Small Batch Dinner Rolls
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These Small Batch Dinner Rolls make 9 soft and fluffy rolls that are the perfect addition to any meal! They’re yummy plain or with butter!
These Small Batch Dinner Rolls go great with any meal and they’re perfect if you don’t have a ton of mouths to feed. You can eat them plain, spread them with butter or dip them in your soup or pasta sauce. You can’t go wrong no matter how you choose to eat them!
More small Batch Recipes You’ll Love
- Small Batch Cheesecake
- Small Batch Chocolate Chip Cookies
- Small Batch Brownies
- Small Batch Red Velvet Cupcakes
Ingredient Breakdown
Milk – makes the rolls flavorful and fluffy. Whole milk is best for baking.
Granulated sugar – sweetens and tenderizes the rolls.
Instant yeast – makes the dough rise much faster than active dry yeast.
Olive oil – adds flavor and tenderizes the rolls.
Salt – enhances flavor.
All-purpose flour – gives the dinner rolls structure. You can substitute some or all of the all-purpose flour with bread flour for extra chewiness.
How To Make Small Batch Dinner Rolls
1. Heat the milk until lukewarm (110°F) then whisk with the granulated sugar in a mixing bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Once the yeast begins to bubble, whisk in the olive oil and salt.
2. Place the bowl on a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and add about 1/4 cup of flour. Mix on low speed until mostly combined then repeat until all the flour is gone. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl and be slightly tacky but not sticky.
3. Knead dough in the mixer or by hand for an additional 5 minutes. Transfer dough to a large greased bowl then cover and allow to rise in a warm place for an hour or until doubled in size.
4. Once the dough has risen, punch it down to release the air then divide the dough into 9 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball then place in a greased 8×8 inch pan. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for an hour or until doubled in size.
5. Prepare an egg wash by whisking together the egg and 1 tbsp of heavy cream or milk then lightly brush over the rolls (you can also skip the egg wash altogether or even just brush them with a little bit of milk). Bake the dinner rolls at 350°F for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the rolls reaches 190°F. Serve rolls warm and brushed with melted butter if desired. Store Small Batch Dinner Rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or up to a week in the fridge.
Pro Tips For Small Batch Dinner Rolls
- Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients by volume is not accurate; baking is a science after all!
- Do not overheat the milk or you’ll kill the yeast! Yeast dies at 140°F.
- It’s best to let the dough rise someplace warm. I’ll usually place it on or next to my stovetop if my oven is on.
- Try brushing the freshly baked rolls with garlic butter for garlic butter dinner rolls!
If you try this recipe then please leave a rating/comment below to let me know how you liked it and feel free to ask any recipe questions you may have! 🙂
Small Batch Dinner Rolls
Equipment
- stand mixer
- 8×8 inch pan
Ingredients
Small Batch Dinner Roll Dough
- 120 g (1/2 cup) milk
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
- ½ tbsp instant yeast
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- 180 g (1 1/2 cups) all-purpose flour
Egg Wash
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp heavy cream or milk
Instructions
- Heat the milk until lukewarm (110°F) then whisk with the granulated sugar in a mixing bowl and sprinkle the yeast on top. Once the yeast begins to bubble, whisk in the olive oil and salt.
- Place the bowl on a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook and add about 1/4 cup of flour. Mix on low speed until mostly combined then repeat until all the flour is gone. The dough should pull away from the sides of the bowl and be slightly tacky but not sticky.
- Knead dough in the mixer or by hand for an additional 5 minutes. Transfer dough to a large greased bowl then cover and allow to rise in a warm place for an hour or until doubled in size.
- Once the dough has risen, punch it down to release the air then divide the dough into 9 equal pieces. Form each piece into a ball then place in a greased 8×8 inch pan. Cover and allow to rise in a warm place for an hour or until doubled in size.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare an egg wash by whisking together the egg and 1 tbsp of heavy cream or milk then lightly brush over the rolls (you can also skip the egg wash altogether or even just brush them with a little bit of milk).
- Bake the dinner rolls for 20 minutes or until the internal temperature of the rolls reaches 190°F. Serve rolls warm and brushed with melted butter if desired.
Notes
- Weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale! Measuring ingredients by volume is not accurate.
- Store Small Batch Dinner Rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days or up to a week in the fridge.
