Garlic Herb Rolls โ ๐๐ Indulge in the perfect holiday side dish with a basket of homemade garlic and herb rolls! Made with plenty of garlic, fresh rosemary and herbs, these soft dinner rolls are a must-have for family dinners or celebration meals like Thanksgiving and Christmas. Even if youโve never made homemade dinner rolls, donโt worry because I explain it all and walk you through the steps, and make it EASY for you to master homemade rolls!
Table of Contents
Easy Garlic Herb Rolls Recipe
Who doesnโt love homemade rolls? Eaten fresh from the oven, thereโs really nothing better! I know it can be intimidating to make homemade bread or dinner rolls because many people are scared to work with yeast. But never fear!
I am here to walk you through the steps, and give you my tips and tricks along the way for success so that in about 90 minutes from start to finish youโll have a basket of dinner rolls ready!
These garlic dinner rolls are soft, fluffy, and loaded with tons of flavor from plenty of freshly minced garlic, fresh rosemary, and herbs de Provence.
Whether you want to make these as a wonderful comfort food side for your next family dinner, or you want to serve them at your Thanksgiving, Christmas, or New Yearโs celebrations, no one ever says no to homemade dinner rolls!
Ingredients in Herb Dinner Rolls
These garlic bread rolls are made with truly only a handful of very basic ingredients that are fridge and pantry staples including the following:
- Water
- Whole milk
- Unsalted butter
- Honey
- Active dry yeast
- All-purpose flour
- Egg
- Salt
- Garlic
- Herbs de Provence or fine herbs โ Read the FAQs below for more on herbs
- Fresh Rosemary
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Rosemary Herb Rolls
Youโll need to plan ahead when you make these rolls because the dough needs to rise twice โ about 20-25 minutes each rise, for about 45 minutes inactive or rising time.
However the active prep time, and baking time, are about 20 minutes each, so all in all, about 90 minutes total time.
- Make the dough: Heat water, milk, butter, and honey in the microwave until it reaches 110ยฐF as registered by a digital thermometer or to the temp directed on your yeast packet.
- Pour the milk mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Add in the flour, herbs, salt, garlic, and beaten egg, then mix with the dough hook attachment until smooth.
- First rise: Form the dough into a ball and transfer it to a greased bowl. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise for about 20 minutes.
- Shape the dough: On a lightly floured surface, divide the dough into 16 even pieces and roll each into a ball.
- Second rise: Place the dough balls into a greased baking pan or one thatโs been lined with parchment, cover, and let them sit for another 20 minutes.
- Bake: Brush the rolls with melted butter and additional herbs de Provence, sprinkle with fresh rosemary, and bake in a preheated oven until golden brown.
Can I Make Homemade Dinner Rolls Without a Stand Mixer?
Donโt have a stand mixer? No problem! You can make these dinner rolls by hand. It will be a bit more labor-intensive, but theyโll turn out just fine.
Here is what I suggest:
- To mix the dough by hand, follow the instructions up to where you are going to combine the milk yeast mixture and flour mixture.
- Make a well in the center of the flour mixture pour in the milk and yeast mixture and use a wooden spoon or spatula to combine everything until a dough forms.
- Then knead the dough on a floured surface for about 8-10 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic.
- Continue by following the rest of the recipe as written with allowing the dough to rise, divide and form balls, place in pan, second rise, bake and serve.
Recipe FAQs
How large should I make the rolls?
If you want your rolls to look as good as they taste, and to bake evenly, try to make each the same weight. If you have a digital scale, break it out. About 600 grams, or 2 ounces each, is what youโre looking for.
What kind of yeast should I use?
This recipe calls for active dry yeast which means youโll have to proof it (let it sit for 5 minutes to see if it creates bubbles as proof itโs alive) in a warm liquid mixture before adding it to the dough.
I havenโt tried this recipe with instant yeast. If you know how to bake bread well, you know youโll need to use a larger quantity, and things will move quicker. If youโre not a bread maker, do yourself a favor and use active dry yeast to keep it easier on yourself.
