Best Aunt Rubys Dinner Rolls Recipes

SOFT DINNER ROLLS RECIPE

Steps:

• Whisk the warm milk, yeast, and 1 Tablespoon of sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes. *If you do not own a stand mixer, you can do this in a large mixing bowl and in the next step, mix the dough together with a large wooden spoon/rubber spatula. It will take a bit of arm muscle. A hand mixer works, but the sticky dough repeatedly gets stuck in the beaters. Mixing by hand with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula is a better choice.*
• Add the remaining sugar, egg, butter, salt, and 1 cup flour. With a dough hook or paddle attachment, mix/beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add the remaining flour. Beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. If the dough seems too wet to a point where kneading (next step) would be impossible, beat in more flour 1 Tablespoon at a time until you have a workable dough, similar to the photos and video above. Dough should be soft and a little sticky, but still manageable to knead with lightly floured hands.
• Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 3 full minutes or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 3 full minutes. (See video tutorial above if you need a visual of kneading dough by hand.)
• Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 1-2 hours or until double in size. (I always let it rise on the counter. Takes about 2 hours. For a tiny reduction in rise time, see my answer to Where Should Dough Rise? in my Baking with Yeast Guide.)
• Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan or two 9-inch square or round baking pans. You can also bake the rolls in a cast iron skillet or on a lined baking sheet.*
• When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Divide the dough into 14-16 equal pieces. (Just eyeball it- doesn't need to be perfect!) Shape each piece into a smooth ball. I do this entirely in my hands and you can watch in the video tutorial above. Arrange in prepared baking pan.
• Cover shaped rolls with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise until puffy, about 1 hour.
• Adjust oven rack to a lower position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). (It's best to bake the rolls towards the bottom of the oven so the tops don't burn.)
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top, rotating the pan halfway through. If you notice the tops browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven, brush with optional honey butter topping, and allow rolls to cool for a few minutes before serving.
• Cover leftover rolls tightly and store at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

GRANDMA RITA'S SOFT BUTTER ROLLS

Steps:

• Pour milk into a glass 2-cup measuring cup and heat in the microwave until it starts to boil and climb the sides, about 1 minute. Add butter, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt to the scalded milk; set aside to cool until it gets below 110 degrees F (45 degrees C).
• Dissolve yeast and 1 teaspoon sugar in warm water in a large bowl. Let stand until the yeast softens and begins to form a creamy foam, about 10 minutes.
• Pour milk mixture into the yeast mixture; add 2 cups bread flour and egg. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until smooth. Add remaining flour, 1/2 cup at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition, until the dough is smooth and a little tacky.
• Turn dough out onto a sheet of flour-dusted waxed paper and lightly knead to pull dough together; shape into a ball. Place dough in a large, lightly-oiled bowl, and turn to coat. Cover with a towel and let rise in a warm place for about 30 minutes.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Divide dough into thirds. Break each third into six evenly sized balls and arrange onto prepared baking sheet. Cover balls with a towel to rise further for another 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Bake in preheated oven until browned, about 15 minutes.

MY AUNT TERRIE'S FAMOUS HOMEMADE DINNER ROLLS (BEST EVER!)

Steps:

• In a heat-proof bowl, melt 1 stick of the butter in the microwave and allow it to cool.
• Add 1/4 cup warm (not hot) water, the yeast, and 2 tablespoons of sugar to a small bowl and stir slightly with fork. Set aside to proof.
• In a mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, put 3 cups of the flour with the salt, eggs (preferably at room temperature), 1 cup warm (not hot) water, 1 cup sugar, and the cooled melted butter. Mix well.
• Add the yeast mixture and gradually add the remaining 2 cups of flour and keep beating. Cook's Note: You may not need the whole 5 cups of flour; the stickier (not runny) the dough, the lighter the rolls.
• Transfer the dough to a large bowl and pour about 1/4 cup of oil over the dough. Cover with a plate and let rise, at least double or more its original size, about 2 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• After the dough has risen, transfer it to a floured surface and knead it a little. Roll out the dough about 1/4-inch thick (or thinner). Let the dough rest a few minutes while you melt the other stick of butter. Use a cookie cutter and cut out rolls. Dip each roll in melted butter, fold in half and put them on a sheet pan. Arrange them close together, filling up the pan.
• Bake until nice and brown. Ovens vary, so maybe about 20 minutes.
• Take the pan out of oven and immediately brush the rolls with butter. Transfer them to a serving dish and serve.

