Tangzhong Dinner Rolls

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The softest homemade dinner rolls! We’re making these rolls with an enriched dough & a tangzhong, for a rich flavour & fluffy texture.

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These are the softest, fluffiest dinner rolls ever!

The secret to making next level dinner rolls, is to use a tangzhong in the dough! We’re also going to be enriching this dough with milk, eggs & plenty of butter. These tangzhong dinner rolls are incredibly fluffy, super soft & are glazed with melted butter, for a shiny finish.

These homemade dinner rolls were an instant winner in my house & are great eaten with just salted butter or they can be used to make sliders! This is a great recipe to have saved, they’re super easy to make & is a great base for loads of different flavourings! Maybe throw some grated cheese into the dough or brush garlic butter on top…

For more bread recipes, check out our ever growing collection of baking recipes! There’s a whole load of buns, rolls & loaves to make, as well as cakes, cookies, brownies & more…

In This Post

What Is A Tangzhong?

A technique that originates from Asia, a tangzhong is where a small amount of the flour & liquid in a bread recipe is pre cooked in a saucepan to make a thick paste (like a roux). This paste is then cooled down & added in to the dough along with the remaining flour & water.

Making dough with a tangzhong, makes bread that is super soft & tender. Another benefit is that tangzhong breads have a longer shelf lives than other types & will stay soft for several days.

I’ve found that using 5% of the flour from the dough is best when making a tangzhong. I then use 1 part flour to 4 parts liquid (50/50 milk & water).

Ingredient Notes

Flour – You’ll need a strong white bread flour for these dinner rolls. Make sure to use one with a protein content of 13-15%.
Yeast – We’re using fast action/instant yeast for this dough. Dried active yeast can also be used but will need activating first.
Milk – I’d recommend using whole milk in your dough for the softest texture. Semi skimmed milk will also work though.
Salt – A good quality sea salt is key here. I use Maldon salt.
Egg – You’ll need 2 eggs for these rolls. One to go in the dough & one for the egg wash. Make sure to use a large egg in the dough.
Butter – Make sure to use unsalted butter for this recipe. We’re adding some into the dough & brushing melted butter on top of the buns once they’re baked.
Milk Powder – Adding milk powder to our dough helps keep the bread soft & gives the rolls a deeper colour once baked. I use skimmed milk powder but whole will work as well.

How To Make Tangzhong Dinner Rolls

The full, printable recipe for these bread rolls can be found at the bottom of this post! Here’s a quick rundown of the recipe…

Tangzhong
To make a tangzhong, we place flour, water & milk into a small saucepan, whisk to combine then set over a low heat. We then cook this, stirring frequently until a thick paste forms. This will only take a minute or two. Once cooked, we transfer the tangzhong to a bowl & let it cool to room temperature.
Mix Dough
Once our tangzhong is cool, it’s time to make the dough. To do this, we place bread flour into the bowl of a stand mixer, along with instant yeast, sea salt, caster sugar, milk powder, an egg & the tangzhong. Next, we add in milk & water (warmed to 38°c/100°f) then mix the dough with a dough hook until smooth. This will take around 5 minutes on a medium speed.
Add Butter
Next, we mix in softened butter, a small amount at a time. Once incorporated, we continue kneading the dough until it passes the windowpane test (more on this below). This will roughly take another 5-10 minutes.
1st Rise
Next, we transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl & leave to double in size at room temperature. This will roughly take 1-1½ hours, depending on how warm your kitchen is.
Knock Back
Once our dough has risen, we knock it back then transfer to a lightly floured work surface, ready to shape.
Shaping
Next, we portion our dough into 12 equal pieces, each weighing around 60 grams then shape each one into a tight ball. As we shape each piece of dough, we place them into a lined 9″x13″ baking tin so that they sit in 4 rows of 3.
2nd Rise
The rolls now need to prove for another 45 minutes – 1 hour, until doubled in size. They should be touching!
Baking
Once risen, we brush each bun with egg wash then bake at 180°c/356°f for 15-20 minutes, until they are well risen & a deep, golden brown colour on top.
Glazing
As soon as the dinner rolls are baked, we brush them with melted butter then let them cool in the tin before serving.

How To Shape Dinner Rolls

Shaping dough into rolls is surprisingly easy & this technique can be used to shape dinner rolls, burger buns & more! Before shaping, make sure to knock your dough back & lightly flour your work surface.

Here’s how to shape dinner rolls…

Using a dough scraper, cut your dough into equally sized pieces (a set of scales comes in handy here!).
Take a piece of dough then stretch & pull the edges into the middle.
Flip the dough over then use a cupped hand to shape into a tight ball, pressing down lightly as you shape the dough. Use an un floured section of work surface to do this. Dragging the seam on the work surface helps increase surface tension.
Place your shaped dough into a lined baking tin then repeat with the remaining dough.

Dinner Roll Tips & Tricks

Use a tangzhong for extra fluffy dinner rolls, that stay fresh for longer.
Use a digital food probe to take the temperature of the liquid in the dough. I recommend using a Thermapen!
Make sure to use softened butter in the dough, so that it incorporates properly.
Use the windowpane test to assess the gluten development in your dough as you knead it.
Use a strong white bread flour with a protein content of 13-15%, for optimum gluten development.
Brush the baked dinner rolls with melted butter, for a glossy finish!

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of flour do I need to make dinner rolls?

You’ll need a strong white bread flour for these dinner rolls. Make sure to use one with a protein content of 13-15%. I use a Canadian bread flour from Shipton Mill.

