No Thanksgiving dinner table is complete without those fluffy, moist dinner rolls! But the trick is to make them so they really ARE moist and fluffy and don’t turn stale after several hours. After recently making some bread that hardened to something like ‘soft rocks’ the next day, I was determined to find a recipe that would make my dinner rolls so soft, I could almost use them as a pillow!
Hence, here is my recipe that uses a simple tangzhong method for making dinner rolls that will elevate them to ‘pillow status.’
What is Tangzhong?
Tangzhong is a Japanese method for making bread which involves first cooking a small portion of flour and liquid together in the recipe before adding the remaining ingredients. Since flour can absorb more liquid when it is hot, the tangzhong method allows the dough’s hydration level to reach up to 75%.
What are the benefits of Tangzhong?
By having a higher level of hydration, your bread and dinner rolls will be softer and will stay fresher for longer. No more reaching for your rolls the next day and finding them hard to bite into!
Is the Tangzhong method hard to do?
No, not at all. The ingredients for these dinner rolls are basically the same as for standard rolls, however adding a higher ratio of liquid to flour. In fact, the technique is so easy, that’s why I’ve called my post Fluffiest Dinner Rolls 101!
The only ‘tricky’ part is handling the dough, which at first is very wet and sticky- almost like a ‘wet blob.’ However, after gradually adding a little more flour during the kneading, a cohesive dough starts to form.
Dough will be very wet and sticky at first
Gradually add a little flour as you knead to form a cohesive dough
After the dough rises, form small balls and place them inside a 9-inch pan or casserole dish, then let rise again, then bake.
Fluffiest Dinner Rolls 101
Print RecipeIngredients
- Flour Paste (tangzhong method:)
- ½ cup water
- 3 Tbsps. bread flour
- Dough
- ½ cup milk
- 1 large egg
- 2 ½ cups flour (300 grams)
- 1 ½ tsps. Instant or rapid-rise yeast *
- 2 Tbsps. sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla flavoring
- 1 ½ tsps. Kosher Salt (or 1 tsp. table salt)
- 4 Tbsps. softened butter
- * If using Active Dry yeast instead of instant yeast, first dissolve 2 tsps. of the yeast in the 1/2 cup milk that has been warmed to body temperature.
Instructions
For the flour paste (roux): whisk together the water and flour in a small saucepan. Over medium heat, stir the mixture until it forms a thick paste(150 F target temperature). Remove from heat and let cool a few minutes.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour paste and milk until smooth (you could also mix by hand using a large wooden spoon or electric hand mixer). Add the egg, flour, yeast, sugar and salt and continue to mix for several minutes. With the motor running, gradually add the softened butter, one tablespoon at a time.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly-floured surface- it will be very wet and sticky. Dust your hands and also the top of the dough with a little more flour and begin to knead the dough. Continue to add a little more flour to the dough as you knead it, until it gradually comes together to form a moist ball. Be careful not to add too much flour. Total kneading time should be at least 5 minutes. Transfer the dough to a lightly-greased bowl, cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap, and let rise until doubled in volume, about one hour.
After the dough has risen, punch it down, then divide the dough into individual balls, about 40 grams (1.5 oz) each. Place the balls inside a round 9-inch cake pan, starting with the outer circle first and then adding the inner circles. Space the balls about ½ inch apart. Cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and let rise again until about double in size. Brush the tops with egg wash and bake in the oven at 350 F. for 20-25 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Invert the rolls onto a wire wrack to cool. Serve rolls with butter or plain.
9 Comments
John / Kitchen Riffs
November 14, 2020 at 5:01 amI haven’t used the tangzhong method — should give it a try sometime. Although we don’t often have that many leftover rolls to deal with. 🙂 Anyway, these look terrific — wonderful texture. And I’ll bet the flavor is beyond good. Thanks!
angiesrecipes
November 14, 2020 at 6:01 amtangzhong starter via starch gelatinization is my favourite way to bake soft fluffy dinner buns. Yours look really beautiful and bakery perfect.
Chef Mimi
November 15, 2020 at 3:06 amWow! Fran, I swear to you I’ve never even seen or heard of this word, but this is exactly how I’ve been baking bread for years! I call it a slurry. I obviously must have had a recipe that instructed me to do this at some point when I thought bread baking was a science. And of course it is, but it doesn’t have to be… I haven’t used a bread recipe for a thousand years! Love these rolls, and this might actually be a bread recipe I follow!
Fran Flint
November 15, 2020 at 3:56 amThanks Mimi. I didn’t know this technique was called a ‘slurry.’ Learning things all the time!
David Scott Allen
November 15, 2020 at 3:29 amLike Mimi, I have always called this the slurry – from my grandmother. But her rolls never looked as good as yours! Those are beautiful!
Fran Flint
November 15, 2020 at 3:57 amAmazing! Like Mimi’s comment, I never knew it was called a ‘slurry.’
Raymund
November 18, 2020 at 7:55 amThose dinner rolls looks perfect, thanks for sharing. Definitely a keeper for a long time, in fact I will use it soon
Jeff the Chef
November 21, 2020 at 12:10 amThese do look good. I’ve heard of the Tangzhong method before, but haven’t tried it, so I’m glad to hear that you’ve had success with it. I always have a hard time embracing homemade rolls for a major meal, because it’s difficult to know for sure exactly how things are going to go, and with many recipes, as you suggest, it has to be done day-of. So it’d be great to have a recipe that I could make the day before, knowing I’d still have excellent rolls the next day.
lisaiscooking
December 2, 2020 at 6:55 amI’ve never tried the Tangzhong method, but I need to! These rolls look so good. Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving!