Herb and Garlic Rolls (Bread Machine Recipe)

These rolls are soft but slightly chewy dinner rolls. They will make your house smell like a chic Parisian cafe as they bake. Wonderful with a Thanksgiving turkey.

16 rolls

Herb and Garlic Dinner Rolls on a towel.

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 13

Mixing & Rising Time 2 15

Total Time 2 58

Ingredients

4 tablespoons (57 g) butter
3 tablespoons (10 g) onion, finely chopped
1 clove (1 clove) garlic, minced
¾ teaspoon (¾ teaspoon) dried oregano
¾ teaspoon (¾ teaspoon) dried basil
¾ teaspoon (¾ teaspoon) dried tarragon
1 cup (227 g) cool water
1 teaspoon (1 teaspoon) table or sea salt
2 teaspoons (2 teaspoons) granulated sugar
3 cups (360 g) all-purpose unbleached flour
1½ teaspoon (1½ teaspoon) instant yeast

Instructions

Sauté aromatics: Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a small skillet and sauté 3 tablespoons onion, finely chopped, 1 clove garlic, minced, ¾ teaspoon dried oregano, ¾ teaspoon dried basil, and ¾ teaspoon dried tarragon, over medium/low heat until the onions are soft. Pour immediately into the bread machine pan to cool.
Add ingredients: Add 1 cup cool water (on top of the butter mixture to cool it down), 1 teaspoon table or sea salt, 2 teaspoons granulated sugar, 3 cups all-purpose unbleached flour, and 1½ teaspoon instant yeast in the order listed.
Select the DOUGH cycle, then push START.
Check after 1 minute: When the machine starts to mix, lift the lid and check the dough to make sure the paddles are engaged. The dough should start to clump immediately.
Recheck 12-15 minutes later. Open the lid and watch the dough knead. The dough should stick to the sides, then pull away cleanly. If the dough is too wet, add flour one tablespoon at a time. If the dough is too dry, add one tablespoon of water. Allow time between each addition for the dough to absorb the water or flour before adding more.
Finish DOUGH cycle: Check to ensure the dough has doubled in size. If so, remove the dough from your bread machine pan onto a floured surface. (If your house is on the warm side, check the dough before the DOUGH cycle finishes.)
Shape rolls: When the cycle ends, divide dough into 16 pieces. Shape into smooth balls and place 8 each into two greased 8-inch pans.
Rise: Cover and let rise until almost doubled.
Bake: Bake at 400°F (200°C) for 12–15 minutes, until golden brown.
Cool: Move rolls to a wire rack and brush tops with butter if desired.

Notes

Heads-up: Avoid doubling this recipe. Anything above 4.5-5 cups of flour won’t knead properly in most machines and can cause overheating. More details here.

Making Bread Without a Bread Machine

Stand Mixer Method:
1️⃣ Add ingredients to the bowl in the listed order.
2️⃣ Mix on LOW until moistened, then knead on speed 2 or 3 with a dough hook for 5-10 minutes until smooth and elastic.
3️⃣ Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled.
4️⃣ Gently deflate and shape as directed in the recipe.

? By Hand:
1️⃣ Mix all ingredients into a shaggy dough ball in a large bowl.
2️⃣ Turn onto a floured surface and knead for 10-20 minutes until smooth and elastic.
3️⃣ Place in a greased bowl, cover, and let rise until doubled.
4️⃣ Gently deflate and shape as directed.

Yeast Tip: Using active dry yeast? Increase by ¼ teaspoon. It no longer requires dissolving, but you can if preferred.

- Begin mixing on low speed until all the ingredients are moistened.
- Switch to a dough hook attachment and increase the speed to 2 or 3.
- Continue beating/kneading until the dough becomes smooth and elastic, typically about 5-10 minutes.
- Cover the dough and let it rise in a warm place.
- Once risen, gently deflate the dough and shape it as the recipe directs.
Making by Hand:
- Combine all the ingredients in a large bowl until they form a shaggy ball.
- Turn the dough out onto a floured surface.
- Knead the dough with your hands until it becomes smooth and elastic. Depending on your experience, this may take 10-20 minutes.
- Place the dough ball in a greased bowl.
- Cover the bowl and allow the dough to double in size.
- After rising, gently deflate the dough and shape it according to the recipe's instructions.
Just so you know, you can use active dry yeast as a substitute. Dissolving it first is optional. Active dry yeast may have a slower initial rise but will catch up eventually.

Nutritional Information