Garlic Dinner Rolls

a baking pan with six garlic herb dinner rolls

4.92 from 12 votes

These homemade savory garlic dinner rolls are so fluffy, soft, and tall. Packed with garlicky flavors and aromatic herbs, these should definitely make an appearance at your holiday table, or for any occasion.

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Rising2

Total Time2 50

Course: Breads

Cuisine: American

Servings: rolls

Calories: 256kcal

Author: Tania

Equipment

Stand mixer with dough hook attachment
9x13 baking pan

Ingredients

1 cup whole milk, warmed to 110-115 degrees F
2 ¼ teaspoons active dry yeast (equivalent to a 0.25 ounce package)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus 1 teaspoon
2 large eggs lighty beaten
¼ cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 ½ teaspoons salt
3 ½ to 4 cups bread flour plus more as needed, see note below
¾ tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped fully patted dry
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Garlic Herb Butter for brushing

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
½ tablespoon Italian seasoning
3 cloves garlic, minced

Instructions

Activate the yeast

Pour warm milk (110 to 115 degrees F) into the bowl of stand mixer. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the granulated sugar and the active dry yeast, and let it sit for 10-15 minutes until frothy. This means that the yeast is good. If it does not get frothy, start over with fresh yeast.

Make the dough

Set up the dough hook attachment in the stand mixer. With the mixer on medium speed, beat in the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, eggs, melted butter, garlic powder, and salt until along with the yeast mixture.
With the mixer on medium-low speed, add in 3 cups flour, one cup at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add the remaining flour in ¼ cup increments as needed until a manageable dough forms. I ended up using about 3 ½ cups of bread flour.
Increase to high speed and knead/mix until a dough forms and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. This usually takes 3 minutes in the mixer, or 8-10 minutes by hand. The dough should be smooth and stretchy, manageable, moist, and sightly sticky.
Then, on low speed, add the rosemary, parsley, and oregano until evenly incorporated.
Transfer dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead by hand for about 3-4 minutes, sprinkling more flour if too sticky still. At this point, the dough should be smooth and stretchy, and moist. It should spring back slowly when poked with a finger. Do not over-knead.

Let the dough rise

Form dough into a ball and place on a lightly oiled bowl (I used olive oil), making sure to coat the dough with oil as well. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let it rise in a warm environment for about 1 hour, until doubled in size. See note below “How to create a warm environment for dough to rise.”

Shape into buns and let it rise again

After the dough has risen, punch it down to release excess air. Transfer to a clean non-floured surface. Cut the dough in half, and then cut each half into 6 equal pieces. Shape into balls, pinching the bottom with your fingers. Arrange in a lightly greased 9x13 baking pan.
Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let it rise for another 1 to 1.5 hours in a warm environment or until doubled in size.

Bake

Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, combine the garlic herb butter ingredients, and brush all over the risen buns.
Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden brown and tall. Once they are out of the oven, brush with more melted butter for that shiny finish. Let cool slightly and serve while still warm. Enjoy!

Notes

Bread flour vs. all-purpose flour: Bread flour is ideal for bread to rise extra tall and also gives it a much softer texture. All-purpose flour will work too, but they won't have the same height and softness.
How to create a warm environment for dough to rise: Use the microwave trick! Microwave some water in a mug for 2-3 minutes to get it warm and humid inside. Push the mug to the corner, and then place the bowl with the dough inside. Close the door immediately to trap in the heat. Avoid opening until the dough has risen.
Make-ahead: After shaping the dough into rolls, cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The next day, remove the rolls from the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size. Then, proceed to bake as directed.
Proofing yeast: Make sure the milk is warmed up to 110-115 degrees F. If the milk is too cold, the yeast will not activate. If the milk is too hot, it will kill the yeast. Use a thermometer to be sure.
If your yeast didn't get frothy, discard and start over with fresh non-expired yeast.
Sugar is like food to yeast. It will help activate the yeast faster.

Disclaimer: Nutritional values (per serving) are approximates only.

Nutrition