A golden buttery crust tops soft and tender pillows of flaky goodness in this pan of pull-apart rolls making them the perfect addition to your holiday table. Shape your rolls in interesting combinations to create a bread that is not only incredibly delicious but visually stunning as well.
I like serving pull-apart rolls at dinner parties, breaking bread at the table with family and friends brings me joy. In passing a plate of fresh baked rolls to share there is a very human connection made with everyone at the table via the bread. This is one of the reasons I enjoy serving pull-apart rolls, that and the fact that they are incredibly soft and delicious.
This recipe for dinner rolls is simply one of the best I have found. I have tested this recipe many times over the past few years, in many different shapes and forms, and it is consistently produces a soft and tender roll. The right recipe is key to making a good roll, but there are also a few tricks that will help you with this or any other bread to get the best results.
Units of Measure vs. Weight – Professional bakers use a bakers formula and weigh all ingredients when making bread. I myself have taken to using a scale to measure ingredients and have found that it does give me a more consistent result, however many people do not have a scale or prefer the ease of using cups and spoons. I admit I do not always pull out the scale, sometimes it is quicker and easier to grab the measuring cups.
So the first tip I will share is about measuring flour. We have all learned the scoop and level method of dipping flour from the bin, however dragging the cup through the flour can actually add more flour than you want. Flour is easily compacted and by scooping you are packing the flour into the measuring cup. If you were to weigh the scooped amount you would find that it is almost always heavier, equaling more flour, which means tougher bread. So start by taking a tablespoon or knife and fluffing up the flour in your bin, you will notice right away how the volume increases. Then gently spoon the lightened flour into your measuring cup and level off with a knife, this will give you a more accurate amount. Use the same method for any dry ingredient as they all settle and become more compact in the cupboard.
Bread recipes commonly call for a range of the amount of flour needed. Depending on your flour, and the temperature and humidity of your kitchen, the actual amount of flour you use can vary from day to day. So if a recipe calls for 5 to 6 cups, build your dough with five cups and place the additional cup in a bowl. Only use flour out of the bowl to add to the dough and also to dust the board. This will keep you from adding too much flour to your dough which can make it tough.
Most of us have kosher salt in our kitchens and use it for just about everything. If you are using teaspoons to measure salt for your recipes use a regular ground table salt. The larger sized crystals of the kosher salt take up more space and do not measure the same as the finer grind. Again if you were to weigh and compare you would find you are adding less salt than the recipe actually calls for by using the sea salt. I know you might be thinking less salt is a good thing, however in bread baking the right amounts are important and affect how the yeast and other ingredients react as well as flavor.
Active Yeast vs. Instant – The answer here is that both work equally, however I have taken to using instant or rapid rise yeast which eliminates the process of blooming the yeast before adding, I had a baking instructor who changed my thinking on this ingredient. Instant yeast can be added and thoroughly mixed with the other dry ingredients and the yeast will not start working until liquids are added.
Tenderizers – Milk, butter, and sugar all work to make bread softer. Powdered non-fat dry milk is commonly used in bread baking, it is extremely easy to work with and adds to the tenderness of bread.
Kneading – Soft rolls and bread require minimal kneading. The longer you work the dough the stronger the gluten strands become resulting in a tougher bread. So work the bread only enough to form a nice ball that does not stick to your hands.
Rising – An important step in making any bread is not to let a skin form during any of the the rising processes. Cover your bowl with plastic wrap to prevent this from happening. I also find placing the covered bowl in the cold oven with only the oven light on is a perfect place to let your dough rise.
Degassing – After the first rise you will find most recipes ask you to punch down the dough to remove air bubble formed during the fermentation. This is also usually the point that you form your bread into what ever shapes you are baking. Lightly dust your working surface with flour from the bowl you set aside and turn the dough out onto the board. Using the flat of your hands press the dough out into a rectangle. Do not poke the dough with your fingers, that tears the gluten strands that have formed during rising. Once the bread is somewhat flattened out, fold the top 1/4 part of the dough on to itself and using the heel of your hand press it together working along the fold from right to left, then fold again and repeat as needed until you have formed a log shape. This method will gently remove any bubbles from the bread and prepare it for dividing.
