Small Batch Dinner Rolls - Small Batch Rolls Recipe makes 4 rolls (2024)

Small batch dinner rolls for two. Recipe makes 4 rolls.

Small Batch Dinner Rolls - Small Batch Rolls Recipe makes 4 rolls (1)

Our journey for small batches of bread, both with and without yeast, has culminated in this small pan of dinner rolls. Lean in close, this is as good as it gets.

This is the best thing you can do with a packet of active dry yeast.

This recipe for small batch dinner rolls for two is so perfect because they're light and fluffy, exactly as they should be. They're packed with that slightly sweet yeasty flavor; that coveted dinner roll flavor makes me soon.

Slathering them in butter is the only natural thing to do as soon as they come out of the oven.

Dinner rolls are a bit of a thing in my family, and no Sunday dinner is complete without them. In the small household, on weeknights, I've been resorting to frozen bread rolls. Using frozen rolls is the only way I can get the portion control I need, because I don't want to throw away leftover rolls that have gone stale or worse, moldy!

But now that I have this small batch dinner roll recipe, I can make 4 rolls on a weeknight to accompany soup. I made them last week to go with my green chile chicken stew, and I've also served them with my Zuppa Toscana for two.

Other small batch bread recipes with yeast:
-small batch focaccia
-potato cinnamon rolls
-caramel apple cinnamon rolls
-small batch soft pretzels
-Sally Lunn Bread
-small batch hamburger buns

Other small batch bread recipes without yeast:
-small batch cinnamon rolls
-rye bread
-corn muffins
-buttermilk biscuits

It looks like I need to work on my breads made without yeast category, right? I'm always open to any recipe suggestions or requests you have, too!

Here's a step by step of these small batch dinner rolls:

First, whisk together the flour and salt, and place them in a small bowl.

Small Batch Dinner Rolls - Small Batch Rolls Recipe makes 4 rolls (2)

Then, bring the milk and honey to the proper temperature either in the microwave or a small sauce pan, 115-degrees F. Stir in the yeast, and let sit until foamy, about 5 minutes. Add one egg yolk and the melted butter. (This recipe uses two egg yolks; for recipe ideas using the leftover egg whites, try my egg white only recipes category page).

Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the flour, and stir until a soft dough forms.

Small Batch Dinner Rolls - Small Batch Rolls Recipe makes 4 rolls (3)

Flour your work surface, and bring the dough together into a small disk about 5" across in diameter.

This dough will go back into the bowl you mixed it in, and will rise until doubled in bulk.

Small Batch Dinner Rolls - Small Batch Rolls Recipe makes 4 rolls (4)

After the dough completes its first rise, it's time to shape our rolls. Cut the dough disk into four equal pieces, and roll each dough into a ball before placing it in a 6" round cake pan that you spray with cooking spray.

Let the dough balls rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. I use the 'PROOF' setting on my oven and it takes about 30 minutes.

Small Batch Dinner Rolls - Small Batch Rolls Recipe makes 4 rolls (5)

It's entirely optional, but if you want a super shiny brown crust, beat an extra egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of water. Brush it over the rolls before sliding them into a 375-degree preheated oven.

Bake for 18-19 minutes, or until golden brown.

Let cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before dividing and enjoying!

Small Batch Dinner Rolls - Small Batch Rolls Recipe makes 4 rolls (6)

If you have Thanksgiving for Twoplans this year, these small batch dinner rolls are a must!

Yield: 4 rolls

Small Batch Dinner Rolls

Small Batch Dinner Rolls - Small Batch Rolls Recipe makes 4 rolls (7)

Small batch dinner rolls for two.

Prep Time1 hour 15 minutes

Cook Time18 minutes

Total Time1 hour 33 minutes

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup milk
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • ½ teaspoon active dry yeast
  • 1 large egg yolk*
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

Instructions

  1. In a small microwave-safe bowl, add the milk and honey. Heat in the microwave for about 20 seconds until the temperature is 115-degrees F. Alternatively, heat in a small saucepan on the stove.
  2. Whisk to dissolve the honey into the milk. Stir in the yeast and let rest until foamy, about 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in one egg yolk and melted butter.
  4. In a separate bowl, add the flour and salt and stir together with a fork.
  5. Pour the wet ingredients on top of the flour mixture, and stir until it starts to come together.
  6. Knead the dough for a few minutes in the bowl, it will be sticky and pliable. Cover and let the dough in the bowl rise until doubled in a warm place.
  7. Once its doubled, preheat the oven to 375-degrees F.
  8. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces, and roll each piece into a perfect ball. You can pinch from underneath the dough to make the top perfectly smooth, but it’s not necessary.
  9. Place the dough balls into a 6” round cake pan that has been lightly sprayed with cooking spray (or use a muffin pan).
  10. Let the dough rise again while the oven preheats. Ideally, the dough balls will be puffy and touching each other before they go in the oven. It should take about 30 minutes in a warm, draft-free environment.
  11. Optional: take an extra egg yolk and beat it with 2 tablespoons of water. Brush it on top of the rolls before sliding into the oven.
  12. Bake on the middle rack for 18-19 minutes, until golden brown.
  13. Remove them from the oven and let them cool for about 5 minutes before tearing apart and serving.

