These soft rye rolls are everything you could possibly want in a dinner roll: pillowy soft, buttery with just the right amount of earthy rye flavor. And they are incredibly easy to make and can even be made ahead if you choose.
Elevate your dinner table with these irresistible rolls that compliment nearly everything and are sure to impress family and guests alike. Get ready to savor the comforting aroma and rich taste of freshly baked rye rolls from your own kitchen. Keep reading for simple step-by-step instructions for making these irresistible rolls at home!
Why This Recipe Works
- These rye rolls are buttery and earthy in flavor.
- The texture of these rolls is sublime: soft, tender and pillowy.
- They are really easy to make and can even be made the night before or earlier in the day.
Ingredients
- A combination of all-purpose flour and rye flour forms the base of this recipe. This gives the rolls plenty of structure without compromising on tenderness or flavor.
- Instant yeast acts as the leavener.
- Salt and a bit of sugar add flavor and gorgeous brown color to the baked rolls.
- Milk, egg yolks and butter bring richness and help contribute to the soft texture.
Special Equipment Needed
- Stand mixer (recommended but not necessary as you can certainly knead the dough by hand)
- 9 x 13 Glass baking dish
How to Make This Recipe
- Combine the all-purpose flour, rye flour, salt, sugar and instant yeast in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk briefly by hand.
- Add the egg yolks, milk and melted butter. Using the dough hook attachment, mix on medium low until the dough just comes together. Increase the speed to medium and continue to knead until the dough is soft and clears both the sides and bottom of the bowl, about 5 minutes.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and cover with plastic wrap. Place in a warm, draft-free place and let the dough rise until nearly one and a half times its size, about 60-90 minutes.
- Grease a 9 x 13 baking dish and set aside. Once the dough has risen, remove it from the bowl and place it onto a clean, unfloured work surface. Using a dough scraper or a sharp knife, cut the dough into 15 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, gather up the edges of the dough into a rough ball shape, pinching the dough where the edges come together to create a “belly button”. Place the ball, belly button side down, on a work surface. Cupping the ball with your hand so that your palm is lightly resting on the dough and your fingertips are resting on the counter, make small circles with the dough until a tight ball is formed.
- Place the ball in the prepared baking dish and cover the dish with plastic wrap while you repeat the process with remaining pieces of dough. When you are finished shaping, the dough balls should be evenly spaced in the baking dish, 5 rows of 3 rolls.
- Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and set the rolls aside to rise until they are nearly touching, about 45 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- Once the rolls are done rising, uncover and bake until puffed and golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cover with a clean, lint-free kitchen towel or tea towel while the rolls cool. This will help keep the rolls soft.
- After the rolls have cooled for 20 minutes, remove the towel and brush with melted butter. Serve warm.
Expert Tips
- Make sure that the milk and butter are just warm to the touch before adding them to the dough. If the liquids are too warm they can kill the yeast.
- Make sure that you are using instant yeast instead of active dry yeast. They are two different products and work differently in a recipe. Want to substitute active dry yeast for the instant? Read the FAQs below for instruction on how to do so.
- If you want evenly sized rolls, the easiest way to do that is to use a kitchen scale. Weigh all of the dough and divide that number by 15. Each roll will need to weigh that amount.
- Don't forget to cover the rolls with a clean lint-free towel after they come out of the oven as they cool. This will help keep the texture of the outer crust pleasantly soft.
FAQs
You simply need to activate it before adding it to the dough: After you warm the milk, sprinkle two teaspoons of active dry yeast on top. Make sure the milk isn't too hot! High temperatures will kill the yeast and your dough won't rise. The milk should just be warm to the touch. Let it sit for 10 minutes or until it begins to get a little frothy/ bubbly.
Yes! Finish the rolls through step 4 and let them rise for about 20 minutes on the counter. Make sure they are covered tightly with plastic wrap and transfer to the refrigerator for up to 12 hours. Remove from the refrigerator while the oven heats and bake as directed.
Yes, they freeze very well. Once the rolls have cooled completely, transfer to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, on the counter for a few hours. If you’d like, wrap them in foil and heat them in a 300 degree oven until warmed through prior to serving.
You can add 1 tablespoon of toasted caraway seeds to the dough (simply add to the dry ingredients in step 1). To toast the seeds, place them in a small dry skillet and heat over medium low, stirring frequently until the seeds are fragrant. Set aside to cool before adding to the rest of the dry ingredients.
Related Recipes
Looking for more delicious Scandinavian-inspired buns and rolls? Give these a try:
I hope you give these Soft Rye Dinner Rolls a try. They are so delicious and the perfect compliment to any meal!
Recipe
Soft Rye Dinner Rolls
Equipment
- Stand mixer optional
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups dark rye flour
- 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk warmed slightly
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled, plus more for greasing the baking dish
- 3 egg yolks
To Finish:
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- Combine the flours, yeast, sugar and salt together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk briefly to combine. Add the whole milk, melted butter and egg yolks. Using the dough hook attachment, begin mixing on medium low until the dough just comes together. Increase the speed to medium and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 5 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside in a warm spot to rise until one and a half times it's size, about 60-90 minutes.
- Lightly grease a 9x13 baking dish and set aside. Using a dough scraper or a sharp knife, divide the dough into 15 equal pieces (use a scale if you’d like them to be even in size, dividing the total weight of the dough by 15). Keep the pieces of dough covered with plastic wrap while you work with one piece at a time.
- Working with one piece at a time, gather up the edges of the dough into a rough ball shape, pinching the dough where the edges come together to create a “belly button”. Place the ball, belly button side down, on a clean, unfloured work surface. Cupping the ball with your hand so that your palm is lightly resting on the dough and your fingertips are resting on the counter, make small circles with the dough until a tight ball is formed. Place the ball in the prepared baking dish and cover the dish with plastic wrap while you repeat the process with remaining pieces of dough. When you are finished shaping, the dough balls should be evenly spaced in the baking dish, 5 rows of 3.
- Cover the baking dish with plastic wrap and let the rolls rise in warm spot until they are nearly touching, about 45 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the oven to 375 degrees. Bake the rolls until puffed and nicely browned, about 20-25 minutes. Cover the baking dish with a lint-free kitchen towel while the rolls cool for 20 minutes (this helps keep the crust of the rolls soft). Brush the tops with melted butter. Serve warm.
Notes
Nutrition
If you loved this recipe, give it a star review! Also, snap a picture of your Soft Rye Dinner Rolls and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #truenorthkitchen and tagging me @true_north_kitchen.
Morgan says
Delicious! Fluffy, a touch of rye flavor, perfect crust. I baked at 350 for ~30 minutes because I had to share an oven with another dish.
Kristi says
So glad you enjoyed them, Morgan! I appreciate your feedback.
Kristi
Shery Sullivan says
I'm hoping to make these rye rolls to go with my corned beef dinner Monday when our friends are coming for an Irish dinner.
Kristi says
Hi Shery,
That sounds delicious! Please let me know how they turn out.
Kristi
Kristi says
So soft and pillowy! Love these rolls.