I have exciting news: we are expecting a baby this October! We are thrilled to start this new adventure and grow our family. I could not resist the traditional “bun in the oven”, so today I am sharing my simple recipe for Homemade Sweet or Savory rolls. This is a great recipe to use as a starter and then feel free to top them with cinnamon sugar, and nutmeg or Italian seasoning and shredded cheese to make them fit your personal style and tastes. These are perfect to be eaten right out of the oven with butter, served with dinner or use for sandwiches and burgers. Enjoy!
Homemade Sweet or Savory Rolls
Sweet Rolls
- 1/2 cup pineapple juice (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup warm milk (100 – 110°F)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 whole eggs, lightly beaten
- 4-8 tablespoons granulated sugar (depending on how sweet you like them)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) instant yeast
- 4 – 4 1/2 cups (20 ounces) bread flour, you may need more or less depending on how you measure. If you have a scale I included the weight for better results.
- 1 large egg for baking
(Optional cinnamon sugar, vanilla sugar or a sprinkle of nutmeg as a dusting on top of rolls before you bake them.)
Savory Rolls
This is basically the same recipe only subbing out the pineapple juice, using less sugar and adding some seasonings.
- 1/2 cup water (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup warm milk (100 – 110°F)
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, melted and slightly cooled
- 2 whole eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon fine salt
- 2 1/4 teaspoons (1 packet) instant yeast
- 4 – 4 1/2 cups (20 ounces) bread flour
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 large egg for baking
(Optional Italian seasoning, garlic salt, lemon pepper blend or grated cheese as a dusting on top of rolls before you bake them.)
Directions:
Combine the pineapple juice, milk, melted butter, eggs, sugar, salt, and yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Add 2 cups of the flour and stir until the dough forms a rough, shaggy mass. Attach the dough hook to the mixer and turn to medium-low speed. Gradually add the remaining flour, kneading until dough begins to form. Continue kneading on medium-high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until a soft and smooth ball of dough forms.
Cover bowl with clean towel or plastic wrap. Let rise until about 1 hour until doubled in size.
Spray a 13×9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Gently deflate the dough. Divide the dough into 9 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a ball and place in the prepared pan.
In a small bowl, combine the egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Brush all over the rolls. Cover with towel or plastic wrap and let rise again until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bake the rolls for 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve warm.
Ingredients Notes:
- If you don’t have a stand mixer knead the dough by hand until a smooth ball forms gradually adding flour as needed this can take up to 12 minutes.
- If you don’t have unsalted butter use salted but reduce the salt in the recipe to 1 teaspoon. In general unsalted butter works best as you can control the amount of salt added.
- No bread flour? Use all-purpose, bread flour gives these rolls a nice round shape and chewy texture.
Oven Fresh Rolls any time? Here are your make-ahead options:
Overnight: Prepare recipe as directed, allow the shaped rolls rise overnight in the fridge. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour until slightly puffy, before baking as the recipe directs.
Freezer: Shape dough into balls and let rest 10 minutes on a parchment-lined baking sheet not touching the others. To cook, defrost overnight in the fridge, allow to sit at room temperature for about an hour before baking as the recipe directs.
Pre-Baked: Freeze the fully baked rolls in an airtight container. Thaw to room temperature overnight before reheating in a 300°F oven for 10 minutes.