When you make dinner rolls in a bread machine, it's easy to have soft, fluffy rolls with every evening meal.
Bread Machine Rolls
Nothing elevates a meal like a cozy side of hot dinner rolls. These bread machine rolls take a few steps out of the typical bread-making process, giving you more time to focus on roasting a chicken or sauteing green beans. These knots are made with an enriched dough that includes butter and egg, which makes them soft and fluffy.
Just add your ingredients to your bread machine and let it do the work of kneading and proofing. When the dough has risen, shape it into adorable little knots, brush with an egg wash and bake until golden. The egg wash gives them good color and sheen.
Ingredients for Bread Machine Dinner Rolls
- Butter and egg: Adding butter and an egg to bread dough enriches it, making it soft and pliable.
- Bread flour: Bread flour has more protein than all-purpose flour, making it ideal for an elastic bread dough. (Here’s more about different types of flour.)
- Sugar: A little granulated sugar feeds the yeast and adds a subtle sweetness.
- Dry milk powder: Milk powder gives dinner rolls a tender crumb.
- Quick-rise yeast: You may also find this yeast called “instant” or “fast-rise.”
- Egg wash: Whisk together an egg and water to brush over the tops of rolls for shine and color.
Directions
Step 1: Add the ingredients to a bread machine
In the bread machine pan, add the water, butter, egg, salt, flour, sugar, nonfat dry milk powder and quick-rise yeast in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select the dough setting. Check the dough after five minutes of mixing, then add 1 to 2 tablespoons of water if the dough looks too dry or 1 to 2 tablespoons of flour if it looks too slack. You’re looking for a smooth, elastic dough that is a little tacky.
Step 2: Shape the dinner rolls
When the bread machine cycle is complete, turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
Divide the dough into 24 pieces and roll them into balls. Roll each ball into an 8-inch rope. Tie a loose knot and tuck the ends underneath.
Editor’s Tip: If you want evenly sized rolls, a food scale on the gram setting can help you divide dough into even pieces. Start by dividing the dough in half, and continuing to split each part in half until you reach 24 pieces.
Step 3: Let the rolls rise
Place the rolls 1-1/2 inches apart on a greased baking sheet. Cover them with a clean towel and let them rise in a warm place until they’ve doubled in size, about 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 400°F as the rolls proof.
Step 4: Brush the rolls with egg wash and bake
Whisk the egg and water together, then brush over the rolls. Bake the rolls for eight to nine minutes or until they’re golden brown. Transfer them to wire racks, and serve them warm.
Recipe Variations
- Add mix-ins: Try adding 1/4 cup each of chives or parsley and Parmesan cheese when adding the other ingredients to the bread machine.
- Add garlic butter: Melt salted butter with a smashed clove of garlic. Remove the clove and brush the butter over the rolls as soon as they come out of the oven.
- Top them with flaky salt: After brushing the rolls with the egg wash, lightly sprinkle some flaky or seasoned salt over the top.
How to Store Bread Machine Dinner Rolls
Store leftover rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for three to five days.
Can you freeze bread machine dinner rolls?
Yes, freeze completely cooled rolls by wrapping them tightly in aluminum foil and placing them in a zip-top freezer bag. Freeze them for up to three months. Thaw them overnight, loosen the foil and reheat them for 10 minutes in a 300° oven. Or bake them from frozen in loosened foil for 25 minutes.
Tips for Bread Machine Dinner Rolls
Can you make this recipe without a bread machine?
If you don’t have a bread machine, mix the dough as directed and knead it either in a stand mixer or by hand until it’s smooth and elastic. Place it in an oiled bowl, then cover and let it rise for about an hour or until the dough springs back slowly when you press a finger into it. If it springs back fast, it hasn’t risen enough. Continue with the shaping and baking directions.
What are some tips for using a bread machine?
A few things will help you get great bread out of your machine. We recommend using bread flour; substituting all-purpose will yield a different texture. Definitely open up the bread machine while it’s kneading to check on the consistency to see if you need to adjust by adding more flour or water. We also don’t recommend using the time-delay feature for this recipe; for food safety reasons you don’t want eggs sitting around at room temperature.
Do you have to shape the rolls into knots?
No, there are so many ways to shape dinner rolls, and you can use whatever shape you want. Plain balls are just fine, or you might want to try something even fancier, such as a double-strand knot.
Bread Machine Dinner Rolls
Prep Time
25 min
Cook Time
10 min
Yield
2 dozen
Ingredients
- 1 cup water (70° to 80°)
- 1/4 cup butter, cubed
- 1 large egg
- 1-1/4 teaspoons salt
- 3-1/4 cups bread flour
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons nonfat dry milk powder
- 1 package (1/4 ounce) quick-rise yeast
- EGG WASH:
- 1 large egg
- 4 teaspoons water
Directions
- In bread machine pan, place the first eight ingredients in order suggested by manufacturer. Select dough setting. Check dough after 5 minutes of mixing; add 1-2 tablespoons water or flour if needed.
- When cycle is completed, turn dough onto a lightly floured surface. Divide and shape into 24 balls. Roll each into an 8-in. rope; tie into a loose knot. Tuck ends under.
- Place 1-1/2 in. apart on greased baking sheets. Cover with a kitchen towel; let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 400°.
- For egg wash, in a small bowl, whisk egg and water; brush over rolls. Bake 8-9 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks; serve warm.
Nutrition Facts
1 roll: 98 calories, 2g fat (1g saturated fat), 14mg cholesterol, 147mg sodium, 16g carbohydrate (2g sugars, 1g fiber), 3g protein.
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While looking through my bread recipes one day, I happened upon this one and decided to give it a try. I offered one to my dad and ever since then, he's raved about how much he loves them. He even offers samples to friends and family. —Becky
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