Garlic Dinner Rolls

If you love garlic and bread, then you must try this garlic dinner rolls recipe. Light and fluffy as a cloud but rich and fragrant as garlic. A simple and easy recipe that takes 20 minutes to prep, 20 minutes to bake with some proofing time in between.

You must love garlic to appreciate these dinner rolls. In our home, we love garlic, yes, my kids included. In fact, I use garlic and in almost everything I make. My favorite is, of course, roasted garlic. I can slather it like butter on bread and the smell does not bother me at all.

In addition, making homemade bread is very common for us. And, soft, light and fluffy bread like these is our favorite. My kids enjoy eating bread on its own.

About these dinner rolls

These are similar to my classic dinner rolls but enriched with egg, more butter, garlic and Italian herbs for flavor. The recipe is very simple and easy and does need a little bit of kneading. But, the result is this gorgeously light and fluffy garlic flavored bread rolls. Also, I kneaded the dough by hand, but you can certainly use your stand mixer with the hook attachment.

In addition, I've used a generous amount of garlic butter to flavor these. And yet, feel free to add less or more as you please. You can, also make these without garlic as we did in our classic dinner rolls. And, you can also add roasted garlic or parmesan as we did in our roasted garlic and parmesan bread rolls.

These are great to make during the week. And, once baked, they keep well in the freezer. The process is also very simple.

• Knead dough - 10 mins
• Let dough rise once - 45 to 60 mins
• Form the rolls - 10 mins
• Proof the rolls - 30 to 45 mins
• Make the garlic butter - 2 to 3 mins
• Bake the garlic rolls - 20 to 22 mins

Ingredients and Substitutes

• Flour - Often, bread flour is recommended for making homemade dinner rolls or any homemade bread. And yet, I have been making it now for over 15 years and I always use all-purpose flour.
• Instant dry yeast - I like to use instant dry because I've always had great success with it. If you have to use active dry yeast you will need 2 ¼ tsp or one packet. And, if you use fresh yeast you will need about 21 grams. Also, it's not necessary to activate the yeast but I like to take the guesswork out and make sure my dough will rise.
• Sugar - The sugar here is not really to add sweetness. So no, the one tablespoon won't make your homemade dinner rolls sweet. The sugar and fat in this recipe are usually to feed the yeast. Just as you need warm liquid to activate the yeast you need sugar and fat to strengthen it and let it grow. However, if you prefer, you can substitute sugar with 2 tbsp of honey as well.
• Egg - I used one large egg but you can certainly omit the egg. And, if you do, you will need about ¾ cup less flour.
• Butter - I like adding butter not just to feed the yeast but also to add flavor. Also, you can substitute the butter for 2 tbsp of oil in this recipe.
• Garlic - I'm using freshly grated garlic, you can also use roasted garlic.

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Step by step instructions (Save/Pin)

Activate yeast

• Ensure milk is warm, not hot (about 110 F).
• Combine milk, yeast, sugar, oil, and egg
• Stir and set aside to foam for 3 mins.

Knead the dough

• Measure the flour and salt in a bowl (you can use an electric mixer).
• Mix in the yeast mixture - and stir to combine.
• Transfer to a well-dusted worktop and knead for 2 minutes until soft and elastic (if using electric mixer knead with the dough hook for 2 minutes on medium speed).
• Then, add the butter and knead again for 2 minutes more
  (the dough will again be soft and sticky with the butter but will come together as you knead). Use as little flour as necessary.
• The dough should be soft, a little sticky but smooth and shiny (see video).

First rise

• Form the dough into a smooth ball and place in an oiled bowl, seam side down, and coat the surface with oil to prevent drying.
• Cover with a clean kitchen cloth and leave in a warm place for about an hour, until double in size.

Divide and roll

• When the dough is double in volume.
• Transfer to a well-dusted floured surface.
• Then, divide the dough into 8 equal portions (see video).
• Next, hold each piece of dough in your hand and gather all the seams together.
• Place seam side down on the counter surface.
• Place your hand on the ball and move your hand back and forth rolling the ball into your palm, making sure the seams stay down at all times.
• This will compress the dough, which bakes beautifully, as well as seal the seams.

2nd Rise - Proof the rolls

• Grease a 10 x 10 square baking pan, 9-inch cast-iron skillet or similar.
• Place the rolls in the pan.
• Cover with a clean kitchen cloth.
• And, let rest in a warm place for about 45 minutes until almost double in size.

Prepare garlic butter

• In a heavy-bottom saucepan, melt butter and oil.
• Then, add the garlic and Italian seasoning.
• Cook on low for a minute.
• Then, cool until ready to use.

Garlic butter and bake

• Preheat the oven to 190 C /375 F.
• Brush the rolls with the garlic butter.
• Bake for about 20 to 22 minutes, until lightly golden on top.
• When baked, brush with more garlic butter.
• Take them out of the pan and cover with a clean kitchen cloth to keep them soft.
• Enjoy!

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10 Tips for making soft garlic dinner rolls

1. Measure all ingredients ahead of time, so you don't forget anything at the last minute.
2. For accuracy, use a weight measure for the ingredients because every cup of flour can weigh differently depending on how you fill it.
3. The liquid (milk or water) must be warm (not hot) - about 110F. If the liquid is too hot, it will kill the yeast. Similarly, if the liquid is too cold, it will not activate the yeast.
4. Though instant dry yeast has a long shelf life, it can get ruined. Always check the expiry date on the yeast. If unsure, combine the yeast with water/milk, sugar/honey, and oil/butter from the recipe and let stand 5 minutes. If it gets foamy the yeast is good to go. If not, it's best to buy fresh yeast or check the temperature of the milk.
5. Keep salt away from yeast as it can kill the yeast. I like to combine salt with the flour then add the yeast mixture.
6. A soft loose well-hydrated dough is not necessarily a bad thing. Often, it will give you a soft puffy bread. So, don't be tempted to add more flour than mentioned in the recipe.
7. Kneading is key to making good bread. While kneading by hand can be therapeutic, using a stand mixer is easier and quicker.
8. Leave the dough at room temperature to rise until double in volume. While not recommended, when in haste, you can place it in a warm (30 C / 75 F- not hotter) oven this will expedite the rise.
9. Bread does not have to be time-consuming. You can leave the dough in the fridge to rise for a few hours (even overnight) while you go about your chores. A slow rise will give more flavor to the bread.
10. Always preheat the oven for at least 10 minutes before you place bread in or the low temperature will spread the dough too much.

Frequently asked questions

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