Whatโs the best flour to use?
All-purpose flour is the ideal choice for Garlic Dinner Rolls due to its versatility and balanced protein content (around 10-12%), which works for structure and rise, resulting in a soft and tender crumb, perfect for fluffy dinner rolls. I am without a doubt always partial to King Arthur All-Purpose Flour. Itโs a few dollars more than a more generic type of AP flour, but the proof is in the pudding, or in this case in the dinner rolls. I only bake with KAF from bread to cookies and cakes.
Bread flour has a higher gluten (protein) content of about 14% and while this is great when you want chewy French bread or a baguette, it doesnโt give you the buttery soft texture these rolls are known for so I donโt recommend it.
can I substitute other herbs for the herbs de provence?
The most common substitute and that you likely have in your cupboard is probably Italian seasoning. Itโs not an exact match โ the former is French and the later is Italian โ but it will work in a pinch.
Can I use an egg instead of butter for the topping?
While the recipe allows for either to be brushed on top before baking, using butter will create, well, more buttery looking and buttery tasting rolls. Using egg wash will give your rolls a beautiful, darker golden sheen. Itโs a matter of personal preference although I tend to be a butter girl.
My dough isnโt rising. What could be the problem?
One of the most common reasons for dough not rising is expired yeast. Always check the expiration date on your yeast before using it.
Additionally, making sure your liquid mixture is at the right temperature for yeast activation is crucial. If itโs too cold, your yeast wonโt wake up. However, if itโs too hot, you risk killing the yeast. Heat the mixture as close as possible to the temperature listed on the yeast packaging, usually about 110F. I do this by heating the mixture in 5 to 10-second bursts in the microwave.
An instant-read thermometer is your best friend. If you are relying on the โstick a finger in itโ method, it needs to feel quite hot, like a very hot shower would. I donโt advise this for novice bread makers though! You donโt know what you donโt know.
Why are my rolls dry or hard?
Usually too much flour is what causes dry, hard, or dense rolls. Make sure to measure your flour carefully so you donโt add too much.
In bread making, if in doubt, err on the side of less flour and a sloppier, wetter dough. In general the more sloppy, sticky, tacky, and difficult a dough is to come together, the better the finished product will be in terms of taste and texture, albeit annoying and messy in the moment!
Can I this recipe in Advance?
If youโre serving these for a special occasion, I know how nice it is to be able to make things in advance. However, dinner rolls arenโt really one of those things unfortunately.
The best compromise I can suggest is to make them the night before, store them in the baking pan very tightly covered with foil, and before your event, pop the pan in a 250F oven for about 5-10 minutes, still covered. This is just to warm them through, not to actually โcookโ them any more. More cook time them will result in dry, hard rolls.
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Garlic Herb Rolls
Ingredients
- โ cup of water
- ยฝ cup milk, whole milk or 2% recommended
- 3 ยฝ tablespoons unsalted butter + 1 tablespoon for brushing/topping
- 1 ยฝ tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon active dry yeast, if using typical packets, use 2 packets that are 1/2-ounce each; See Notes*
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced, or to taste
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of herbs de Provence, divided** (See Notes)
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, minced; or as desired
Instructions
- To a medium, microwave-safe bowl, add the water, milk, 3 1/2 tablespoons butter, honey, and heat with high power until the mixture is about 110F, or the temperature that is indicated and directed by the yeast manufacturer. I recommend heating the mixture for about 30 seconds at first, then heat it in 10-second bursts until it's at the correct temperature. Tips โ Do not guess, especially if you're a more novice bread baker. Use a digital read thermometer so you know for sure. If the mixture is too cool, the yeast won't activate; however, if it's too hot, you'll kill the yeast. If you absolutely must rely on sticking a finger in it, it should feel fairly hot, like a hot shower, as this is 12 degrees Fahrenheit above human body temperature so will and should feel like a hot shower.