Dividing the Dough – One you have the dough in a log like form use both hands to roll the log out a bit more. Starting in the center with hand over hand, gently roll the dough back and forth moving your hands toward the ends as you go. If the dough springs back and is hard to roll, it is not relaxed enough so cover it with a damp cloth and let it rest for 10 minutes. The idea is to create a semi-even log shape that will be easy to divide, it does not have to be perfect. I like to work in halves or thirds when I divide. If a recipe yields 24 rolls, I cut the log in half and set half out of the way, covering it with a damp cloth. I find it much easier to divide twelve pieces than twenty four. Gently roll the half you are ready to work a bit more, then mark the center of the log with your bench knife, then mark each half in half, then each quarter in thirds. By marking before you cut, you can make any adjustments before you cut.
Shaping the Rolls – I always start by rolling the cut pieces into balls. No matter what shapes I plan to use it makes it easier to form consistent rolls if they all start out round. Once they are all rolled I cover them again with the damp cloth and let them rest. I like using a spring form pan for pull-apart rolls but you can use any pan you like, however I do suggest lining the pan with parchment to eliminate the heart break of sticking. One of the things I love about pull-apart rolls is the softness of the sides of the rolls where they bake against each other, so I like to crowd the pan a bit. This causes the rolls to rise upwards and gives more side surface area. I use melted butter as well and brush the sides as I place the rolls in the pan. It is fun to mix up the shapes, placing some rolls in whole, braiding some, or rolling others. You can be create here and do what ever you like, it is just bread and it will all be good. I make spirals by flattening a ball of dough into an oval about three by five inches, brushing it with butter, folding it in half butter side in, then rolling it up. Place the folded edge down in the pan and the top will spiral up.
Butter Top vs. Egg Wash – Both make a nice finish and totally up to you. Brushing the tops with melted butter will result in a nice golden appearance, while using an egg wash will give a shinier darker color.
Garlic and Herbs – Experiment with flavors that will complement the meal you are preparing, adding finely diced herbs or garlic to the melted butter will certainly add a nice flavor note to your bread. If you are brushing the top of your rolls with garlic or herb butter be aware that you might end up with burnt bits on top of the bread. Keep the flavor portion inside and just use plain butter for the top if this is a concern, and of course there is no need to brush the tops with anything if you don’t want. Bread is beautiful no matter how it is prepared.
Cooling the Bread – It is important to remove your bread from the pan as soon as possible to prevent soggy rolls, and the spring form pan makes this part really easy. Remove the sides, then using a spatula transfer the bread on to a wire rack to cool. And while we all love that hot piece of bread remember bread continues to develop its flavor as it cools.
Reheating and Storing – It is very easy to reheat pull-apart rolls and give them that just out of the oven flavor. Wrap the rolls loosely in an aluminum foil pouch and seal closed. Place them in a 350° F oven for about 15 minutes, less time for half a pan of rolls. To store place completely cooled rolls in a bread bag and close with a twist tie. The bread will hold for two to three days, but the odds are it will not last that long!
- 5 to 6 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup dry milk
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
- 2 cups warm water
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Measure 5 cups of flour into a medium bowl then add the powdered milk, sugar, yeast and salt. Place the 6th cup of flour in a small bowl and set aside. Cut the butter into small pieces and stir into the dry ingredients.
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Pour the warm water into the mixture and beat to blend well. Stir in the only enough of the remaining flour to form a shaggy mass.
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Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough for about 8 to 10 minutes. The dough should become soft and elastic and not stick to your hands.
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Allow the dough to rise in a lightly greased bowl, covered with plastic wrap, until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
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Preheat the oven to 375 F and position the rack in the middle of the oven.
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Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Gently de-gas the dough and divide into 24 pieces. Form into the desired shapes and space them sides just touching in a 9" spring form pan or 2 greased 8" round pans.
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Cover the rolls loosely with plastic wrap and allow to rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes.
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Brush the tops with melted butter or egg wash and bake the rolls until the crust is golden brown about 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown and sound hollow to a tap. Remove from the pan and cool on a wire rack.
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For individual round dinner rolls divide the dough into 24 pieces. Round the rolls and space them evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes.
This recipe works very well for individual rolls as well as pull-aparts. Baking time will vary depending on pan size and number of rolls.
