, to do the kneading and mixing for you
9x13 baking dish
Bench scraper, to divide the dough
Ingredients:
2 tbs active yeast
1/4 cup of avocado oil or olive oil
1 cup + 2 tbs warm water, be sure not to use hot water as it will affect the proofing of the yeast
1/3 cup white granulated sugar
3 1/2 cups bread flour
1 tsp salt
1 egg
Instructions:
Yields: 10-12 dinner rolls Prep Time: 40 minutes Total Time: 50 minutes
In a large bowl, whisk together the yeast, oil of choosing, warm water, and sugar. After fully mixed, cover with a towel and let it sit in a warm location for 10 minutes (or until the yeast has proofed-it will smell “yeasty” and appear fluffy in texture).
Add 2 cups of the flour, the salt, and egg into the yeast mixture. Once it’s fully incorporated, add the remaining flour gradually. If the dough still seems sticky, slowly add pinches of flour until it is no longer sticky in texture.
On a floured surface, knead the dough until it is smooth and soft in texture. This will take about 5 to 10 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl and cover with a towel to rest for another 10 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9x13 baking dish.
Place the dough back onto the counter and divide the dough in half, then divide it into 12 even balls. Place the rolls into the greased baking dish. You do not have to worry about spacing them as it will affect the rise and cook of the rolls. Put a towel over the dish and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
Bake in oven for 10-13 minutes. Remove from oven and brush with butter of your choosing.
Helpful Images for Troubleshooting
Proofing the yeast
This is what the yeast will look like after it has taken 10 minutes to proof. Be sure to not let it over proof, your rolls will likely end up being more chewy than fluffy.
Doubling the dough (the first rest)
If the first rise does not appear to have doubled the first 10 minutes, allow it to rest an additional 5-10 minutes. The temperature of the location you place the bowl will determine how fast your dough will rise and or double.
Spacing the rolls
In my experience, the more room you leave in between the rolls, the less fluffy they will be. When I first attempted to create this recipe, I spaced them about 1-2 inches apart. They were edible, but they were no where near fluffy.
More of a visual learner?
I do have a quick video of me creating this recipe on my TikTok account. Click here to view the video for a more step-by-step tutorial.
Better than Boxed Scalloped Potatoes
No more Betty Crocker’s boxed scalloped potatoes. We’re adults now.
I’m not sure if this is a universal experience or not, but growing up I would look forward to the nights my Mom would whip out a box of ole’ Betty Crocker’s famous scalloped potatoes. It was a real treat. Each time she made them, I would sneak an uncooked potato from the plastic wrap prior to her mixing them together to cook. I wonder why I did the things I did. At the time, I thought it was the tastiest pre-dinner snack. But we’ve grown up since then. If I have to learn how to make them from scratch, then I will teach you how as well.
Equipment Needed Before You Begin:
Cast Iron Skillet or Round Cake Pan
Mandolin (not required, but makes the process much easier)
Cheese Grater
Ingredients
2 pounds of russet potatoes
3 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small squares
1/2 cup of mozzarella cheese, grated
1/3 cup of parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup of smoked cheddar, grated
1/2 large white onion, finely diced
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp thyme, dried or fresh
1 tsp parsley, dried or fresh
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
Instructions
Yields: 5-7 servings Prep Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 40 minutes
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Peel and thinly slice potatoes (about 1/8 inch thick) either with mandolin or with a sharp knife, set aside. Peel and finely chop onion, place in small bowl. Add the salt, pepper, thyme, and parsley to the chopped onions and mix. Set aside.
2. Grate your cheeses into a large bowl, give it a mix. Feel free to add more cheese than the recipe calls for, if you prefer.
3. Place a skillet (or the cast iron) onto burner on medium heat. Add half of the butter to the skillet to melt. Add the potatoes in a layering sequence, slightly overlapping but not directly stacked on top of one another. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the onion mixture and 1/3 of the cheese mixture to the top of the potatoes. Repeat these steps until all the potatoes have been used (about 3 times), while also adding a few knobs of your cubed butter in between layers.
4. Pour your heavy whipping cream into the dish and simmer for 5 minutes on the stove.
5. Bake in oven until golden brown, about 22 to 25 minutes. Oven temperatures may vary. After allowing to cool on counter for 5 minutes, sprinkle with additional thyme and parsley for garnish. Serve and enjoy!
The Cinnamon Rolls of your Dreams
Indulge into these gooey cinnamon rolls that require time and love, but it’s so worth it.
