Soft No Knead Dinner Rolls (Print Version)
# Ingredients:
→ Buns
01 -
1 tbsp dry yeast
02 -
1/4 cup caster/superfine sugar, or sub with normal white sugar
03 -
1/2 cup warm water
04 -
4 cups bread flour + extra for dusting
05 -
1 1/2 tsp salt, cooking/kosher salt
06 -
1 cup milk, lukewarm, whole or low fat
07 -
50g / 3 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and cooled
08 -
2 eggs, at room temperature, beaten with fork
→ Brushing
09 -
1 tbsp butter, melted
# Instructions:
01 -
Place the yeast and 2 teaspoons of the sugar in a medium bowl, then pour in water. Leave for 5 minutes until it froths.
02 -
Place flour, remaining sugar and salt in a bowl. Mix to combine.
03 -
Make a well in the centre. Add milk, butter, eggs and pour in the yeast liquid, including all froth. Mix until combined with wooden spoon - it will be like a thick muffin batter. Not pourable, but thick and sticky.
04 -
Leave dough in the bowl, cover with a wet (clean) tea towel and place in a warm place (25C/77F+) to rise for around 1 1/2 - 2 hours or until almost tripled in volume. Dough surface should be bubbly.
05 -
Line a 31.5 x 23.5 cm / 9 x 13" tray with baking paper with overhang. Remove tea towel and punch dough to deflate, then mix briefly in the bowl to get rid of the bubbles in the dough.
06 -
Dust work surface with flour, scrape dough on work surface. Dust top of dough then shape into a log. Cut log into 4 pieces, then cut each piece into 3 pieces (12 in total). Take one piece and press down with palm, then use your fingers to gather into a ball, flip (so smooth side is up) then roll the dough briefly to form a ball. This stretches the dough on one side and that's how I get a nice smooth surface on my roll. Place the ball with the smooth side up on the tray. Repeat with remaining dough. Line them up 3 x 4.
07 -
Spray surface of rolls (or cling wrap) with oil (any), then place cling wrap over the tray. Return tray to warm place and leave for 30 - 45 min, until the dough has risen by about 75% (less than double in size).
08 -
Partway through second rise, preheat oven to 200C/390F (standard) or 180C/350F (fan/convection).
09 -
Bake for 15 - 18 minutes, or until the surface is a golden brown and the roll in the centre sounds hollow when tapped. The surface colour is the best test for this recipe.
10 -
Remove rolls from oven. Brush with melted butter. Use overhang to lift rolls onto a cooling rack. Allow to cool to warm before serving.
# Notes:
01 -
If your yeast doesn't go frothy during the first step, it's not active and your buns won't rise.
02 -
Be careful not to use scalding hot milk or water as it kills the yeast. The liquid should feel pleasantly warm when you stick your finger in it - like a comfortable bath.
03 -
Bread flour makes the rolls a bit fluffier and more tender, but regular all-purpose flour works great too.
04 -
For a warm place to let dough rise, try running an empty clothes dryer for 1-2 minutes, then place the bowl inside.
05 -
These rolls are not very sweet - just a touch of sweetness (1 tsp sugar per roll). You can reduce the sugar to 2 tablespoons if desired.