Mini Bread Rolls (Soft, Adorable Dinner Rolls)

Welcome to The Storied Recipe Podcast, a podcast about food, culture, and love.

This recipe for Mini Bread Rolls Perfect For Thanksgiving came from my podcast guest, Laura Clark. Make sure you listen to her episode Thanksgiving in Italy while you make her Mini Bread Rolls!  

This delicious recipe yields dozens of mini bread rolls. The most important (and surprising) ingredient in this easy bread recipe is the POTATO! Together with eggs and shortening, this key ingredient produces an enriched dough with two good results:

First, the resulting texture of the rolls is so soft inside, that they're almost creamy. Secondly, the rich ingredients in this roll recipe yield a deeper, sweeter flavor. 

Now, most of us love the amazing smell of homemade bread, but let's be honest: Making delicious soft bread rolls seems like a job for professional bread bakers. 

But the very best thing about this particular roll recipe is that it's an EASY recipe!! 

I'm not an especially good or experienced baker, but the deal with my podcast is that I make every recipe my guest shares! I was a little nervous about this one. The one-bite dinner roll recipe is so forgiving that I've made it multiple times. Each time the result has been a lovely roll (similar to an Amish dinner roll) with the perfect soft interior and slightly caramelized exterior.

P.S. Also try Laura's other storied recipe, Cranberry Tea (Thanksgiving Tea)!

Jump to:

• Laura's Memories of Making Rolls
• Ingredients
• Variations on Recipe
• Instructions
• FAQ
• Equipment
• Storage
• More Thanksgiving Recipes
• More Bread Recipes
• Listen to Laura's Episode: Thanksgiving in Italy
• Follow The Storied Recipe in Your Favorite Player
• Recipe

Laura's Memories of Making Rolls

Laura's family enjoyed this recipe every Thanksgiving during her childhood. When she and her roommate cooked a Thanksgiving feast for their Italian and international friends, Laura made these rolls. She was particularly nervous about serving them to a guest from Naples, known to be the home of the best bread in all of Italy. He couldn’t stop raving about them!

Ingredients

While the dough ingredients are quite simple (and besides the potato as the most important ingredient overall) it's crucial to ensure your yeast is fresh, as it is the most important ingredient responsible for making your rolls rise.

• Sugar
• Shortening
• Salt
• Eggs
• Potatoes
• Yeast
• Flour

Variations on Recipe

Can You Make These Dinner Rolls With Whole Wheat Flour?

Laura, my podcast guest and the author of this recipe says you can use whole wheat flour. However, she cautions not to substitute more than half of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat. To do so would risk making them a little tough and dry.

Should I Coat The Rolls in an Egg Wash, Milk Wash, or Nothing?

It's not necessary (or recommended). These rolls have a fairly high sugar content, which caramelizes on the top of the roll, creating a gorgeous golden brown color and slight crispiness to bite through. 

A milk wash on the other hand will give the rolls a shinier, lighter, and softer crust than an egg wash, but these are just different ways of achieving a crust that is not necessary in this recipe. (The Kitchn)

Should I Use Active Dry Yeast or Instant Yeast in This Recipe?

Active dry yeast needs to be "activated" in warm water (vs. instant yeast, which can be included directly with the dry ingredients and doesn't call for prior activation). This recipe has a step for that activation process, so it was written with active dry yeast in mind. However, instant yeast will also work, if that's what you have on hand. For more about active vs. instant yeast, read this post from Serious Eats.

Can I Use This Recipe to Make Large Rolls?

By all means, yes! Choose whichever size you'd like - one bite rolls, mini rolls, or more typical dinner roll size. Just obviously keep an eye on them in the oven - the smaller the roll, the shorter the bake time.

Instructions

Baking is always a little bit daunting if you are a bread beginner, but making fresh dinner rolls from scratch is easier than you may think. These steps are very simple and easy to follow and the best part is that this recipe doesn't require any fancy equipment such as a bread machine or even a stand mixer if you don't have one.

