From my early days in pastry school, mastering foundational recipes like homemade dinner rolls and pizza dough from scratch taught me an invaluable lesson: making bread doesn’t have to be intimidating. In fact, it can be incredibly rewarding and surprisingly easy! These garlic rolls build upon that basic dinner roll perfection, infusing it with the bold flavors of fresh herbs and a luxurious garlic butter, making them taste just like your favorite garlic bread, but in a softer, more delightful package.

They are the ultimate companion to any meal, transforming a simple dinner into a memorable feast. While perfect for everyday enjoyment, these garlicky delights truly shine during special occasions and holidays. They’ve become a beloved tradition in my home for celebrations like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter, adding a touch of homemade warmth and savory goodness to our festive spreads.

If you’re looking for a bite-sized version for appetizers or parties, don’t forget to try my parmesan bread bites!

Table of Contents

Embrace your stand mixer. While kneading dough by hand is a therapeutic experience, a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment makes the process significantly easier and more efficient. It ensures consistent kneading, which is crucial for developing the gluten structure that gives these garlic bread rolls their signature soft and chewy texture. If you opt for hand kneading, be prepared for a longer workout to achieve a smooth, elastic dough ball.

Invest in a kitchen scale. This is unequivocally my #1 baking tip for consistent and professional results! Baking is a science, and precise measurements are paramount. When working with flour, using volume measurements (cups) can lead to significant variations, often resulting in too much flour. Excess flour is the main culprit behind dry, dense rolls lacking that desirable fluffy texture. A kitchen scale ensures you use the exact amount of flour needed every time, leading to perfectly light and airy rolls. Baking with a scale truly elevates your results!

Never rush the rising process. Patience is a virtue in bread making. Allow the dinner rolls ample time to rise in a warm, draft-free environment until they visibly double in size. This crucial step, known as proofing, allows the yeast to work its magic, producing carbon dioxide that creates those wonderful air pockets, resulting in an incredibly fluffy and tender crumb. Cutting this step short will inevitably lead to dense, heavy rolls rather than the light and airy texture you’re aiming for.

Shape uniform rolls for even baking. For consistent results and beautifully baked rolls, strive to make each dough portion as close to the same size as possible. This ensures they all bake at the same rate, preventing some from being undercooked while others are overdone. Again, I can’t emphasize enough how much a kitchen scale will assist you in achieving this uniformity, making your baking experience much smoother and more successful!

Double down on the garlic butter. The secret to truly unforgettable garlic rolls lies in a double dose of flavor. Not only do we incorporate fresh garlic into the dough itself, but brushing the rolls with an extra layer of fragrant garlic herb butter immediately after they come out of the oven is a game-changer. The warm rolls absorb the butter beautifully, infusing every bite with an intense, savory garlicky goodness that will have everyone reaching for more.

Perfect for your holiday table. Beyond being an amazing everyday side dish, these homemade garlic rolls are a staple for holiday gatherings at my house. They perfectly complement a festive spread, sitting proudly alongside other favorites like savory bread pudding and a rich cheesy green bean casserole. Their comforting warmth and incredible flavor make them an instant crowd-pleaser for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or any special celebration.

Step 1: Infuse the garlic butter. In a small saucepan, gently melt the butter over low heat. Once melted, add the minced garlic and cook for just 1-2 minutes, or until the garlic becomes fragrant and lightly sizzling, but without browning. This process infuses the butter with deep garlic flavor. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly while you prepare the other ingredients.

Step 2: Combine and mix ingredients. In the bowl of a stand mixer, thoroughly combine the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, instant yeast, fine sea salt, and fresh chopped parsley. Whisk these dry ingredients together to ensure even distribution. Next, pour in the warm milk (ensure it’s between 105-115°F/40-46°C – too hot will kill the yeast, too cold won’t activate it), the cooled melted garlic butter, and the room temperature egg. These wet ingredients will bring the dough together.

