Lion House Dinner Rolls
These dreamy lion house dinner rolls are tender, buttery, perfect, and almost indulgent enough for dessert!
There isn’t much more I can say about these rolls than they make an appearance at my dinner table several times a month and are probably only one of two or three roll recipes I make regularly.
I usually substitute half the white flour with white wheat flour, but when made with 100% white flour, they are almost indulgent enough to eat for dessert.
Tender, buttery, perfect.
I love them and it would have to take a mighty good roll recipe to replace these beauties.
Lion House Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons active dry yeast
- 2 cups warm water
- ⅓ cup (71 g) sugar
- ⅓ cup (75 g) butter, softened
- 1 large egg
- 2 ½ teaspoons salt
- ⅔ cup nonfat dry milk
- 5-6 cups (710 to 852 g) flour (see note)
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the yeast and water. Let stand 5 minutes (no need to do this if using instant yeast – just add the yeast and water together with the other ingredients). Add sugar, butter, salt, dry milk, 2 cups flour and egg. Beat together until very smooth. Add remaining flour gradually (about 1/2 cup at a time) until a soft but not sticky dough is formed. Knead the dough for at least five minutes if using an electric mixer and for at least 10 minutes if mixing the dough by hand. When the dough is smooth, supple and elastic, place it in a lightly greased large bowl covered with greased plastic wrap and let it rise until doubled.
- Separate the dough into two portions. Roll each section out to an 11X14-inch rectangle. Brush the top with melted butter. Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut the dough into two pieces, the long way (see photos below). Then slice the dough into five or six strips across so you end up with 10 to 12 small rectangles. Roll each small rectangle up like a snail and place on a silpat-lined or lightly greased baking sheet with the roll resting on it’s open edge. Repeat with the second portion of dough.
- Cover the rolls with lightly greased plastic wrap and let them rise until doubled. Bake at 375 degrees for 12-14 minutes until they are nicely browned.
Notes
Recommended Products
Recipe Source: from The Lion House
Roll out the dough to about an 11X14-inch rectangle.
Brush with melted butter then slice the dough in half the long way.
Use your hand measure in an “L” shape to measure the approximate distance to slice each rectangle for the individual rolls.
Continue with that method until the rectangle is sliced into five or six sections across, giving you 10 to 12 rectangles total.
Roll each rectangle up like a snail.
Place on the sheet pan with the roll resting on the open edge.
Oh Mel,
You’ve done it again. Brought these to Thanksgiving tonight and no one could believe they were homemade. Thanks for the recipes I can always count on!
I have been trying out roll recipes to find the perfect ones to make this year for Thanksgiving. I tried a few others from other recipe blogs that looked good, but they all had slight “problems” with texture or flavor. Then I remembered your “the best recipe” list. DUH! I don’t know why I didn’t try that first, because these rolls really are the best! The dough was beautiful and easy to handle, this way of shaping rolls is not too tricky, they rose amazingly well, and they were absolutely delicious! Not to mention that my house smells like heaven after baking them! I did alter the method just a bit–I like my rolls on the smaller side, so I rolled the dough out a little thinner (probably a rectangle that was 11×16 and about 1/4 inch thick) and cut 14 rolls out of each half of the dough. Perfect!
Ali – for me, it is about 1 to 2 hours for each rise but again, that will vary for each person just a little. If you decrease the yeast, it may take a bit longer to rise so just keep an eye on the volume to make sure the dough doubles in size. Glad they were still a hit with your friends!
Thanks so much, Mel! Will decreasing the yeast affect how they rise? I took the rolls to dinner last night with about 10 good friends and they all gobbled them up so nobody seemed to mind the “yeasty” flavor. haha 🙂 Also, is the “1-2 hours” of rise time EACH time (first 1-2 hours with the dough ball, then 1-2 hours with the rolled rolls) or 1-2 hours TOTAL (meaning each rise will take 30 min. – 1 hr)? Does that make sense? Thank you again!
Ali, you might consider halving the yeast if yours have an overly yeast taste or smell. I’ve kind of noticed that in the past but I like the stronger yeast flavor. The recipe calls for a lot of yeast so decreasing it a bit probably won’t hurt. My rolls usually rise anywhere from 1-2 hours depending on the temperature of my kitchen.