Notes

For a golden brown look, you can beat an extra egg yolk with 2 tablespoons of water, and brush this mixture on the rolls before baking.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 209Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 148mgSodium: 202mgCarbohydrates: 28gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 8g

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Small Batch Dinner Rolls - Small Batch Rolls Recipe makes 4 rolls (2024)

FAQs

How do you divide dinner rolls? ›

To divide into equal parts you could first cut the dough into 4 equal pieces by weight, then split each of those pieces in half by eye, then each of those halves into 3 pieces. Or you could cut the dough into 6 equal pieces by weight, then each of those into 2 by eye, then each of those into 2 by eye as well.

How can I make my bread lighter and fluffy? ›

Add Sugar

Adding sugar weakens the gluten structure, absorbs water, and eventually makes the bread lighter and softer. As a result, sugar improves the bread's taste, structure and texture. Yeast also eats up sugar to produce carbon dioxide, which raises the dough and makes bread fluffy.

How many calories in a small homemade dinner roll? ›

Homemade Dinner Rolls (1 oz) contains 15.1g total carbs, 14.6g net carbs, 2.1g fat, 2.4g protein, and 90 calories.

How do you divide dough for rolls? ›

One method for portioning dough in recipes such as our Oatmeal Dinner Rolls is to press the dough into a square, and then cut the square into a grid of equal pieces.

How do you divide bread dough? ›

First of all, you would not divide the dough if you were only making one loaf of bread. The dough can be divided by just eyeballing it. This works best at home and if you are only making two breads. Otherwise, scales should be used to achieve an even batch.

What happens if you put too much yeast in rolls? ›

Putting too much yeast in bread dough will make it double in size very quickly during the bulk ferment and even more quickly during the proofing of your loaves.

How to make homemade bread more fluffy? ›

Adding dry milk powder to your bread dough will help your loaf rise higher. In addition, the loaf will stay soft and hold moisture longer which again means it will last longer. It also helps brown the crust. If you want a lighter fluffier bread loaf just add 2 Tbsp of dry milk to the flour per loaf of your bread.

Can you use too much yeast in rolls? ›

Too much yeast could cause the dough to go flat by releasing gas before the flour is ready to expand. If you let the dough rise too long, it will start having a yeast or beer smell and taste and ultimately deflate or rise poorly in the oven and have a light crust.

Does more sugar make bread fluffier? ›

Yeast feed on sugar and it's the gasses produced by yeast that causes the dough to expand and “rise”. More accurately stated though, it's the yeast that has the effect but it's a symbiotic relationship. Too little sugar will impede the rise by not having sufficient nutrient for the yeast.

Does more water make bread fluffier? ›

In those situations, the recipe has more water than flour. High ratios of water, when combined with active fermentation and good gluten development (through time, mixing, and folds), have the potential to significantly open the crumb (or the “alveolar structure”) of loaves.

What ingredient makes bread soft? ›

Sugar: Not only does it sweeten the bread, but sugar also retains moisture. This means that adding sugar can indeed make bread softer. Baking Soda: When added, especially in recipes with acidic ingredients, it can make bread soft and spongy.

How much should a dinner roll weigh? ›

For size reference, the pre-bake weight of dinner rolls typically falls between 60g to 80g each. Imagine a 60g roll as the size of a plum when baked, while a baked 80g roll is closer to a Granny Smith apple.

How many Oz should a dinner roll be? ›

Shape and Rise

Each dough ball will weigh right around 3 ounces, give or take. Space them a little bit apart in the baking pan and let them rise until very puffy and the sides are touching. Don't skimp on the rising! If they don't rise long enough, they won't reach their fluff-fluffy potential.

How much salt is in a dinner roll? ›

Dinner Roll
  • Calories 76.
  • Total Fat 1.8g 2%
  • Saturated Fat 0.4g 2%
  • Polyunsaturated Fat 0.3g.
  • Monounsaturated Fat 0.9g.
  • Cholesterol 0mg 0%
  • Sodium 147mg 6%
  • Total Carbohydrates 13g 5%

How to divide dough into 24 pieces? ›

Again, a scale is your best friend when dividing a ball of dough into 24 pieces. Divide the dough in half, then in half again, and in half once more so you have eight pieces. Divide each of those eight pieces in thirds.

How many dinner rolls per person for dinner? ›

When it comes to dinner rolls in catering, plan for 1-2 per person depending on the event type and menu. For a formal event, stick to 1 roll; for a casual one, offer 2. Don't forget to consider plate size and side dishes. It's better to have extra rolls than run out mid-event.

What happens if you add too much flour to dinner rolls? ›

Avoid adding too much extra flour to the dough.

These ingredients slow down gluten development and can make the dough a little sticky. Your instinct might be to add extra flour; however, any extra flour will create a denser, tougher roll instead of the light, fluffy, soft dinner roll we want.

References

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