Easy Butter Rolls Recipe

The Softest Butter Rolls

Using my fast-rising single-proof dough, you can prepare them in 90 minutes or less–making it ideal for Thanksgiving, Christmas, weekend family dinners, or any day when you craving for exceptionally good bread.

Why you’ll love this quick bread recipe:

• The dough only requires one proofing and the rising time is faster than your regular dough recipe.
• The bread texture is pillowy-soft, moist (not dry!), and oh-so-delicious.
• Made of simple bread ingredients that never fail to make the best softest yeast bread!

Ingredients

Here’s what you need to make the best butter rolls:

This is the same dough recipe as my small-batch cinnamon rolls only that it’s double the amount. I know many of you loved it so why not make it into sweet bread rolls?

• Flour – using equal amounts of all-purpose flour and bread flour is a favorite technique of mine to create that lovely soft bread texture.
• Instant Yeast – or rapid-rise yeast is needed which helps the dough rise faster.
• Whole Milk – use whole full-fat fresh milk.
• Egg Yolks – is the secret to a luscious, plush, and pillowy soft. Don’t tell anyone (wink!).
• Butter – use pure unsalted butter, the best you can find. This will define the overall flavor of your bread.

How to Make Butter Rolls

A stand mixer with a large bowl makes this sweet bread easy to make. Note that this makes a slightly sticky dough but don’t worry, it is completely manageable after proofing.

Here’s how I make the dough:

1. Proof the instant yeast in warm milk – This will help the dough rise faster. This has always worked for me and always had a perfectly proofed dough. you can use instant or active dry. I always proof my yeast no matter the type to make sure they’re working before adding it to the rest of the ingredients.
2. Combine the dry ingredients–Flour, salt, and sugar. You can go ahead and add the 4 cups of flour in one go. Then add more later on if the dough comes out very sticky.
3. Add yeast mixture and egg yolks to the flour. Stir with a spatula until just combined. Doing this will make it easier for the dough hook to start the kneading process.
4. Add the cubes of butter one at a time while running the mixer at low speed. Scrape the sides of the bowl now and then.
5. Beat the dough for 10 to 12 minutes until smooth and elastic. Add flour while kneading until it becomes less sticky and smooth. I added about 5 tablespoons of more flour. Don’t worry if the dough still looks a bit tacky. Scrape the sides of the bowl once in a while.

How to Shape the Dough

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down to release the air. Place on a floured surface. Kneading it a few times by hand. This will help lessen the “yeasty” smell of the bread.

To divide the dough:

• Form into a smooth ball, and cut through the dough to the center.
• Divide the cut dough again into two.
• Shape into a small log as evenly as possible.
• Divide into small portions. Repeat the same steps for 3 of the remaining dough until you get 22 to 24 pieces of bread.
• Shape into a roll by tucking it under to create a smooth top. Place onto a surface then rotate to smoothen the bottom. Repeat the process for each roll and place it on a baking tray.

For uniform-sized bread, use a food scale to weigh each dough before shaping. For 16 large rolls, it would weigh approximately 70g each and for 24 smaller rolls, it would approximately be 47g each.

Storage and Shelf-life

These baked loaves stay soft longer than most bread. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate. If using a large zip bag, push out excess air before sealing. Like any other yeast bread, flavor and taste may change if stored for longer than 5 days.

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• Easy Chocolate Cake
• Cornbread Muffins
• Red Velvet Cupcakes with Beetroot Powder
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