EASY DINNER ROLLS

Steps:

• Combine 3 cups flour, undissolved yeast, sugar, egg, and salt in a large bowl or in the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with dough hook.
• Heat milk until very warm (110°F to 120°F).
• Add warm milk to flour mixture. Knead 2 minutes at medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally if needed. Add 1/2 cup flour; knead 2 more minutes.
• Add remaining 1/2 cup flour. The dough should be pulling away from the sides of the bowl and very soft. (If the dough seems too wet you may need more flour. Add in 1/4 cup increments until the dough has pulled away from the sides of the bowl while kneading.)
• Cover with a clean towel and let REST 30 MINUTES.
• Remove towel and punch down dough.
• Divide dough into equal pieces and shape into balls. Place in greased 9x13 inch pan. Cover with plastic wrap and REST in a warm place - over 70°, preferably 75° - until doubled in size, about 30 minutes. (I had 6 left over and added them to a greased 7-inch pie dish and baked as directed.)
• Bake in preheated 375°F oven for 12-17 minutes or until golden brown.
• Brush with melted butter while warm.
• Sprinkle kosher salt on top if desired.

MY AUNT RUBY'S HOT ROLLS

Steps:

• Combine milk, margarine, sugar, salt, potatoes, let cool and add yeast, then eggs. Add flour a cup at atime for easy mixing. Mix with hands or big heavy duty spoon till there are no lumps and the dough is pliable but not too flimsy. Cover the dough ball with oil (about a spoon full) like you would a pizza dough and let set 1 hour or until almost doubled in size. Knead for a few minutes, Sprinkle flour on your rolling out surface and roll out about ½ inch thick and cut with jar lid or biscuit cutter. Melt a little margarine and dab the tops lightly and let raise for about 3 hours. Bake at 350-375 for 16-20 minutes or until they are browned. You can also leave in the fridge overnight and roll out the next day.

MOM'S HOT ROLLS

Steps:

• Heat milk and shortening in large bowl in microwave until shortening melts.
• Meanwhile, dissolve yeast and pinch of sugar into warm water.
• In a smaller bowl, whisk the salt, soda, sugar and first portion of flour.
• Stir in half the flour mixture into the milk mixture. Stir in the yeast mixture, then stir in the remaining flour.
• Let rise 1 1/2 hour in a warm place covered with a damp dish towel.
• Whisk together baking powder and last portion flour. Stir into the batter.
• Cover bowl with a plate and let rise in refrigerator 12-24 hours.
• Shape rolls (see two options below) and let rise in a warm place for 1 1/2 - 2 hours. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or until done.
• PARKERHOUSE METHOD.
• Roll dough out on floured board to about 3/8" thick. Place on cookie sheet and brush with melted butter. Fold each one almost in half.
• CLOVERLEAF METHOD.
• By hand, shape dough into 1" balls, dip in melted butter and place 3 per hole in a greased muffin tin.
• Put remaining dough back into fridge and use within the next few days. Makes great cinnamon rolls too.

AUNT RUBY'S DINNER ROLLS

Steps:

• Mix potatoes, shortening, sugar and salt; cream well. Add milk, eggs and potato water. Mix well. Add flour; knead for 10 minutes. Place dough in greased bowl, turning to oil dough. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Check during the evening as perhaps the dough will need punching down. Roll and cut to desired size. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 - 20 minutes.