Step 3: Knead the bread dough until perfect. Attach the dough hook attachment to your stand mixer. Start kneading the dough on low speed. Initially, it will look shaggy, but gradually it will come together into a coherent ball. Continue kneading for approximately 10-12 minutes. The dough should transform into a smooth, elastic ball that feels soft and slightly tacky to the touch, pulling cleanly away from the sides of the bowl. This extensive kneading develops the gluten, essential for those light and airy rolls.

Step 4: Precisely shape into individual rolls. Gently transfer the kneaded dough to a lightly floured surface. Using a sharp knife or bench scraper, divide the dough into 12 equal portions. For ultimate accuracy and evenly sized rolls, I highly recommend using a kitchen scale for this part (aim for approximately 67 grams per roll). To shape each portion into a perfect round ball, cup your hand around the dough on the counter and move it in a clockwise direction, applying gentle pressure. This motion creates surface tension, forming a smooth, taut ball. Pinch the bottom seam of each roll tightly to seal it and maintain its shape during rising and baking. Refer to the video in the recipe card for a visual demonstration!

Step 5: Allow the dough to rise (proof). Arrange the perfectly shaped rolls in a buttered 9×13 inch baking dish, ensuring they have a little space between them but are still snug. Cover the top of the dish tightly with plastic wrap or a clean kitchen towel to prevent drying. Place the pan in a warm, draft-free spot (an oven with the light on is ideal) to rise until the rolls have visibly doubled in size. This can take anywhere from 1-2 hours, depending on the warmth of your environment. This second rise is crucial for light, airy rolls.

Step 6: Bake to golden perfection and brush with more garlic butter. Once the rolls have doubled in size, preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Gently brush the tops of the risen garlic rolls with a beaten egg wash – this will give them a beautiful, glossy, golden-brown crust. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the tops are deeply golden and the rolls sound hollow when tapped. As soon as they emerge from the oven, immediately brush the tops of the warm, fragrant rolls with the remaining garlic herb butter. The heat of the rolls will help them absorb all that delicious garlicky goodness. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and a little extra fresh parsley, if desired, and serve warm!

Yes, absolutely! Garlic rolls are perfect for freezing. Once they’ve cooled completely after baking, place them in an airtight freezer-safe container or a heavy-duty freezer bag. They will maintain their quality in the freezer for 2-3 months. When ready to enjoy, thaw them and reheat gently for best results.

While these are called “garlic bread rolls,” you can certainly adapt the recipe if garlic isn’t your preference. Simply melt the butter by itself and omit the garlic completely from both the dough and the topping. You could even add fresh rosemary or thyme instead for a delicious herbed dinner roll.

You absolutely can, and it’s highly recommended for cheese lovers! For an extra layer of savory flavor, add up to 1/4 cup of finely shredded Parmesan cheese (or a Parmesan/Romano blend) to the bread dough along with the dry ingredients. For a beautiful golden crust and cheesy bite, sprinkle more shredded Parmesan or even a little mozzarella on top of the rolls during the last 5-10 minutes of baking.

No, this specific recipe relies entirely on yeast as the leavening agent to achieve its characteristic soft, fluffy texture and airy crumb. Without yeast, you would end up with a dense, unleavened bread. If you’re looking for a quick bread that doesn’t use yeast, you’d need to find a completely different type of recipe (e.g., soda bread or biscuits).

Several factors can lead to dense and dry bread rolls. The most common culprits include: using too much flour (always measure with a kitchen scale or spoon-and-level method!), expired or inactive yeast that fails to properly leaven the dough, not kneading the dough long enough to develop sufficient gluten for structure, and not allowing the dough to rise until fully doubled in size during the proofing stages. Ensure your milk is the correct temperature for yeast activation, and your rising environment is warm enough.

If your dough isn’t rising, the most likely reasons are inactive yeast (it might be old or expired), or the liquid used was either too hot (killing the yeast) or too cold (slowing it down too much). Ensure your yeast is fresh and your milk is within the optimal temperature range (105-115°F or 40-46°C). Also, make sure your rising environment is warm and draft-free; cold temperatures will significantly inhibit yeast activity.

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• Perfect Chewy Pizza Dough from Scratch
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