When you make these, do they have a very strong “yeasty” flavor and smell? Mine did. They were still good but made my house smell a bit like a brewery. haha Also, even though I baked on the top rack, they did not brown like yours. 🙁 I know my oven temp is right, I just checked it with a thermometer a week or so ago. Any clue why?! One more thing, can you estimate about how long it takes yours to rise each time? I don’t make yeast breads/rolls too often so an estimate would be helpful. Thank you for sharing!! 🙂
I did it, I did it, I did it! Using this recipe, I successfully, for the first time after numerous attempts at making rolls, baked fluffy, delicious rolls! Everyone raved over them, including the neighbors who I took dinner to the other day. Thank you so much, I know I shouldn’t be shouting it from the rooftops but this small success has been hanging over me for a long. You rock! P.S. – Congrats on your newest bundle, I’m so thrilled for you and your family to have a little girl, she is a doll!
Hi Jen – what you see in the pictures is a roul’pat (manufactured by DeMarle). I love it. I wouldn’t necessarily consider it “nonstick” since I usually sprinkle a bit of flour but it definitely doesn’t stick like the counter. I used to avoid making roll-out recipes for the same reasons you stated until I bought one. It’s fantastic. I’m pretty sure you can get them on amazon.com – I have the large square one but they come in all different sizes.
Mel— in your photos, it looks like you have some kind of fabric or something on your counters that you roll your dough out onto… What is that???
I tend to avoid “roll out” dough recipes (like this or cinnamon rolls) b/c it ALWAYS sticks to the counters no matter what I do and I just get angrier and angrier!! lol
I’ve floured and sprayed Pam, nothing helps. Once I roll it out enough, it pushes the flour away and then the really sticky inside of the dough starts sticking to the counter one the floured exterior is stretched.
Please help!!!
Tamar – no, I’ve never made this dough into anything other than rolls. Sorry!
We LOVE these rolls and make them all the time, but I was wondering if you have every used the dough to make loafs??? Giving away jam and bread for gifts and the loafs would be easier to package up.
Love these rolls, so delish! I’m making them today for two different Christmas parties. (One tonight and one tomorrow) and was wondering what you think about doubling the recipe. I’m nervous it would overflow in my standard size kitchen aid, what do you think? just make two separate batches??
Thanks!
Stacie – I double this recipe all the time so doubling the ingredients won’t be an issue but I can’t speak for the size of your mixer being able to handle the doubled dough because I use a Bosch and not a Kitchenaid. If you are at all worried about it, I’d probably go to the extra work to make separate batches. Good luck!
I made these rolls and wrote about them here. They were so very tasty. Thank you so much for posting this recipe!
I made these for our Thanksgiving dinner and everyone loved them. I found the video tutorial to be a great help in measuring the rectangles. The only thing I didn’t think of is that turkey sandwiches would be hard with Thanksgiving leftovers with this particular roll. We made it work though 🙂 I do wonder what kind of salt you normally use with this recipe. I used salted butter and kosher salt and I felt the rolls where under salted slightly. Do you use salted butter and table salt in this recipe?
Amy – you are right on with your guesses – I use salted butter and table salt.
I make these too, but not rolled up like yours, interesting.
http://onespecialway.blogspot.com/
Mel.. it worked great! man these were so fluffy! Loved them! Thanks for another great recipe! love love love your website!
MEL, I dont have any dry milk and wanted to make these.. not sure if anyone else commented on this already, but i read to substitute I can just reduce the water by 2/3 and add the 2/3 liquid milk after the yeast is proofed.. does this sound right?
Stace – you are right – go ahead and follow the substiution you mentioned and it should work out just fine!
I love that Heather says these are FOOLproof. Ha!! I guess she’s right, though, because mine taste great. They just look like a mess!! I’m sure I didn’t add enough flour because the dough was too sticky to handle well.
Part of my problem is that I don’t really know what mixer attachments to use & if I need to change them midstream. How dumb is that?
The rolls are really yummy & I will make them again!
Just wanted to let you know that these rolls are a new favorite in my house. I’ve made them twice already and they are FOOLproof. I usually find yeast breads daunting but I finally have a recipe (thanks to you) that will be in regular rotation. Awesome recipe!! Thanks so much for sharing!
