Buttery Yeast Dough Recipes

SOFT DINNER ROLLS RECIPE

Steps:

• Whisk the warm milk, yeast, and 1 Tablespoon of sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes. *If you do not own a stand mixer, you can do this in a large mixing bowl and in the next step, mix the dough together with a large wooden spoon/rubber spatula. It will take a bit of arm muscle. A hand mixer works, but the sticky dough repeatedly gets stuck in the beaters. Mixing by hand with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula is a better choice.*
• Add the remaining sugar, egg, butter, salt, and 1 cup flour. With a dough hook or paddle attachment, mix/beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add the remaining flour. Beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. If the dough seems too wet to a point where kneading (next step) would be impossible, beat in more flour 1 Tablespoon at a time until you have a workable dough, similar to the photos and video above. Dough should be soft and a little sticky, but still manageable to knead with lightly floured hands.
• Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 3 full minutes or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 3 full minutes. (See video tutorial above if you need a visual of kneading dough by hand.)
• Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 1-2 hours or until double in size. (I always let it rise on the counter. Takes about 2 hours. For a tiny reduction in rise time, see my answer to Where Should Dough Rise? in my Baking with Yeast Guide.)
• Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan or two 9-inch square or round baking pans. You can also bake the rolls in a cast iron skillet or on a lined baking sheet.*
• When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Divide the dough into 14-16 equal pieces. (Just eyeball it- doesn't need to be perfect!) Shape each piece into a smooth ball. I do this entirely in my hands and you can watch in the video tutorial above. Arrange in prepared baking pan.
• Cover shaped rolls with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise until puffy, about 1 hour.
• Adjust oven rack to a lower position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). (It's best to bake the rolls towards the bottom of the oven so the tops don't burn.)
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top, rotating the pan halfway through. If you notice the tops browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven, brush with optional honey butter topping, and allow rolls to cool for a few minutes before serving.
• Cover leftover rolls tightly and store at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

OLD-FASHIONED SOFT AND BUTTERY YEAST ROLLS

Steps:

• 1. Sprinkle yeast over very warm water in large bowl. Stir until yeast dissolves. Leave to foam about 10 minutes.
• 2. Add sugar, the 1/4 cup butter and salt to hot milk and stir until sugar dissolves and butter is melted. Cool mixture to 105 to 115 degrees.
• 3. Add milk mixture to yeast and then mix in egg. Beat in 4 cups of the flour, 1 cup at a time, to form a soft dough. Use some of remaining 1/2 cup flour to dust a pastry cloth.
• 4. Knead the dough lightly for 5 minutes. Use remaining flour for flouring pastry cloth and your hands.
• 5. Place dough in a warm, buttered bowl; turn greased side up. Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.
• 6. Punch dough down and knead 4 to 5 minutes on a lightly floured pastry cloth. Dough will be sticky, but use as little flour as possible for flouring hands, otherwise rolls will not be as feathery light as they should be.
• 7. With large knife, cut dough ball into four (4) pieces. Cut each piece into four (4) more pieces OR simply pinch off small chunks of dough and roll into round balls about 1 3/4 inches in diameter. As you roll into balls, pull sides down and under to shape roll. Place bottom side down in neat rows, not quite touching, in well-buttered 13 X 9 X 2 inch pan.
• 8. Cover rolls and allow to rise in warm place until doubled in bulk; 30 - 45 minutes. When doubled in bulk, brush tops with melted butter and bake in 375 degree F oven for 18 - 20 minutes or until nicely browned. My oven runs hot so I usually bake @ 325 so tops do not brown before rolls are done inside. Adjust your oven temp accordingly.
• 9. If desired, brush (or bathe!) rolls in more melted butter when they are hot. The butter will sizzle down sides and bottom of rolls for a buttery soft crust.

BUTTERY YEAST ROLLS

Steps:

• Place all ingredients except the 1/4 cup butter into bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer.
• Select the dough cycle and start machine.
• Shape dough into 20 to 24 balls and place in buttered pan (s).
• Melt the 1/4 cup butter and brush it over the tops of rolls, saving the excess for brushing on after baking.
• Cover and let rise in a warm place about 1 hour, or until double in bulk.
• Bake at 375 degrees F for 15 to 18 minutes.
• Brush baked rolls with remaining butter.
• NOTE: This dough can also be divided into two portions and each rolled into a 12-inch circle; spread each circle with softened butter, cut into 8 wedges and roll up starting with wide end, to make crescents OR use this dough for cinnamon rolls or sticky buns.

