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Grandma Style Butter Rolls

I am naming these grandma style butter rolls because they give a retro vibe in all the best ways! They are loaded with butter and all the goodness of a grandma worthy baked dinner roll.

I love homemade rolls and these are the Rolls-Royce or rolls, so literally the Rolls – Royce, he he. Ok, I will stop my mom humor but I can’t promise it won’t come out again by the time you are through reading this recipe, so hold tight.

So these recipes rolls use an enriched dough, meaning they have milk, eggs and butter in them. I told you they were decadent. With all these additions to the dough you may expect a heavy dough, but be not fooled by the decadence, they are still lights and airy, but with a cozy richness that coats your tongue in blissful flavor.

Homemade rolls are a labor of love, there is no way around that fact. When I was newly married I would make homemade rolls for family dinners and I didn’t think twice about it. Everyone loved them and they were requested all the time. Fast forward to four kids and a busy life and the time and energy I have to make homemade rolls is limited. So I really look at them as a luxury and a labor of love for those I love to enjoy.

What you need to make these grandma style butter rolls:

Makes 36 small rolls or 18 gigantic rolls (yes there is a time and a place for the big and small) This recipe can be cut in half or these can be made and frozen for future baking.

  • 1 1/2 cups warm water
  • 1 cup warm milk – heat milk in the microwave or sauce pan until it steams then cool down until warm but not hot
  • 1/2 cup salted butter – melted
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 6 1/2 – 7 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup salted butter – softened (this is additional butter and used for brushing on and rolling into the dough after it has risen)

Instructions

  1. Mix the warm water, warm milk, melted butter, egg, instant yeast, sugar and salt and stir together.
  2. Add in the flour a cup at a time until a dough forms, mixing in more flour until a kneadable dough forms, adding more flour as needed as you knead the dough.
  3. knead for about 5 minutes or until dough feels smooth.
  4. Roll dough into a ball and brush the outsides with butter, place into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap while it rises for 45 minutes or until dough is doubled in size.
  5. Once risen, place dough onto a floured surface to roll out into a large rectangle, dough should be around 1/2 an inch thick.
  6. Add about 1/3 of a cup of softened butter onto the flattened dough.
  7. Cut sough into roughly 2 inch by 3 inch squares for small rolls or roughly 3 by 5 inch rectangles for large rolls.
  8. Roll the cut dough from the end nearest you to the end away from you so the dough forms a swirl that can be seen from the side. Like you would a cinnamon roll.
  9. Place in a greased baking sheet with enough space for the rolls to rise, I like mine to touch but you can space them wide enough for them to double in size if you don’t want them to touch each other.
  10. Spritz plastic wrap with non-stick spray and cover the rolls as they rise a second time for 45 minutes or until the rolls are doubled in size.
  11. Preheat oven to 350 F. and bake for ~16 minutes for small rolls and ~ 25 minutes for large rolls or until rolls look light golden brown on top and look baked through. (oven temperatures and elevations’ will make cook times differ slightly)
  12. When rolls are done baking, brush tops with remaining butter and enjoy!
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Grandma Style Butter Rolls

These soft and tender rolls are all about the buttery goodness that is grandma worthy!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
rise time2 hours
Course: bread, Side Dish
Cuisine: Baked goods, Bread, Side dish
Keyword: bread, Christmas, Rolls, Thanksgiving
Servings: 24 large rolls

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups warm water
  • 1 cup warm milk – heat milk in the microwave or sauce pan until it steams then cool down until warm but not hot
  • 1/2 cup salted butter – melted
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tablespoon instant yeast
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 6 1/2 – 7 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup salted butter – softened this is additional butter and used for brushing on and rolling into the dough after it has risen

Instructions

  • Mix the warm water, warm milk, melted butter, egg, instant yeast, sugar and salt and stir together.
  • Add in the flour a cup at a time until a dough forms, mixing in more flour until a kneadable dough forms, adding more flour as needed as you knead the dough.
  • knead for about 5 minutes or until dough feels smooth.
  • Roll dough into a ball and brush the outsides with butter, place into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap while it rises for 45 minutes or until dough is doubled in size.
  • Once risen, place dough onto a floured surface to roll out into a large rectangle, dough should be around 1/2 an inch thick.
  • Add about 1/3 of a cup of softened butter onto the flattened dough.
  • Cut sough into roughly 2 inch by 3 inch squares for small rolls or roughly 3 by 5 inch rectangles for large rolls, 3 by 6 inch rectangles for extra large rolls
  • Roll the cut dough from the end nearest you to the end away from you so the dough forms a swirl that can be seen from the side. Like you would a cinnamon roll.
  • Place in a greased baking sheet with enough space for the rolls to rise, I like mine to touch but you can space them wide enough for them to double in size if you don’t want them to touch each other.
  • Spritz plastic wrap with non-stick spray and cover the rolls as they rise a second time for 45 minutes or until the rolls are doubled in size.
  • Preheat oven to 350 F. and bake for ~16 minutes for small rolls, ~22 minutes for large rolls and ~25 minutes for extra large rolls or until rolls look light golden brown on top and look baked through. (oven temperatures and elevations’ will make cook times differ slightly)
  • When rolls are done baking, brush tops with remaining butter and enjoy!
5 from 1 vote (1 rating without comment)