I love these rolls. I actually use a bit of whole white wheat in the recipe and they are still so yummy! However, has anyone had trouble getting them cooked enough? I added an additional 5 minutes in the oven and they were still doughy (especially the ones in the middle). I plan on adding more time next time, and believe me, there will be a next time. I’m new to using yeast (since finding your website) and LOVE making our own breads. These rolls are to die for, and I just need to get the cooking time perfect. THANK YOU!
Yum! I made these for Easter dinner yesterday and got lots of compliments. I wanted them to be a little sweeter, but maybe it’s because I doubled the recipe and still doubled the yeast … (just read your advice in the comments above). I mean, they were still delicious, and the texture was perfect, but I just wanted a bit more flavor. One thing I love about these rolls, is that they don’t have to be fresh out of the oven to be edible. My other standby roll recipe is yummy fresh, but I don’t want to eat them later. 🙂 But my husband said these are the best I’ve ever made, so that is something to rejoice about. Thanks for your awesome recipes, Mel!! Oh, and doubling the recipe worked but was SUPER messy in my regular sized Kitchenaid–just a tip for anybody out there that might think of attempting it. It was somewhat disastrous and required some detailed cleanup. I advise against it!!
These actually weren’t flavorful enough for us, but I can’t put my finger on what was missing. Not to say they weren’t good, because they definitely were, very soft and warm and yummy. I keep trying to find a recipe that beats out my MIL’s rolls and so far nothing has. 🙂 But it’s always fun to try and new roll recipe. Gives me an excuse to eat rolls, which is both a good and bad thing. Thanks for the recipe!
Hey! I am making these rolls for Easter dinner, Sunday, and was wondering if you use Salted butter for these? If you do use Salted butter, do you still add the 2 1/2 tsp called for in the recipe? Thanks so much!
Hi Heidi – I always used salted butter because I am too lazy to buy unsalted and yes, I still use the regular amount of salt in the recipe. So far, I haven’t noticed them being too salty.
Just wanted to let you know I made this, my favorite roll recipe, yesterday. But as I was covering the dough to rise, I noticed the butter softening on the counter; I had forgotten to add it to the dough! But they still turned out nice and tender, and still tasted great, my family couldn’t tell the difference. Just wanted to put that out there, that if you’re forgetful like me or health conscious, they’ll still turn out tasty without the butter.
So excited to try these at some point.
sosyal medya haberleri. great post!
utku, utku çakır
Mel,
I made these rolls today. My husband said they were the best he’s ever tasted. My daughter who loves Pillsbury crescent rolls said you could tell these were homemade as they tasted so much better than the Pillsbury ones. Coming from her, this was high praise indeed. I used my food processor and needing took only 50 seconds. I so wish it was big enough to make your full recipe for Bosch whole wheat bread, which I make by hand as my hand mixer is not strong enough. I probably could make one loaf at a time. I just love your website Mel. Thanks so much.
Ann
I was wondering the same thing as Katie! And I thought if Mel is using a pizza cutter on her Roul Pat, then I will too! I just made these again tonight and was also very careful with the cutting, not to press too hard, and there didn’t appear to be any marks.
I’ve followed your Lion House rolls recipe a few times and have it transcribed into my own handwriting into a tiny spiral notebook that I keep in my kitchen filled with recipes that I like. For the second or third time of making this recipe, I accidentally omitted the salt! It’s amazing how much flavor a couple of teaspoons of salt can add! I was so mad that I did this again, then wondered why I keep forgetting it. I looked into my little notebook and realized that I had somehow skipped that part of jotting down the salt for the recipe! No wonder. So the next time I make these, they WILL have salt! I wrote it in bold lettering to prevent the mistake for next time.
Thanks again for the great pictures and recipes.
Kelly – I agree! I’ve left out salt a couple of times in bread recipes and it’s amazing how awful it tastes. Salt=necessary!
Hi Mel,
Are you using a pizza cutter on your Roul Pat? I just got one for Christmas and I am wondering if it is okay to cut my dough on the mat.
Katie – yes, I am using a pizza cutter, but don’t tell! I think officially you aren’t supposed to cut at all on the roul’pat but I use my pizza cutter (it’s fairly dull but cuts through dough just fine) all the time and it seems to be fine.
I’ve never made homemade rolls before, and after making these I’m going to have a hard time trying any others. I made these at Thanksgiving (served with the fluffy honey butter, yum!) and they were such a big hit that I had to make them again for Christmas dinner. So delicious, so soft, so buttery, so perfect!
