Best Dinner Rolls Ever (knot-rolls)

My family won’t let me make any other dinner roll!

I started making dinner rolls from scratch when I was 18, and on my own for the first time ever. Without a stand-mixer, or even a hand-held mixer, I was on my own with a bowl and spoon, and kneading the dough by hand.

Oh how times have changed!

There are several ways to shape the rolls, but my kids insist the “knot-rolls” taste the best. They may look difficult to shape, but after trying several different shapes, the knot really is the easiest to form.

Best Dinner Rolls Ever (knot-rolls)

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Recipe by Loreta Wilson / GingerbreadArtist Course: RollsCuisine: DinnerDifficulty: Intermediate
Servings

24

servings
Total time

3

hours 

Best Dinner Rolls Ever (knot-rolls)

Ingredients

  • Dry Ingredients
  • 4 – 4 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour

  • 1 pkg Active dry yeast (2 1/4 teaspoons)

  • Wet Ingredients
  • 1 cup Milk (whole or 2% is preferred)

  • 1/3 cup Butter

  • 1/3 cup Granulated Sugar

  • 1 teaspoon Salt

  • 2 whole Eggs

DIrections

  • Time allotment
  • I allow myself 3 hours from start to finish to make these rolls. If dinner is at 6:00 pm, I start the process at 3:00 pm. Works perfect every time.
  • Making the dough
  • Attach paddle to mixer. In mixer bowl combine 2 cups of flour and dry yeast. Turn mixer on for a few seconds to combine.
  • In a saucepan stir together milk, butter, sugar, and salt. Heat on medium just until warm.

    When the butter is half melted, I remove from heat.
  • When butter is completely melted, add to flour mixture.
  • Add warm milk mixture to the flour mixture, and mix for a few seconds until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat on low for 30 seconds. Scrape the bowl and beat another 3 minutes on medium-high. The dough will look gloppy.
  • Remove the paddle, and attach the dough hook.
  • Dump in 2 additional cups of flour (reserve the 1/2 cup of flour), and knead the dough for 6 to 8 minutes. If using a Kitchen-Aid mixer, use the 2 setting (it has the most umph for kneading dough).

    The dough will look mucky, but trust me, it will incorporate. Just let the mixer run.
  • A minute or so before the time is up for kneading, check the dough. If the dough still looks sticky add a little flour and let the mixer knead into the dough. If the dough continues to look sticky continue to add flour, a little at a time. Do not add more than the remaining 1/2 cup.
  • Remove dough from mixing bowl, and shape into a ball. Place dough ball into a well buttered (or greased) glass bowl, turn once so all sides are buttered/greased.
  • RISING THE DOUGH
  • Cover dough with a clean kitchen towel, and let rise in a warm place until double in size (about an hour).

    To create a warm place, place bowl of dough in a cold oven and set a pan of hot-water underneath the bowl of dough, and close the oven door. This will create a warm draft-free environment.
  • When dough has doubled in size, remove from the warm space and place bowl of dough onto kitchen counter. Remove kitchen towel cover.
  • Now the fun part, punch down the dough, deflating the big ball of dough (yes, this is my fist punched down into the ball of dough)
  • Remove deflated ball of dough from the bowl, and divide into two balls. Cover with a kitchen towel and let the two balls of dough rest for 10 minutes.

    This is very important for the dough to relax in order to easily shape into rolls.
  • SHAPING INTO KNOT-ROLLS
  • Set one ball dough aside, working on a lightly floured or non-stick surface roll the other ball dough into a log about 14″ long.
  • Cut the 14″ log into 12 sections.
  • Take one of the 12 pieces, and roll into a 14″ snake.
  • Tie a loose knot, leaving 2 long ends.
  • Tuck top-end under the knot and bottom-end into top center of the knot.
  • Repeat making knots, placing rolls 2″-3″ apart on a baking sheet covered with a silpat-mat or parchment paper. I use two baking sheets, 12 rolls per sheet.
  • Cover shaped rolls with a kitchen towel, and rise until nearly double (about 30 minutes).
  • Bake in a 375 f degree oven for 12 to 15 minutes. After removing hot rolls from oven, brush tops with butter.

    I have an uneven oven, so my rolls bake browner on the right side.

Notes

  • To make brown-and-serve rolls, prepare as above except bake at 325 for 10 minutes. Do not brown. Remove from pans and cool. Wrap, label, and freeze. To serve, thaw rolls in the package at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. Unwrap completely and bake in a 400 f degree oven about 10 minutes until golden.

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