Easy to make, soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside, bread machine dinner rolls are great to pair with any dinner
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My First Bread Machine
Years ago, when bread machines first came out, I purchased one because I love homemade bread. For years I made bread daily in that machine, including bread machine dinner rolls. That bread machine served me for years until I gave it away because I had decided to give up eating a lot of bread.
Bread Making Challenges
Making bread has been a challenge for me. We have moved a few times in the past ten years and every house we move to presents a new challenge. There are so many different elements that can affect bread making.
Some houses are too humid or too cold. The house we are in now has drafts that make proofing difficult.
I have tried different methods for proofing bread that sometimes worked and sometimes didn’t. I even tried using an insulated box from a meal delivery service, with an electric blanket over it to retain warmth. It actually worked, even though it was an eyesore.
New Bread Machine
Recently, Mike brought home a new bread machine that he had found on clearance. It was a good deal and he knew I had been struggling to perfect homemade bread.
I dug out the old recipes I had for bread and rolls and started making bread again. This recipe is my go-to for dinner rolls because it is simple and it is ready in a couple of hours. There is milk in the recipe so it cannot be used on the timer setting, but like many people, I have been at home since Covid-19 lockdowns started almost a year ago, so I can put this together any day.
Tips for Making Bread Machine Rolls
To make the rolls even for baking, I weigh the dough before separating them into smaller balls for baking. I use a regular food scale and weigh the dough, then divide the weight by how many rolls I would like to make. The answer is how much each ball should weigh to have even-sized rolls. I then start cutting the dough and weighing the pieces to make sure they all are around the same weight. The reason I use this method is that sometimes the dough yields different weights due to elements beyond control. (water temp, age of yeast, a brand of flour used, are just some examples)
When the rolls are rising, make sure they are in a warm draft-free spot. Although it is tempting, do not lift the towel off the rolls during the hour of rising, Lifting the towel allows cooler air in and can result in the dough not completely rising and the rolls will be denser.
Bread machines all differ in how ingredients are added. Mine says to add the yeast last, but I don’t follow that rule. I prefer to add the yeast to the water and sugar and let it rest for 5 minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients. This allows for better flavor and a more homemade taste.
There are many different kinds of yeast that can be used. I use a quick-rising yeast, but any good yeast will work.
When it comes to butter, I use real butter, but in a pinch, I have also used margarine. Just make sure it is not fat-free margarine. Some low-fat, low-calorie margarine does not hold up when baking bread.
Bread Machine Rolls
Equipment
- Bread Machine
Ingredients
- ¼ cup warm water
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2¼ tsp quick rise instant yeast
- ¾ cup milk, room temperature
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup butter, softened
- 3¾ cups all purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp melted butter, for coating before baking
Instructions
- Add water, yeast and 2 Tbsp of sugar to the bread pan. Let sit for 5 minutes or until foamy
- Add milk, remaining sugar, egg and butter to water and yeast
- Add flour and salt
- Set bread maker to dough setting and run
- When bread maker is done, remove dough from pan and let rise 5 minutes
- Separate dough into equal portions and place in a lightly greased pan
- Cover with cotton towel and let rise 1-1.5 hours in a warm, draft free spot, until doubled in size
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Using a pastry brush, lightly coat dough with melted butter
- Bake in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes or until golden
- Let cool slightly before serving
- Store leftovers in an air tight container
