Most Thanksgivings, my mom-in-law does most of the cooking, and I'm only responsible for one or two food items. This year is no exception. What am I bringing? The soft, delish dinner rolls I brought last year! This is a simple enough recipe, and the resulting rolls are tender and a real crowd pleaser. I've given instructions from easiest (partially made in a bread machine), to slightly more time consuming (partially made in a Kitchen Aid mixer, or made entirely by hand).

Crowd Pleasing Dinner Rolls Recipe

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 1/4 cups bread flour (yep, it has to be bread flour)
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature + 2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon salt



Bread Machine Method:

1. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. Set aside.

2. Place the flour, water, egg, sugar, room temperature (unmelted) butter, yeast, and salt into the pan of your bread machine. Make sure to put them in the order the manufacturer recommends. Close the lid and select the dough cycle. Press start.

3. When the cycle is finished, remove the dough from the pan and punch down. Divide into 15 pieces of about equal size. Place in the prepared baking pan.

4. Brush the rolls with the melted butter. Cover pan with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm location until doubled (about half an hour). In the meantime, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

5. Bake rolls until golden, about 12 - 15 minutes.


Mixer Method:

1. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a mixer with a dough hook, place the flour, egg, and (unmelted) butter. Mix until just combined. The yeast mixture should now be foamy. Add it to the flour mixture and mix until the dough no longer sticks to the sides of the bowl.

4. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Put in a warm location and allow to rise for bout 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.

5. Punch down the dough and divide into 15 pieces of about equal size. Place in the prepared baking pan.

6. Brush the rolls with the melted butter. Cover pan with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm location until doubled (about half an hour). In the meantime, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

7. Bake rolls until golden, about 12 - 15 minutes.


By Hand Method:

1. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. Set aside.

2. In a small bowl, combine the warm water, sugar, and yeast. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl stir together the flour, egg, and (unmelted) butter until just combined. The yeast mixture should now be foamy. Add it to the flour mixture and mix until well combined.

4. Lightly flour the countertop and knead the dough until elastic. Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Place in a warm location and allow to rise for bout 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.

5. Punch down the dough and divide into 15 pieces of about equal size. Place in the prepared baking pan.

6. Brush the rolls with the melted butter. Cover pan with plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm location until doubled (about half an hour). In the meantime, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

7. Bake rolls until golden, about 12 - 15 minutes.


Makes 15 rolls.