My fiancé and son frequently make the store bought tube of cinnamon rolls for breakfast. You know, the ones that scare the ever loving crap out of you when you open them? Yeah, those. While they are delicious, there are so many ingredients in them that I just can’t pronounce. Why are they in there? What do they do to our bodies after prolonged and frequent exposure? These questions led me to want to make them from scratch. Plus everything tastes better when you make it from scratch. I saw many recipes that all looked okay, but I knew where I needed to tweak them for my family’s liking. I hope you enjoy them just as much as we do! (:
Equipment Needed Before You Begin:
Stand mixer (not required but will make your life easier)
Rolling pin
2 9x13 baking dishes
Kitchen twine
Ingredients for the cinnamon rolls
4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (2 of the packets)
1 cup lukewarm water
1 tsp of granulated sugar, this helps proof the yeast
6 tbsp of unsalted butter
9 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour, may be up to 10 cups depending on if the dough is still sticky
2 cups of hot water
2 large eggs, beaten
1 tbsp salt
1/2 cup of unsalted butter, divided
1 cup of brown sugar (if you don’t have brown sugar in your pantry, mix together 1 cup of granulated sugar and 1-2 tbsp of molasses)
3 tbsp ground cinnamon
Ingredients for the frosting
1/4 cup of softened unsalted butter
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar (if you do not have powdered sugar in your pantry, add 3 1/2 cups of granulated sugar and 1 tbsp of corn starch to a food processor or blender until it becomes powder)
4-5 tbsp milk, less is more in the beginning, add more if necessary
3 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Yields: 22-24 rolls Prep Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes
1. In a small bowl, combine the yeast, lukewarm water, and sugar to proof. Place a wet paper towel loosely over the top to keep anything from getting in such as dust. It also prevents the air from affecting the bubbles from form. Set aside for 5-10 minutes or until you smell the yeast and see the fluffy bubbles form at the top.
2. In a stand mixer bowl (or large bowl if you will be using a hand mixer or spatula), add the unsalted butter, sugar, and salt to the 2 cups of hot water. Beat this for about 30 seconds - a minute. Let the mixture cool before adding 2 cups (of the 9 cups), mix this until it is smooth in texture. Now, you can add the yeast mixture.
3. Slowly and gradually add the remaining 7 1/2-8 cups of flour. Mix until incorporated fully. Transfer to a lightly floured surface and knead dough until it is smooth and satin-like.
4. Place dough into a bowl and cover with a towel. Allow to rise for 30 minutes so the dough doubles in size. Remove from bowl and divide dough into half. Once divided, take one half of the dough and roll out with a rolling pin. Roll the dough into a rectangular size of about 20 X 12.
5. In a small bowl, mix together the brown sugar and cinnamon.
6. Spread half of the softened butter, about 1/4 cup onto the 20 X 12 dough. Next, sprinkle half of the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture.
7. Roll the dough into one long roll. The best way to do this in my experience, is to roll away from you. Once you have it in one log, cut the log into rolls by using kitchen twine. I do mine about 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick. Place the rolls into a greased 9 X 13 pan and space them about 1 inch apart (for the second rise). Repeat steps 4, 5, 6, and 7 for the other half of the dough.
8. Cover both pans with a kitchen towel and allow the second rise to double in size. This will be about 10-15 minutes depending on the temperature of your home. While both are rising, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Bake for about 22-27 minutes or until tops are lightly golden brown.
9. Remove from oven and allow to come to room temperature while you make the frosting. In a medium bowl, whisk the butter, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla until fully incorporated. Add more milk for thinner consistency if desired.
10. Frost cinnamon rolls to your liking and enjoy!
Photos of Important Steps
This is what the dough should look like after the first rise prior to dividing it in half. It should be mostly smooth and satin to the touch.
Dividing the Dough
You can use a knife to divide the dough in half, or a bench scraper if you have one. When you spit the dough in half, be sure to place the half you are not using back into the bowl to avoid getting other ingredients on the dough.
When cutting into individual rolls, be cautious to cut them as similar as possible, about 2 or 3 inches in diameter. The thickness of your roll will determine the cook time. If you prefer them a little more done, go the 2 inch route. If you like them a little doughy and gooey (like we do), cut closer to the 3 inch mark.
Rolling out the Dough
When rolling out the dough and placing the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture, be sure to not get the mixture close to your rolling edges. This will cause spillage while rolling and baking.
You will notice that after baking, because they were space 2-3 inches apart in the pan, they will touch when they have finished baking. After allowing the rolls to come to room temperature, frost them to your liking.
Do these cinnamon rolls freeze well?
Yes, they absolutely do! Bake as usual, but do not frost them. Store them in a freezer-safe container and eat within two months. Upon reheating, just place aluminum foil on top of cinnamon rolls prior to baking. Bake them for 15 minutes, and frost them after they have cooled to room temperature.