What is the windowpane test?

We use the windowpane method to assess how the gluten is developing in bread dough as we knead it. To do this, take a small amount of dough & stretch it between your fingers. If it stretches thin enough to see through, it’s ready. If it tears, it needs to be kneaded for longer.

What type of yeast is best for making dinner rolls with?

I’d recommend using instant/fast action yeast for these dinner rolls as it is easier to work with, won’t need activating & proves quicker. Dried active yeast can also be used but will need activating in warm liquid first & will take slightly longer to prove.

How should dinner rolls be stored?

These dinner rolls are best eaten the same day as being made but any leftovers should be kept in an airtight container & will stay fresh for 2-3 days.

Do I need a stand mixer to make dinner rolls?

Although it is possible to make these dinner rolls by hand. I’d definitely recommend using a stand mixer as it will be a lot easier to get proper gluten development in the dough.

What does milk powder do in bread dough?

Adding a small amount of milk powder to your dough helps keep the bread soft and gives it a deeper golden colour once baked. I used skimmed milk powder but whole will work as well.

How do you give dinner rolls a glossy finish once baked?

The secret to getting super shiny, glossy dinner rolls is to brush them with melted butter as soon as they are baked.

Cooking Dinner Rolls In An Aga

With all of my recipes, I include cooking instructions for conventional ovens, fan ovens & also Agas. Here’s how to cook this recipe on an Aga…

Cook the tangzhong using the simmering plate & bake the dinner rolls on the bottom set of runners in the baking oven.

Equipment Used

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The softest homemade dinner rolls! We're making these rolls with an enriched dough & a tangzhong, for a rich flavour & fluffy texture.

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Proving Time2

Total Time2 45

Course: Bread, Dinner, Lunch, Side Dish

Cuisine: British, English, Japanese

Servings: 12 Rolls

Author: Ben Racey

Equipment

Stand Mixer
Digital Food Probe
9" x 13" Baking Tin
Pastry Brush
Dough Scraper

Ingredients

Tangzhong

20 g Strong White Bread Flour
40 g Whole Milk
40 g Water

Dough

395 g Strong White Bread Flour
6 g Instant/Fast Action Yeast
8 g Fine Sea Salt
20 g Caster Sugar
1 tsp Skimmed Milk Powder (Optional)
1 Large Egg
100 g Whole Milk
60 g Water
40 g Unsalted Butter (Softened)

Egg Wash

1 Egg
1 tsp Cold Water
A Pinch Of Table Salt

To Finish

20 g Unsalted Butter (Melted)
Sea Salt

Instructions

Tangzhong

Place the flour, milk & water into a small saucepan & whisk to combine. Cook over a low heat until you have a thick paste, stirring constantly with a spatula. Transfer to a bowl & leave to cool to room temperature.

Dough

Place the flour, yeast, salt, sugar & milk powder into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk to combine then add in the egg & tangzhong.
Add the milk & water into a jug, warm in a microwave to 38°c/100°f then pour into the flour.
You can also do this in a pan, over a low heat.
Using the dough hook, mix the dough on a medium speed until smooth & starting to come away from the sides of the bowl. This will take around 5 minutes.
With the mixer still running, add in the butter a small amount at a time, incorporating each piece fully before adding more. Once all the butter has been incorporated, keep mixing until the dough passes the window pane test. This will take another 5-10 minutes.
Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl, cover with clingfilm (or a tea towel) & leave to double in size at room temperature. This will take 45 minutes – 1½ hours, depending on how warm your kitchen is.
In the meantime, grease & line a 9" x 13" baking tin.
Once risen, knock the dough back then transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Using a bench scraper, divide the dough into 12 equal pieces, each weighing around 60 grams.
To shape, take a piece of dough & bring the edges into the middle. Flip the dough over & use a cupped hand to shape into a tight ball. Place seam side down in the tin.
Dragging the seam on the work surface helps increase surface tension.
Repeat the shaping process with the remaining dough, placing them into the tin, spaced a centimetre or two apart, to form 4 rows of 3. Cover the tin with clingfilm then leave to prove at room temperature, until doubled in size. This will take 45 minutes – 1 hour.
The rolls should be touching once proved!

Baking

Whilst your buns are proving, preheat an oven to 180°c/160°c fan (356°f/320°f).
Using a fork, whisk together the egg, water & salt for the egg wash then brush a generous amount on top of each roll once proved.
Bake the rolls for 20-25 minutes, until risen & a deep, golden brown on top.
Once your rolls are baked, brush them with the melted butter then sprinkle with sea salt. Leave to cool slightly in the tin before serving.

Notes

1. To Cook In An Aga – Use the simmering plate to make the tangzhong. Bake the buns in the baking oven, on the bottom set of runners.

2. Flour – You’ll need a strong white bread flour for these dinner rolls. Make sure to use one with a protein content of 13-15%. I use a Canadian bread flour from Shipton Mill.

3. Yeast – This recipe uses instant yeast, which doesn’t need activating first. Dried active yeast can also be used but will need activating in the warm milk & water first. Keep in mind that dried active yeast will take slightly longer to prove as well.

4. Milk Powder – Adding skimmed milk powder to the dough is optional but helps keep the bread soft & gives it a deeper golden colour once baked. I used skimmed milk powder but whole will work as well.

5. Storage – These dinner rolls are best eaten the same day as being made but any leftovers should be kept in an airtight container & will stay fresh for 2-3 days. I’ve found that the best way to reheat dinner rolls is to microwave individual portions (1-2 rolls) for 10-20 seconds.