The Easiest Dinner Rolls. Ever.

They really are.  In fact, this recipe is my all time favorite dough recipe.  I use it several times a week, and I love how fast it is. 

…and here’s the recipe, just in time for Thanksgiving!  I’ll give you the recipe, then share my tips at the end.

Dinner Rolls

1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup unsalted butter
4 1/2 cups flour (unbleached, whole wheat, or a mix)
1 package instant yeast
1 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 egg, room temperature

Directions:
Heat the milk, water, honey and butter until butter is melted. Check temperature. Depending on the temperature, let cool to 120F. Carefully beat in egg.  Mix 2 cups of the flour, yeast, and salt. Mix into the milk mixture. Stir in the rest of the flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Beat well after each addition.When the dough pulls together, (it will form a soft ball) turn it out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. This should take about 5 minutes.  Divide dough into 24 equal pieces. This will depend on the size you want for the finished roll. Shape into smooth balls, and place on a greased baking sheet.  Cover and let rise for 30 to 35 minutes. When rolls have almost doubled bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

You can brush the tops with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy seeds, sesame seeds, coarse sea salt, or whatever you like. You can add dry onion soup mix for onion rolls. These are very versatile!  Makes 2 dozen.

Okay.  Now for my cheater method. 

Do you have a bread maker?  I do.  It’s this one, and I love it. 

What I do is measure all of the ingredients, wet ones first, into the bread pan.  I let it run on the dough cycle for about 20 minutes until my dough looks like this:

Usually, I just take the dough and form it into 24 balls, but since these rolls are for Thanksgiving, let’s make them a bit fancier.  We’ll shape them into crescents.

I use cooking spray on my counter top.  Cooking spray is so much easier to clean up than flour. 

Divide the dough in half and roll it out.  We’ll use the other half later.

Take a butter knife or a dull pizza cutter and cut the dough into twelve equal wedges.

Take one wedge, and starting with the big end, roll it up.

When you put it into the pan, turn the corners in.

Keep this up until you have 24 rolls. 

Follow the rest of the recipe for raising and baking.

Here’s another cheater trick for you.  When the rolls come out of the oven;

…rather than butter the tops, just spray them with butter flavored cooking spray.  Easier, faster, and less messy.

Well, there you have it.  The world’s easiest dinner rolls with a few tricks to make them easier!

Here’s a little bonus:

I have used this dough recipe for breadsticks, cheesy rolls, onion rolls, cinnamon rolls, orange bowknots, doughnuts, fry bread, pizza dough, homemade hot pockets, etc…  It’s so versatile that you can use it for any recipe that needs dough. 

I hope you love this recipe as much as I do!