Cinnamon Free Soft and Buttery Dinner Rolls
Pillowy, golden, and rich with real butter, these dinner rolls are the kind of thing that disappears from the basket before the main course even hits the table. The dough comes together with whole milk, egg, and softened unsalted butter worked in gradually, which is what gives each roll that impossibly tender, almost brioche-like crumb. A double rise — first in the bowl, then again once shaped — means the rolls puff up beautifully and bake into a soft, pull-apart cluster with deep golden tops. For anyone navigating a sensitivity to cinnamon, rolls and sweet breads can be a minefield of hidden spice blends and pre-mixed doughs, but every single ingredient here is straightforward and easy to verify. There's no spice of any kind in the dough itself, just clean, classic flavors that let the butter and yeast do all the talking. A generous brush of melted butter straight out of the oven and an optional pinch of flaky sea salt finish them off in the most satisfying way. Serve them warm alongside a holiday roast, a weeknight soup, or honestly just on their own — no one will complain.
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Learn more →Ingredients
12 servings
For the dough
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast (1 standard packet)
- 3 tbsp granulated sugar, divided
- 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
- 1 tsp fine salt
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened and cut into pieces
For brushing
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- flaky sea salt, for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Warm the milk in a small saucepan over low heat until it reaches 105–110°F (40–43°C) on a kitchen thermometer — warm to the touch but not hot. Pour into the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle in the yeast and 1 tbsp of the sugar, and stir briefly. Let stand for 5–10 minutes, until the surface is foamy and the mixture smells yeasty.
- 2
Add the remaining 2 tbsp sugar, the salt, and the egg to the yeast mixture. Add the flour all at once. Fit the stand mixer with the dough hook and mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms and no dry flour remains, about 2 minutes.
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