Easy, fluffiest dinner rolls ever

Cooktop Cove: Easy, fluffiest dinner rolls ever

By Emily Monaco

Why are we so willing to rely on others for our dinner roll needs? Whether we're buying them at the grocery store or succumbing to tubes of premixed dough, dinner rolls seem just scary enough that we forego the possibility of making them ourselves. But they don't have to be difficult to create. This quick and easy recipe takes advantage of a few tricks to get you perfect, fluffy rolls every time.

The secret to the recipe is its quick rise. This is done by using a low oven setting to create a moist, warm environment to help the yeast thrive. As a result, the rolls rise in just 20 minutes and are on the table in just over an hour from start to finish.

Quick and easy dinner rolls

1 hour

15 minutes

1 hour 15 minutes

4 cups flour

¼ cup sugar

1 tablespoon instant yeast

1 ½ teaspoon salt

¾ cup water

⅔ cup milk

5 tablespoons butter, diced

Preheat the oven to 180 F.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, yeast and salt.

In a saucepan, combine the water and milk. Heat until just simmering, then whisk in 4 tablespoons of the butter until partially melted.

Pour the milk mixture into the dry ingredients and stir until a dough forms. Turn out onto a work surface and knead 4-5 minutes, until elastic.

Place in a bowl, cover with a clean towel or plastic wrap and let the dough rest 5 minutes.

Roll the dough out into a rectangle, then cut into 16 equal pieces. Arrange the doughballs in a greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish.

Brush the tops of the doughballs with a bit of water, then place into the preheated oven. Immediately turn the oven off and allow the rolls to rise 20 minutes.

Remove the rolls from the oven and preheat the oven to 375 F.

When the oven is preheated, bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven, brush the tops with the reserved tablespoon of butter and serve warm.