How to Make the Softest Rosemary Garlic Dinner Rolls
These soft and fluffy rosemary garlic dinner rolls are something out of freshly baked bread heaven. They require less than 10 ingredients to make and outshine any main dish, no questions asked!
Today is September 1st, meaning summer here in East TN is nearing its end. Although I always hate to see summer go, I do look forward with anticipation to the fall season, and with that, all sorts of fall and holiday baking! While I’ve been busying myself lately with all things pumpkin spice, I started to crave something a little more on the savory side of delicious.
These garlic and rosemary dinner rolls work great as a hearty side to any meal or as a welcome addition to your Thanksgiving table. Soft, fluffy, and packed full of fresh rosemary and garlic, they are undoubtedly one of the best things to come out of my kitchen lately.
Why You’ll Love These Dinner Rolls
- Light and fluffy: This garlic rosemary roll recipe uses ingredients like whole milk, egg, and butter to create a very soft, rich dough. Rich dough=ultimate fluffiness.
- Packed with flavor: Garlic powder and fresh chopped rosemary come together in the perfect balance of flavor. Perfect for a weeknight meal or holiday gathering!
- Wholesome ingredients: This recipe is made with simple, real food ingredients, and no refined sugar!
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 2 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp softened butter
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh or dried rosemary
- 3 cups bread flour
How to Make Rosemary Garlic Rolls
- Prepare the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer or a glass measuring cup, combine 1 cup whole milk (warmed to 110-115 degrees- I use this instant read food thermometer and love it!), active dry yeast, and 2 tbsp honey. Using a whisk, mix together and let sit for 5 minutes until the yeast blooms.
- Once the yeast has bloomed, add in the softened butter, beaten egg, salt, garlic powder, chopped rosemary, and flour, one cup at a time. Using a dough hook attachment, beat the dough on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed until all the flour has been added. Beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. If the dough is too wet, beat in more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until you have a workable dough. Dough should be soft and a little sticky, but still manageable to knead with lightly floured hands.
- Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 5 minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. You can also do a “windowpane test” to see if your dough has been kneaded long enough: tear off a small piece of dough and gently stretch it out until it’s thin enough for light to pass through it. Hold it up to a window or light. Does light pass through the stretched dough without the dough tearing first? If so, your dough has been kneaded long enough and is ready to go!
- Once the dough is ready, you will complete the first rise. To do this, lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick cooking spray (I use avocado or olive oil). Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and allow to rise in a relatively warm place for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
- Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan. You can also bake the rolls in a well-seasoned cast iron skillet or on a lined baking sheet.
- Shape the rolls: When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Using a bench scraper or a sharp knife, divide the dough into 16 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball. Arrange in prepared baking pan and allow them to complete the second rise. Cover again with plastic wrap and allow them to rise until puffy, around 1 hour.
- Towards the end of the second rise, adjust oven rack to a lower position and preheat oven to 350° F. In a small bowl, beat together 1 egg and 1 tbsp of milk to create an egg wash. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the top of each roll before placing in the oven.
- Bake the rolls: Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top. If you notice the tops browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil.
- Remove from the oven, brush with additional butter, and allow rolls to cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!
- Baked rolls will store well in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
FAQs
Soft dinner rolls require a rich dough, meaning they must include higher fat ingredients like whole milk, butter, and egg.
Yes, absolutely! To do this, prepare the dough, let it complete the first rise, and then shape and add the rolls to a prepared pan. Cover them tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 12-15 hours. At least 3 hours before you need them the next day, remove them from the fridge and allow them to rise at room temperature for about 1-2 hours before baking.
Yes! Follow the make-ahead instructions and instead of refrigerating overnight, pop them directly into the freezer in the baking pan. Once frozen, they won’t stick together anymore and you can place them in a freezer safe bag if you’d like. To prepare them to bake, let them thaw and rise for about 4 hours at room temperature before baking. You can also freeze baked dinner rolls!
I love and use Red Star Yeast.
Tips For Success
- I highly highly recommend using whole milk in this recipe for the ultimate soft and fluffy rolls. I would not substitute with a lower fat milk.
- For best results, I recommend using bread flour because it produces softer, chewier rolls. However, you can use all-purpose flour in a 1:1 swap if that’s all you have on hand. The rolls will still be delicious.
- You can use active dry yeast or a packet of instant yeast in this recipe. The time it takes for the yeast to bloom may vary, but both will work equally well.
- Experiment with different flavors if you like! Experiment swapping out different herbs, like parsley, basil, or chives.
- I like to divide the dough into 16 equal rolls, but you could make them larger if you prefer.
- Top these rolls with homemade basil butter (YUM), or make a delicious sandwich topped with some homemade avocado oil mayo.
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Craving More Bread Recipes?
Check out these reader favorites, straight from my log cabin kitchen.
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Softest Rosemary Garlic Dinner Rolls
These soft and fluffy rosemary garlic dinner rolls are something out of freshly baked bread heaven. They require less than 10 ingredients to make and outshine any main dish, no questions asked!
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk, warmed to 110 degrees F
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast
- 1 egg, beaten
- 3 tbsp softened butter
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 3 cups bread flour
- 1 egg + 1 tbsp milk for egg wash
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine 1 cup whole milk (warmed to 110-115 degrees), active dry yeast, and 2 tbsp honey. Using a whisk, mix together and let sit for 5 minutes until the yeast blooms.
- Once the yeast has bloomed, add in the softened butter, beaten egg, salt, garlic powder, chopped rosemary, and flour, one cup at a time. Using a dough hook attachment, beat the dough on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed until all the flour has been added. Beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. If the dough is too wet, beat in more flour 1 Tablespoon at a time until you have a workable dough. Dough should be soft and a little sticky, but still manageable to knead with lightly floured hands.
- Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 5 minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 minutes. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. You can also do a “windowpane test” to see if your dough has been kneaded long enough: tear off a small piece of dough and gently stretch it out until it’s thin enough for light to pass through it. Hold it up to a window or light. Does light pass through the stretched dough without the dough tearing first? If so, your dough has been kneaded long enough and is ready to go!
- Once the dough is ready, you will complete the first rise. To do this, lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick cooking spray (I use avocado or olive oil). Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and allow to rise in a relatively warm place for 1-2 hours or until doubled in size.
- Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan. You can also bake the rolls in a well-seasoned cast iron skillet or on a lined baking sheet.
- Shape the rolls: When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Using a bench scraper or a sharp knife, divide the dough into 16 equal pieces. Shape each piece into a smooth ball. Arrange in prepared baking pan and allow them to complete the second rise. Cover again with plastic wrap and allow them to rise until puffy, around 1 hour.
- Towards the end of the second rise, adjust oven rack to a lower position and preheat oven to 350° F. In a small bowl, beat together 1 egg and 1 tbsp of milk to create an egg wash. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush the top of each roll before placing in the oven.
- Bake the rolls: Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top. If you notice the tops browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil.
- Remove from the oven, brush with additional butter, and allow rolls to cool for a few minutes before serving. Enjoy!
- Baked rolls will store well in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
Notes
If you enjoyed this recipe for soft homemade dinner rolls, be sure to come back and leave a comment and a rating! I would love to know how they turned out for you.
Best,