Tiffiny – I’m so happy these rolls worked out so well for you! They are a good roll recipe to stick with – I figure once you conquer these, there isn’t a reason to try any others!
THANKYOU THANKYOU THANYOU! I am a first timer with yeast, i tried these on my husbands family for thanksgiving & they turned out fabulous! Thankyou!
Danny – so glad you liked these and I’m thrilled they turned out for your first time making rolls!
Just made these for the big day tomorrow!! About a third of them are gone already…whoops. They really are as good as you say they are–they’ll be in my dinner roll arsenal forever! Thanks so much, and check them out here if you like:
http://bakingwithbuttermilk.wordpress.com/2010/11/25/wordless-and-breathless-wednesday-thanksgiving-edition/
Caroline – glad this roll recipe was a hit. Hope you had some that made it to the Thanksgiving table!
I’m taking these to my mom’s for Thanksgiving tomorrow and gave them a shot with the milk instead of the dry milk and water. Now I’ve never had an actual Lion House roll or one made with the dry milk and water, but these turned out pretty darn good to me. If the dry milk has been stopping you in the past (like me), give it a try with some warm milk.
Thanks, Kim – wonderful advice and tip on the dry milk issue. Thanks!
I made these a couple weeks ago and they were so good and probably the best rolls I’ve ever made. I want to make them for Thanksgiving and wanted to ask for your advice. I’m worried I won’t be able to time it right so that they will rise the appropriate time if I try and bake them after the turkey. If I make them in the morning can I reheat them in the oven. Or should we just eat them at room temp. Or something else?
Jenny – glad you love these rolls! I’m making these rolls for Thanksgiving, too, and plan to make them in the morning, also. Once they cool (and even when they are slightly warm), I cover them with a kitchen towel so they don’t dry out during the day. I like them at room temperature but you could definitely warm them in the oven (but don’t overdo it or you’ll end up drying out the rolls). Another option is to heat them for about a minute in the microwave…softens and warms them right up. Good luck!
Thanks for the tips! Fingers crossed.
I am in charge of the rolls for Thanksgiving….I have always been a failure with rolls before, and I am determined to master them. This may be a silly question, but can this recipe be doubled without negative consequences? I need to make A LOT of them.
Hi Katie – if you have a big enough mixer or don’t mind building your arm muscles, you can easily double this recipe. I actually never make it WITHOUT doubling it because I like to stash them in the freezer for future meals. So yes, doubling works great. One note, I use instant yeast in the recipe so in a regular batch of rolls (no doubling), I only use about 1 1/2 tablespoons instant yeast. When I double the recipe, using instant yeast, I don’t fully double the yeast amount. I only use about 2 1/4 tablespoons yeast. If you are using active dry yeast, I also wouldn’t double the amount of yeast in a doubled batch of rolls. I don’t like an overly yeasty taste. Just increase it to 3 tablespoons (active dry). Good luck!
I made these today and they were a huge hit. I forgot to put the butter on them before rolling them up, but they were still great. Thanks for a great addition to our Thanksgiving table!
Sonya – glad you liked these even without the butter! Guess you get my points in the healthy column for that one!
Made these today for my entire family, and they were seriously perfect. It was a little gross that 8 of us managed to eat all 24…but we managed!
Thanks for another hit.
Thanks, hayley!
I can’t get mine to brown so beautifully. Maybe my oven temp is off, or maybe I could add more sugar? But they still taste wonderful. I’m still new to making rolls. I’m just wondering, how far apart would you say to space the rolls? The first time I made them, they were obviously too far apart, didn’t keep their shape as they rose. I tried to space them closer my 2nd try, like in your picture, but could you give me an estimate? An inch or two apart?
Stephanie – I space the rolls probably around 1/2-inch apart. It kind of depends on how many I’m squeezing on a baking sheet, but I definitely keep it to 1/2-inch to 1-inch apart. As for the browning, make sure your oven rack is in the middle of the oven and that there isn’t another oven rack directly above the rolls. Sometimes that can make a difference in browning.
I made these for a baby shower last week, by first roll baking experience, and they were fabulous! They rose beautifully and the taste was so buttery and delicious. I was wondering if the shape of them is important to how they turn out. Would it work to use this recipe but shape them using your “shaping the perfect dinner roll” technique (rolling them into balls)?
