Momma’s Jumbo Dinner Rolls

The best big and soft dinner rolls that my mom has been making for years. The dough is extra soft and tender thanks to the addition of butter, milk, and eggs!

I’m working hard at making sure that all of my favorite recipes are up-to-date and ready for you to make. Did you know that I’ve been blogging recipes for almost 10 years (where does the time go?!)? This wonderful recipe hails from 2009 and I’ve updated it and re-shot the photos and am republishing it today so that can see it. It’s one of my all-time favorite recipes and now it’s not hiding in my archives anymore.

This dinner roll recipe makes big fluffy dinner rolls that your whole family will love to eat. They just turn out well every time. My mom has a handful of recipes that she’s “known for” and this, my friends, is her nearly famous dinner roll recipe. She makes it for all the major holidays and family functions, and when she flies out west to visit all the grandbabies, we always request a batch of her famous dinner rolls. They are the stuff childhood memories are made of.

This is a classic dinner roll recipe, but the trick to make the rolls extra soft and buttery is melted butter, eggs, and milk in the dough. All three of those things lend to really tender dough. This is actually a great dough recipe for cinnamon rolls, but we’ll save that for another post.

I can’t wait for these simple dinner rolls to become a family favorite in your house, too.

How to Make the Best Dinner Rolls – Tips and Tricks for Success:

1. Make sure your yeast is fresh! Check the date before starting. Old or out-of-date is the biggest culprit for failed yeast bread (more yeast tips after the next picture). This is the yeast that I use and have great success with.
2. Don’t be afraid of over-working your dough. Kneading the dough will lead to tender and soft dough, so when in doubt, knead on! The dough should be very soft and elastic before you put it in the bowl to rise the first time.
3. This might look like a big batch of rolls, but I promise you won’t have a problem eating them all. If it’s a few too many, feel free to wrap up cooled rolls well and and stick them in the freezer. They freeze great!
4. Feel free to use half whole wheat flour and half all-purpose in this recipe; it works great and makes a super soft homemade wheat roll.

How do you know if yeast is still good?

Fill up a small measuring cup with a little warm water. Add 1/4 teaspoon of your yeast and then add a pinch of sugar and lightly stir it together. Wait for 5 minutes. If the yeast is still active you will see little bubbles along the top of the water and it will start to “foam”. I think the date on the yeast package is a good guide, and I like to store my yeast in the fridge to help keep it fresh. When in doubt, get new yeast. Nothing is worse than an unrisen loaf of bread!

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Momma’s Jumbo Dinner Rolls

The best big and soft dinner rolls that my mom has been making for years. The dough is extra soft and tender thanks to the addition of butter, milk, and eggs!

• Author: Melissa Griffiths - Bless this Mess
• Prep Time: 20 min
• Cook Time: 15 min.
• Total Time: 1 hour 35 min
• Yield: 32 large dinner rolls

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons instant yeast
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 cups milk
• 1/2 cup butter, cut into 8 pieces
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 large eggs
• 6 .5 to 7.5 cups all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. Heat the milk and butter together in the microwave to scald the milk and melt the butter, 2-3 minutes. Let the mixture cool for 10 minutes.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine milk/butter mixture, water, yeast, sugar, and salt. Let yeast rest for 5 minutes.
3. Add half the flour and mix for 3-5 minutes.
4. Add the eggs one at a time and mix until incorporated.
5. Add the rest of the flour, 1/2 cup at a time, until a soft dough forms. The dough should be soft and elastic but not sticky. Knead with your mixer or by hand for 5 minutes.
6. Let the dough rise in a greased bowl for 30 minutes.
7. After rising time has passed, divide the dough into 32 pieces. Roll each piece into a round roll and place it on a greased, rimmed baking sheet.
8. Once all the dough is shaped, cover the rolls and let them rise for another 30 minutes.
9. Once the rolls have at least doubled in size, bake at 400 degrees for 14-18 minutes or until the tops are nice and golden.
10. Remove from the oven and butter the tops of the rolls while still hot. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

• I make this recipe using butter, but my mom often makes it using margarine. It works just great with either one.
• If I’m not serving the rolls right away, I like to remove them from the pan to cool about 15 minutes after they come out of the oven so that the bottoms don’t get steamy and soggy.

Proof is in the pudding friends – look at those happy little faces enjoying a perfect warm roll!

This is a great recipe to make for any holiday or family dinner and it’s sure to make you famous in your family too!

Other great roll and bread recipes that you might like:

• Rustic Italian Bread
• Whole Wheat Clover Rolls
• The Best Cornbread Recipe
• Mom’s Four Loaf Wheat Bread Recipe