American · Side · All year
Soft Dinner Rolls
4.6 · community
30m
Prep
20m
Cook
Easy
Level
190
Energy
The tangzhong method (a cooked flour paste) makes these rolls shockingly soft and keeps them that way for days. Holiday-table currency.
What you need
Ingredients
Servings
12
Before you start
Mise en place
Yield: A dozen pull-apart rolls
Equipment
Sheet pan
Chef's knife
Prep checklist
Flour — plus 25 g for the tangzhong
Milk — plus 75 ml for the tangzhong
Butter — soft, plus more to brush
4 steps
Method
1
Tangzhong: whisk 25 g flour with 75 ml milk over medium heat until pudding-thick, 2 minutes. Cool.
3 min — timer available in cooking mode
Why this works
The cooked paste locks in moisture — it's why Asian-bakery bread stays cloud-soft for days.
2
Knead everything (tangzhong included) to a smooth, tacky dough, 8 minutes. Rise 1 hour until doubled.
70 min — timer available in cooking mode
3
Divide into 12, roll into taut balls, and nestle in a buttered pan. Proof 45 minutes until pillowy-touching.
45 min — timer available in cooking mode
4
Bake at 180°C to golden, 18–20 minutes; brush with butter the moment they emerge.
19 min — timer available in cooking mode
From the pass
Chef's notes
Taste before serving and adjust salt and acid — the last 30 seconds of seasoning matter more than any single ingredient.
Afterwards
Keep, reheat & pair
Storage
Refrigerate up to 3 days.
Freezing
Depends on the vegetable — roasted things reheat better than they freeze.
Reheating
Roasted vegetables re-crisp in a 200°C oven for 6–8 minutes; mashes loosen with a splash of warm milk over low heat.
Make ahead
Blanch or par-roast ahead, then finish with high heat just before serving.
Wine pairing
Follows the main.
Beer pairing
Follows the main.
On the plate
Serve it with
Sides
This is the side — pick a main.
Garnish
Fresh herbs
A knob of butter
Toasted nuts or seeds
Taste map
Flavour profile
Sweet
2
Salty
3
Sour
1
Bitter
1
Umami
2
Heat
0
Per serving
Nutrition
190
kcal
5g
protein
30g
carbs
6g
fat
3g
fiber
520mg
sodium
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Your notes
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