Herb Dinner Rolls

Hey guys! I wanted to make sure to get in before Thanksgiving with a little twist on the dinner roll recipe that I make every year for my family. I usually make a double batch, but today we’re going to keep it simple with some easy-to-make herb dinner rolls.

Go for the herbs that you like here, but adding some bits of flavor to your rolls make them feel even more like the holidays, and it’s a good time to make some bread that tastes like stuffing, am I right? Let’s get to it!

How to Make High-Altitude Dinner Rolls

We’re starting out with a super simple dough recipe. As long as you give this dough a good long time to knead, you’ll end up with soft, fluffy dinner rolls that are still substantial enough to hold on to everything yummy on your plate for Thanksgiving. I like to make mine in a stand mixer so it can do the kneading work for me, but you can definitely do it by hand as well!

Here’s what the dough looks like before rising- it’s got lots of herbs running throughout, it’s soft and easy to work with, but it doesn’t stick to the bowl.

And after just a quick rise, here’s what you’ll have. Remember that when you’re making bread at high-altitude, you don’t need to let the dough rise too much. I like to take a picture of mine so I can remember exactly where it started- it helps to avoid over-proofing your dough!

I’m using a mix of traditional holiday herbs in my rolls- rosemary, thyme, and sage, along with some onion powder for some added savory flavor. You can use any herbs that you prefer here, or just one of the ones I suggested!

After dividing and shaping your rolls, we’re giving them another rest. Once you’re ready to bake, brush the tops generously with more whole milk- don’t worry if you get milk drips on the bottom of the pan- they will steam and absorb into the rolls as they bake, and it’s actually a good thing! Finally, I like to top mine with a little bit of flakey salt before popping them into the oven.

Right when they finish baking, brush the tops with melted butter while the rolls are still hot. This gives them some extra yumminess, and it almost bakes right into the warm rolls!

You can make these rolls the day before, and then store them at room temp. Right before it’s time to eat, pop them into a 375 degree oven for 5-10 minutes, or until they’re warmed through again. Enjoy!

Tips & Tricks for High-Altitude Herb Dinner Rolls

I love these rolls because they are really easy to spin with your fav flavors. Here are my tips for great high-altitude dinner rolls every time!

• Knead your dough for 10-15 minutes to make sure you develop enough gluten for soft, pillowy rolls. It seems like a long time, but you want a very stretchy dough!
• Don’t add too much flour. Give the dough enough time to mix together before adding more flour. You want the dough to pull away from the sides of the bowl and ball up around your mixer hook, but it should still be very soft.
• Can I use different herbs in my rolls? Yes! use whatever combination of herbs that you like here! I recommend the onion powder for extra savory rolls. You want to end up with 3 tsp. of dried herbs in addition to onion powder, whichever herbs you choose!
• Let your dough almost double in size for the first rise. Keep a close eye on it- this happens quickly at high-altitude, and depending on the temperature inside your house. Lean on the side of under-rising here.
• Your dough should rise just slightly for the second rise. The rolls will do most of their rising while they bake, but they will just puff slightly after you shape them and before you bake them. This is normal, and the slight rise will ensure that they don’t get over-proofed.
• Don’t worry if you end up with extra milk in the pan after you brush the tops with the whole milk. The milk will steam and absorb into the rolls as they bake.
• I’m at about 5,000 ft. above sea level, and I find that people who live between about 3,000-7,000 ft above sea level do not need to make any adjustments to my recipes.

Hope you guys enjoy this one!

5 from 1 vote

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Herby Dinner Rolls

Servings 12 rolls

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 tbs. sugar
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast (1 packet)
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• 1 tsp dried sage
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 3/4-3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tbs. whole milk
• Coarse salt to sprinkle

Instructions

1. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, stir together the whole milk, melted butter, and sugar. Microwave the mixture for 1-2 minutes, or until the mixture reaches between 105-110 degrees. If it’s gotten too hot, allow the mixture to cool on the counter for several minutes. Once the mixture is at the correct temperature, stir in the yeast and dried herbs. Allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes or so, or until it starts to foam and bubble, indicating that the yeast has bloomed.
2. In a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add your salt, pepper, and 2 3/4 cups flour. Once your yeast mixture has bloomed, pour it into the flour mixture. Stir until combined using the dough hook on your mixer. The dough should be soft, but should pull away from the sides of the bowl. Add more flour if needed slowly until the dough pulls away from the sides, but don’t overdo it.
3. Knead the dough for 10-15 minutes with the dough hook attachment on medium speed. The dough will become smooth and stretchy during this process- give it the full kneading time! Cover with plastic wrap. For the first rise, you want the dough to just double in size, so keep a close eye on it. For me, this only takes about 20-25 minutes, however it’s best to base your rise time mainly on the actual size of the dough, so that is just a guideline.
4. Once the dough has risen, you can grease a 9×13 inch pan generously, and preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Divide your dough into 12 even sections- start by cutting your dough in half, and in half again, and so forth until you’ve reached your even 12. Roll each section of dough into a ball, tucking any corners underneath so you end up with a smooth top.
5. Place the rolls evenly spaced in your baking pan- there should be room between each roll for rising, with 4 by 3 rolls on your pan. Cover with plastic wrap, and rise until your oven is preheated, or about 15-20 more minutes, until the dough has just slightly puffed all over. Brush the tops of your rolls generously with the whole milk, and optionally sprinkle the tops with coarse salt. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the rolls are golden brown. Optionally, brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven. Serve warm!

Dough-Eyed

Hello and welcome! My name is Nicole, and Dough-eyed is a food blog for people who want to bake for their family and friends in high-altitude areas. Think of me as a friendly voice there with you in the kitchen, here to give you confidence when you’re baking, and to help you with the struggles of baking at high-altitude. Come back every week for new recipes, tips, and advice on high-altitude baking!