Lauren – I’ve never tried rolling these into balls so I’m not sure. The dough is a bit more dense than other recipes where I’ve shaped the dough into balls, but it’s probably worth a try. I think the advantage to rolling them out in a crescent-type shape is that they kind of peel apart into layers and I’m not sure, but it may help with the rising process to have them shaped like that. Let me know if you try shaping them another way!
I’ve never made my own rolls before, but I made your delicious buttermilk cinnamon rolls for the teachers at my sons’ school earlier this week and they got rave reviews (I didn’t actually get to taste them cause I’m on a diet 😛 ). After that success, I’m ready to give the Lion House rolls a try. I’m wondering when to start them though. I’d like them to come out hot from the oven and go right to the table. About how long will it take the dough to rise to double in size each time? I know there are variables involved, like the temp of my kitchen, but I was hoping to get a general idea. Also, have you tried letting them rise in the oven set on warm? Thanks. I LOVE your blog and have tried lots of the recipes. Many are now staples in our dinner menu. Thank you SO much!
Lorie – glad the cinnamon rolls were a hit with your son’s school! As for the Lion House rolls, whenever I plan to make them I plan for 3 hours. I know in that timeframe that I can mix them, let them rise twice and bake them. Like you mentioned, it will depend on rising times, but that is what I always plan for. I have never let this roll recipe rise in the oven but I have others – usually I preheat my oven to 250. Once it is preheated I turn it off. I place the dough (in a lightly greased bowl covered with greased plastic wrap) in the oven with the door open a crack until the dough is risen. Good luck!
This was my first time working with yeast dough but I think the end product is pretty successful! Thanks for the recipe.
asami – glad your first foray into yeast dough worked out well!
I have made these many times, and love the new tutorial for rolling them out! I have a question about the yeast. I have read that instant yeast doesn’t need the first rise, just a short rest period before you shape the dough. Does this apply to rolls, or only bread loaves? Or is it just completely off? I would love to cut down on the rising phase if possible. What would happen if I didn’t let it rise long enough the first time?
Also, have you ever made these with 100% whole wheat flour? I grind my own, and really hate using white flour. Thanks for your awesome site! I spend way too much time on here!
Anne – the simple answer is that yes, in theory, if using instant yeast, you can supposedly skip the first long rise and let the bread/rolls rise just prior to baking (after they’ve been shaped). I do that for my bread recipe. After the bread kneads, I instantly take it out and shape it into loaves and then let it rise then bake. However, I’ve never skipped the first rise for rolls. I don’t know why, probably because I am just a creature of habit. Also, I do think that the rising allows the dough to develop more flavor and so I don’t want to short my rolls any chance for goodness. I would use your own judgment, though – and do what works best for you. Basically I think you’ll be fine either way. As for the whole wheat question, I have made these 100% whole wheat (I grind my own, too) and they are good but I’ve found the best ratio is 75% wheat (I use white wheat) flour and 25% white flour. It allows them to be wholesome but still light and fluffy. When I’ve made them 100% whole wheat they are just too dense for my liking. My REAL preference is to make them 100% white flour because they are so ethereal and tasty, you could eat them for dessert. But I just can’t justify making them like that all the time!
I agree with you, Lion House Rolls are amazing. I saw that same video a few months ago and have been following that same method for shaping my rolls. It is so easy. I like these rolls best with 2 cups wheat and 3-3 1/2 cups white flour.
Thank you so much for posting the pictures of how to roll them up and what they look like on the pan. I have been trying to figure it out and they never turn out looking like they should. Thank you so much! I love your blog. Amazing recipes and pictures.
Mmmm just the thought of buttery, soft dinner rolls makes my mouth water.
Hi Mel, I went to time-out for women this last weekend. We decided to have a picnic for lunch and I of course forget the rolls I was supposed to bring. The Lion House bakery was at the conference, so I had to buy their rolls. They were amazing and all I could do was think of you and wish you were there with us. I hope all is well with you!
YUM this looks tasty 🙂
I finally made these after wanting to for a while!! They are fantastic! And my kids loved it because they helped me roll them up! Thank you Mel!!
Kensi – these are my favorite rolls, I think. It’s hard to pin down a favorite but these are right up there. You are a good mom to let your kiddos help with the rolling! So glad you liked them.