Soft Rye Dinner Rolls
These 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.
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Servings: 15 rolls
Calories: 194kcal
Equipment
- Stand mixer optional
- 9 x 13 Glass baking dish
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
Caraway variation: Add 1 tablespoon of toasted caraway seeds to the dry ingredients in step 1. Proceed with the recipe as directed. To toast the seeds, place them in a dry skillet and heat over medium-low, stirring frequently until fragrant. Remove from the heat and cool before adding the toasted seeds in with the other dry ingredients.
To make ahead: 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.
To freeze: 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 194kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 165mg | Potassium: 108mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 265IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 1mg