No-knead bread is simple, but when I heard the promise of No-knead Dinner Rolls in an issue of Everyday Food, I was hooked. Dinner rolls always sound simpler and less complicated than baking a full loaf of yeast bread, much like baking a batch of cupcakes just sounds less labor-intensive than baking a multi-layer cake. But like the cupcakes, it turns out that making dinner rolls can take just as much time as the full-sized variation because you have to do all the same work leading up to putting the bread in the oven. A no-knead variation would let you skip messy steps, like kneading dough and getting flour all over the counter. So, I got out my mixer and set to work.
It turns out that the recipe is really only no-knead if you have a stand mixer. If you do, slap that dough hook on and you will only have to shape the bread before baking. If you don’t, I really recommend kneading the dough a little bit because it is very difficult to simply mix it by hand, and kneading it a bit gives it a better texture. Don’t get me wrong here: this recipe really isn’t very much work at all and it makes good rolls – it’s just not entirely no-knead for everyone!
Still, they’re easy to make. These are not as light as some dinner rolls I’ve had, but because they’re more substantial I think they go great with heavy sauces and chilis. You can even use leftovers for some really nice sandwiches! They have a nice buttery, slightly yeasty flavor to them. Since they’re baked in a 9x-13-inch pan, you pull them apart when serving, which means that every roll has nice, soft sides ready to be buttered and enjoyed.
No-Knead Pull-Apart Dinner Rolls
2 cups warm water (100-110F)
5 tsp active dry yeast (1/2-oz.)
1/4 cup sugar
5 tbsp butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp salt
6 cups all purpose flour
additional 1 tbsp melted butter, for topping
Pour warm water into the bowl of a stand mixer. Add in yeast and sugar and stir. Let stand for 5 minutes until slightly foamy. Add in melted butter, eggs and salt and whisk to combine. Put the dough hook on the stand mixer and add in 3 cups of all purpose flour. With the dough hook on medium speed, gradually add in the remaining flour. Continue to knead until dough comes together smoothly, then knead with the dough hook for 3-5 minutes.
Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let stand for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.
Lightly grease a 9×13-inch baking dish.
Turn dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and, using a pizza cutter or bench scraper, divide the dough into 15 equal pieces (thirds, then fifths). With lightly floured hands, shape each piece into a ball and place into prepared pan (3 rows of 5).
Cover with a piece of plastic wrap and let stand for 40 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400F.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, until rolls are golden and sound hollow when tapped.
Take additional 1 tbsp butter and brush on top of hot rolls using pastry brush. Allow rolls to cool in pan for at least 20 minutes before serving.
Makes 15 rolls.
LisAway
May 10, 2010I MUST make these. They look delicious. And no-knead? Right up my alley.
Leslie
May 11, 2010OMg I could survive on bread and butter alone! Thanks for this, looks amazing!
Also have you seen this new east-meets-west foodie blog? Yummo! http://www.doublecrown-nyc.com/expeditioneast/
Aim
May 11, 2010Those look awesome! I’m going to try them for sure.
Steph
May 11, 2010I am putting these on my list! I love no knead bread recipes!!
Nike Air Max
May 11, 2010desire to eat just now
Amari @ Eat Chic
May 11, 2010As much as I love baking bread and kneading dough, sometimes I am in a time crunch around dinnertime and so I love having good no-knead dinner roll recipes on hand! I will definitely be adding this recipe to my collection! You have a great blog!
Millys mini kitchen
May 11, 2010These look easy to make and really yummy, I’m saving this recipe to make!
Setmeup
May 13, 2010wow great..
Setmeup
May 13, 2010i’ll save this
motercalo
May 15, 2010Have you got more news like that ?
Melissa
November 12, 2010Is this dough extraordinarily wet, or did I do something wrong? They’re in the oven now, but when they were rising the second time, it seemed like it became one big pan of dough as opposed to rolls.
They smell good, so I’m confident they’ll be tasty! 🙂
Kristin
November 17, 2010I had the big pan of dough, too! I know I used a baking dish that was a bit too small, though, so while they were rising they melded together into one super-roll. Fortunately, this happened on my Thanksgiving trial run, rather than the real thing. My kitchen smells excellent, though, so I think they’ll taste pretty awesome!
Melanie
October 24, 2013I made these yesterday to go along with a homemade cream of vegetable soup… oh my, they are out-of-this-world soft and delicious! They will be baked often! Thanks so much for sharing!