Special Dinners Call for Special Dinner Rolls
Thanksgiving calls for a basket of homemade dinner rolls. These rolls, fragrant with rosemary and parsley, carry an appeal that store-bought versions can’t match. The addition of instant potato flakes to the dough creates an impossibly soft texture, while garlic butter brushed over the tops adds a savory richness that makes them difficult to resist.
Herb Dinner Rolls
Yields 12 to 16 Rolls
Ingredients
¼ cup instant potato flakes
1 tablespoon rapid-rise yeast
1 tablespoon freshly chopped rosemary leaves
3 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley, divided
2 teaspoons garlic powder
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons salt
¾ cup whole milk
½ cup water
6 tablespoons butter, divided
1 large egg, room temperature
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
Directions
Place 4 cups of the flour, potato flakes, yeast, rosemary, 2 tablespoons of the parsley, garlic powder, sugar, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the dough-hook attachment. Turn the mixer to the ‘stir’ setting and combine ingredients.
Heat the milk, water, and 4 tablespoons of the butter in a microwave for 1 minute on high heat (using a microwave-safe measuring cup or bowl). The mixture should be around 110-115ºF. If the milk is not 110-115ºF, continue to heat in 10-second intervals until it reaches the desired temperature. Allow the milk to cool if it gets too hot.
Add the warm milk mixture to the flour mixture; stir. Add in the egg; stir. When ingredients are combined, turn the mixer setting to medium-low and mix the dough for about 4 to 5 minutes. If the dough is not pulling away from the sides of the mixing bowl after the first 2 minutes of mixing, add ¼ cup of flour and run for another 1 minute. If the dough is still not pulling away from the sides and forming into a ball, add the remaining ¼ cup of flour. Run for about 1 to 2 minutes more.
Remove the dough from the hook. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough sit for 10 minutes.
Position an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat oven to 180ºF. Lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
Prepare a work surface for rolling the dough. Lightly flour the work surface and a rolling pin. Turn the dough out onto the work surface and roll it into a 15-inch circle. Dip a pizza cutter in flour, then slice the dough into 12 or 16 triangular pieces. For each piece, fold the seams in and roll into a ball. Set the dough balls, seam side down, in the baking dish.
Brush a little bit of water onto the tops of the rolls. Turn off the oven. Place the baking dish in the oven for 20 minutes. Do not open the oven door while the rolls are in the oven. After the dough balls have been in the oven for 20 minutes, remove the baking dish.
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Put the baking dish back into the oven and bake the rolls until the tops are golden, approximately 20 minutes. Note: If you’re baking 16 rolls, keep an eye on the rolls as they will bake for a slightly shorter time.
During the last 5 minutes of baking time, prepare the garlic butter by placing the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the minced garlic into a small saucepan. Heat the butter and garlic over medium heat until the butter has melted. Add in the remaining tablespoon of chopped parsley; stir. Taste; season with salt, if desired. As soon as you remove the rolls from the oven, brush the garlic butter on top of them. Serve warm.