- To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook, add the milk mixture, sprinkle the active dry yeast over the top, and allow the yeast to proof for about 6-8 minutes, or until bubble. Tips โ "Proof" in bread-making means that the yeast need to prove they can come to life, which will be evident by the formation of bubbles. If you don't see bubbles, do not carry on. Start over with very fresh yeast and pay close attention to the temperature of the liquid mixture. If you're going to make the recipe without a stand mixer, that's fine. Add everything to a very large mixing bowl and carry on.
- Add the flour, beaten egg, garlic, salt, 1/2 teaspoon herbs de Provence, and mix on low speed for 1 to 2 minutes. If the dough is sticking to the sides (a lot), add about 3 tablespoons additional flour, or until the dough can be pulled in and combine. Tips โ In bread-making, the sloppier, wetter, and looser you can keep your dough and resist the urge to add flour, the softer, lighter, and more tender the finished rolls or bread will be. There is a balance, of course, you need to add enough flour to create a dough, but a light hand with flour is always preferred. I always use King Arthur All-Purpose Flour for best results.
- Continue mixing for about 4 minutes, or until the dough has come together in a nice, smooth ball.
- Spray a large mixing bowl with cooking spray, spray your hands with cooking spray, transfer the dough ball to the sprayed bowl, cover with plastic wrap (spray the underside that will be in contact with the dough with cooking spray too), cover tightly, and allow it to rise for about 20 minutes. Tips โ The warmer your kitchen is, the faster dough will rise. If you're making these rolls in a cold midwest or northeast kitchen around the holidays, you may need 25-30 minutes. Dough won't quite double in volume, but it will be visibly bigger and filled with air. This is the first rise. Don't throw away your plastic wrap, you'll need it in step 8.
- After the first rise, punch down the dough with a fist (spray it, this is fun!) and divide the dough into 16 equally sized balls. If you have a digital kitchen scale, I highly recommend weighing the dough balls. Each should weigh about 2 ounces (60 grams).
- Place the dough balls in a 9ร9-inch baking pan that's been lined with parchment paper, and sprayed well with cooking spray.
- Place the plastic wrap over the baking pan, and allow the dough to rise for about 20 minutes. This is the second rise. Again, the warmer the kitchen, the faster this will go; and if your kitchen is chilly, you may want to give this 25-30 minutes.
- While the dough is on the second rise, preheat your oven to 400F.
- After the second rise, but before baking, melt the additional 1 tablespoon butter in a small microwave-safe bowl, add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon herbs de Provence, and evenly brush the melted butter + herb mixture over the top of the dough. Tips โ This helps to add a more buttery taste and to give a lightly golden brown color and sheen the finished rolls. However, some people like to brush the dough with a beaten egg + 1 tablespoon water and prefer an egg wash to melted butter. An egg wash creates a darker color and sheen, and adds a slightly bit of a firmer crust in my opinion. I generally prefer butter but it's your choice.
- Evenly sprinkle with fresh rosemary, to taste. Tip โ If all you have is dried rosemary, that's fine but use more sparingly as the flavor is more concentrated in dried herbs than with fresh and rosemary is already a fairly strong herb.
- Bake the rolls for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until they have puffed, are lightly golden browned, and are set and done. Tips โ For best results, I highly recommend rotating your baking pan once midway through the baking process to ensure even cooking and browning as no oven is perfect, and this is a hot oven, and the dough is delicate cooks quickly. I personally like my bread on the lighter side and am fanatical about pulling it out at the first signs of browning, which in turn makes for moister rolls rather than dry, but it's personal preference once you know for sure the rolls are done and cooked through.
- Allow the rolls to cool momentarily or until they're cool enough to remove from the baking pan and serve.
- Extra rolls will keep airtight at room temp for up to 2-3 days, although like any homemade bread, fresh is always best. I have never frozen the rolls although bread in general is safe to freeze for up to about 3-4 months. This isn't a great recipe to make ahead of time, although please read the blog post and the section above the FAQs area with my suggestions on a decent compromise for making-ahead, such as for a busy Thanksgiving or Christmas holiday meal.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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