• Boil the potato.
• Soak yeast with sugar in lukewarm water.
• Cream sugar, shortening, and salt, add eggs, potatoes, and yeast mixture, and then gradually incorporate the flour until you have a sticky dough. 
• Knead until smooth on top.
• Rub a little oil on top, place in a warm spot, and let rise for 2 hours.
• Punch in. Either refrigerate the dough or set it aside to use fairly soon.
• One hour before baking, separate the risen dough into equal pieces by forming each piece into a smooth ball on a lightly floured surface then placing the balls of dough on a prepared baking sheet (such as a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone baking liner) a few inches apart.
• Bake at 375-400 for 10 minutes or until brown, and there you have delicious homemade dinner rolls!

FAQ

Do You Need a Stand Mixer or Dough Hook?

No, not at all. This can easily be made using just a large bowl, a large wooden spoon, and your own hands for kneading!

What Toppings Do You Recommend For These Mini Bread Rolls?

Truthfully, they're perfect in their simplicity. Better with butter, because what isn't? 😉

Honey butter is a good option as well, but the rolls are a little sweet themselves, so don't overdo it with the honey!

Can I Use This as a Recipe For Mini Slider Buns?

Yes! The genius of these rolls is the combination of soft and sturdy.  So, these are perfect for sliders - or even as mini hamburger buns! They stand up to a lot of strong flavors, so you can even pour a sticky mustard sauce over your ham & cheese - like this favorite recipe of mine from Everyday Annie.

If you are going to use this as a mini slider roll recipe, feel free to top them with poppy seeds or sesame seeds before baking.

I'm In A Hurry - How Long Do These Take To Rise?

Way to think ahead!

After mixing the dough, you'll need to set it in a warm place for the dough rise. This first rise will take about two hours for the best results, although, of course, it depends on the room temperature.

Once the dough is risen, you can cover it tightly with plastic wrap and stick it in the fridge to use the next day or keep it in your fridge for up to a week!

Or, you can use it to divide the dough and shape the round balls in equal portions right away. After shaping, the rolls need to sit for a second rise for about an hour before baking.

All in all, if you'd like to eat in less than 4 hours from the time you're reading this - it's probably too late. Try again tomorrow! Or better yet, make the dough now and bake the rolls tomorrow.

During The Rise, Should I Cover The Dough Ball With Kitchen Towels or Plastic Wrap?

The critical goal is to avoid allowing a crust to develop on the dough at any point during the process. For the first rise, a simple kitchen towel will suffice. It may be a good idea to use a damp cloth or damp tea towel just to keep some moisture in the bowl, or to very lightly coat the dough ball with some oil or melted butter during the rise. If you store the dough in the refrigerator, make sure you have plastic wrap touching any part of the dough exposed to the cold air.

Equipment

• Stand mixer with a dough hook (optional)
• Large mixing bowl
• Small saucepan
• Food scale
• Baking sheet

Storage

There are several methods for storing the rolls both before and after baking, The Kitchn suggests three different methods:

• Refrigerate the dough
  • Refrigerate for up to a week and when ready to bake, take them out about an hour before and let them come to room temperature then bake as normally.
• Freeze the dough
  • After you have measured and shaped the rolls, place each piece of dough about a couple of inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet and wait until they have frozen completely before transferring them to a freezer bag or an airtight container. 
  • You can keep them frozen for up to a month but the yeasted dough will have trouble rising after too much after longer than a month. 
  • When ready to bake, the night before, place them in the fridge to thaw until the morning, take them out of the fridge, and let them have a second proof at room temperature for about an hour, then place the dough balls on a baking sheet and bake as normally.
• Freeze the fully baked rolls
  • Wrap the rolls in aluminum foil once fully cooled and place them in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to a month. 
  • When ready to eat, loosen the foil from around the rolls and thaw overnight at room temperature, with the foil still on the next day, rewarm the rolls for about 5-10 minutes in a 300°F oven.

More Thanksgiving Recipes

More Bread Recipes

Listen to Laura's Episode: Thanksgiving in Italy

Follow The Storied Recipe in Your Favorite Player

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