Soft Rolls

Description

Soft rolls are little clouds of bread that are delicious by themselves, with butter, or as hamburger rolls.

These rolls take a much shorter time to make than traditional breads (with long proofing times), so they are perfect for making during the week.

I've stopped buying hamburger rolls from the grocery store, as I always use these soft rolls to make hamburgers.

A soft roll with strawberry jam is perfect for breakfast the next morning after making a batch of these delicious rolls!

This recipe is based on this amazing recipe from Bigger Bolder Baking: Dinner Rolls.

Tips

Since this recipe uses active dry yeast, make sure to bloom the yeast in warm water (approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit (F)).

The proofing times for these rolls are very short, so make sure to include sugar when blooming the yeast to jump-start it.

When placing the dough balls onto a baking sheet (with parchment paper), leave about 2 centimeters (cm) between the dough balls, as they will expand during the final proof. They should be slightly touching when they go into the oven.

List of Ingredients

4 cups of All-Purpose Flour
1 Tablespoon of Active Dry Yeast
2 Tablespoons of Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Salt
2 Tablespoons of Butter (melted)
1.5 Cups of Warm Water (approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit (F))
Canola Oil (spray)

Recipe Steps

In the bowl of a stand mixer (such as Kitchenaid), add the yeast, warm water, and sugar. The yeast needs time to bloom, so wait for 5-8 minutes to check that the yeast starts bubbling (activating).
While waiting for the yeast to bloom, measure out the flour in a small bowl and mix in the salt.
Once the yeast has bloomed, melt the butter (using a measuring cup or other microwave-safe bowl) in a microwave for 30 seconds. The butter should be fully melted (in a liquid form!).
Add the flour/salt into the bowl containing the yeast.
With the dough book attached to the stand mixer, start mixing the dough on the slowest speed. Add the melted butter as the dough starts mixing.
Once dough is starting to come together as a single dough bowl, increase the speed of the stand mixer by one setting.
Mix the dough in the stand mixer for 6 minutes.
Once done mixing, spray a small amount of Canola oil into the mixing bowl. This oil will prevent the dough from sticking to the bowl as it raises.
Using a spatula, scrape the dough off the dough hook and form it into a ball in the mixing bowl.
Cover the bowl with cling wrap and store in a warm spot (such as an oven that is turned off) for 30-45 minutes. The dough should double in size during this rise time.
Using a dough scraper, remove the dough from the bowl onto a clean work surface.
Divide the dough into 16 even pieces and form each dough piece into a ball.
Place each dough ball onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. The dough balls should be arranged in a 4x4 array with approximately 2 centimeters (cm) between each dough ball.
Loosely cover the dough balls on the baking sheet with cling wrap and let the dough rise for 30 minutes.
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees (Fahrenheit).
Once the rise time is completed, remove the cling wrap and bake in the oven for 20 minutes.
Let the rolls rest for 10 minutes before enjoying!