Published November 1, 1999.
We improved the texture and flavor of the American dinner roll and updated the shape.
Many home bakers--especially novices--think at least twice before attempting these rolls. They can be very time-consuming (often taking at least half of the day), and they can be frustrating (getting flavor, texture, and shape just right is not an easy task).
There's nothing like an old-fashioned soft, rich, buttery American dinner roll. Our goal with this recipe was to shorten and simplify the task without sacrificing anything in the way of flavor or texture.
We found our time-saving steps at the beginning and end of the process. First, we substituted rapid-rise yeast for regular active yeast. The rolls completed their first and second rise in just over an hour; more than two hours were required with regular active yeast. Last, we decided against making any "fancy" shapes that take the nonprofessional baker lots of time to master. Instead, we simply cut triangular pillow shapes from the dough after rolling it into the shape of a baguette. Using extra butter and replacing the usual water with milk made for rich, soft dough and rolls that baked up a beautiful golden brown.
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