GRANDMA RITA'S SOFT BUTTER ROLLS

Steps:

• Pour milk into a glass 2-cup measuring cup and heat in the microwave until it starts to boil and climb the sides, about 1 minute. Add butter, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt to the scalded milk; set aside to cool until it gets below 110 degrees F (45 degrees C).
• Dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water in a large bowl. Let stand until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 10 minutes.
• Pour milk mixture into the yeast mixture; add 2 cups bread flour and egg. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition, until the dough is smooth and a little tacky.
• Turn dough out onto a sheet of flour-dusted waxed paper and lightly knead to pull dough together; shape into a ball. Place dough in a large, lightly-oiled bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide dough into thirds. Break each third into six evenly sized balls and arrange onto prepared baking sheet. Cover balls with a towel to rise further for another 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake in preheated oven until browned, about 15 minutes.

BREAD MACHINE SOFT AND BUTTERY YEAST ROLLS.

Steps:

• 1. Sprinkle yeast over warm water in small bowl. Stir until yeast dissolves.
• 2. In separate bowl, add sugar and 1/4 cup softened butter to hot milk. Stir until sugar dissolves and butter is melted. Cool mixture to 105-115 degrees.
• 3. Pour milk mixture into bread machine pan. Add foamy yeast mixture to milk mixture in bread pan. Mix in lightly beaten egg.
• 4. Add 4 cups of flour on top of liquid mixture in bread pan. Add salt on top of flour. Place pan in bread machine. Set to "dough only" cycle.
• 5. When "dough only" cycle is complete, pour dough ball out onto lightly floured cutting board. Dough may be slightly sticky, but use as little flour as possible for flouring hands and cutting board. Otherwise, rolls may not be as feathery light as should be!
• 6. With large knife, cut dough ball into four (4) pieces. Cut each piece into 4 more pieces OR simply pinch off small chunks of dough and roll into round balls about 1 & 3/4 inches in diameter. As you roll into balls, pull sides down and under to shape roll. Place bottom side down in neat rows, not quite touching, in well-buttered 13 x 9 x 2 inch pan.
• 7. Cover rolls and allow to rise in warm place until doubled in bulk; 30-45 minutes. When doubled in bulk, brush tops with melted butter and bake in 375 degree F oven for 16-20 minutes or until nicely browned.
• 8. If desired, brush baked rolls with more melted butter when they come out of oven. The butter will sizzle down sides and bottom of rolls for a buttery and soft crust! For leftover rolls: 10 seconds in your microwave will create that "just out of the oven" warm roll magic!

BASIC RICH SWEET YEAST DOUGH

Steps:

• (Icing may be doubled and used for any cake or bun icing).
• Dissolve yeast in 1/4 cup warm water and set aside until foamy.
• Heat milk, shortening, sugar and salt to melt shortening.
• Cool to warm and add yeast mixture, egg yolks and whole eggs.
• Beat well by hand.
• Gradually beat in by hand 6 cups of flour and the cardamom.
• Knead well on a floured surface only adding additional flour to make a smooth and elastic dough.
• Place dough in an oiled bowl, turn to coat with oil and cover and let rise double in volume.
• Punch down and cover dough and refrigerate overnight in large bowl.
• When ready to use, punch down and knead briefly to warm up dough.
• Use dough as you wish for coffee cakes, sweet breads, buns, etc.
• You may divide dough into 6 buns, or 4 equal pieces to make 4 small loaves or braids.
• If braiding, divide each piece into 3 loose strands and braid and tuck under ends.
• Brush with melted butter.
• Place on baking sheets/pans and let rise double in volume.
• Bake in a 350F oven about 30 minutes or golden and tested done.
• Remove from pans/baking sheet to cool on rack.
• Mix icing ingredients and drizzle over warm cake/bread.
• Yield: approx.
• 6 buns, 4 small braids, or 2 large loaves.