Tangzhong Dinner Rolls That Stay Pillowy for Days
A cooked flour paste locked moisture into these rolls so they taste as soft on day two as they do fresh from the oven.
The secret to soft rolls that don’t dry out is borrowed from Asian baking: tangzhong, a simple cooked flour-and-water paste that gelatinizes starch and traps moisture in the dough. Instead of mixing dry flour straight into your liquid, you cook a small portion of it first—just until it thickens into a pudding. When this cooled paste gets mixed into your dough, it acts like a sponge, absorbing and holding onto water that would otherwise escape as the rolls age. The technique requires just five extra minutes and changes everything about how these rolls keep.
This recipe walks through building a soft dough with the tangzhong method, then shaping round rolls that proof until doubled. You’ll notice the dough feels silkier than typical roll dough, almost velvety, because of the precooked starch. Brush them with melted butter just after they come from the oven while they’re still hot enough for the butter to soak in. The rolls will be golden and smell like toasted wheat and brown butter.
Tangzhong Dinner Rolls That Stay Pillowy for Days
Serves 12 rolls · Prep 25 minutes · Cook 35 minutes
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Whisk 3 tablespoons bread flour with 6 tablespoons milk in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture turns thick and pudding-like with no lumps, about 3–4 minutes. You’ll see it transform from watery to creamy. Pour into a bowl and let cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes.
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In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cooled tangzhong paste, 1 cup room-temperature milk, 3 tablespoons melted butter, and 1 egg. Whisk by hand until the mixture is smooth and no streaks of tangzhong remain.
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In a separate bowl, whisk together 3½ cups bread flour, 2¼ teaspoons instant yeast, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1½ teaspoons kosher salt.
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Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix on low speed with the dough hook for 1 minute until shaggy. Increase to medium-low and knead for 8 minutes until the dough is smooth, elastic, and slightly tacky but doesn’t stick to your fingers when you touch it.
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Form the dough into a ball and place in a lightly oiled bowl. Cover with a damp towel and let rise at room temperature until doubled in size, about 90 minutes. The dough is ready when a finger poked into it leaves an indent that springs back slowly.
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Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces using a bench scraper. Roll each piece into a tight ball, tucking the sides under as you rotate it, until the surface is taut and smooth.
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Arrange the rolls in a buttered 9-by-13-inch baking pan in 3 rows of 4. Cover loosely with a damp towel and let proof until the rolls are puffy and touching each other, about 60–75 minutes. They should rise until they fill most of the space between them but still hold their individual shape.
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Preheat your oven to 375°F. Bake the rolls for 18–22 minutes until the tops are golden brown and a roll sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. The sides will be pale because they’re nestled together; the exposed tops should be a deep golden color.
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Remove from the oven and immediately brush the hot rolls with 2 tablespoons melted butter, making sure to coat the tops and any exposed sides. Sprinkle lightly with fleur de sel if you like. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes before serving warm or transferring to a wire rack.
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Wrap leftover rolls in a clean kitchen towel or store in an airtight container. They’ll taste soft and moist for 2–3 days because of the tangzhong; refresh them by wrapping in a damp paper towel and microwaving for 15 seconds.
