Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls

Soft, buttery Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls are a must for the holidays! They are super easy to make, they can be prepared in advance, and leftovers freeze nicely. Perfect for your Thanksgiving table!

Course Bread

Cuisine American

Prep Time 2 hrs 25 mins

Cook Time 22 mins

Total Time 2 hrs 47 mins

Servings rolls

Calories 177

Author Elena Tomasi

Ingredients

For the dough:

3½ cups + 2 tablespoons (440 g) all-purpose flour
1 cup + 3 tablespoons (275 ml) full fat milk lukewarm
4 tablespoons (55 g) unsalted butter softened
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1½ teaspoon salt

You will also need:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter melted

Instructions

Make the dough

In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine all the ingredients and mix until the dough comes away from the sides of the bowl (about 6-7 minutes).
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly to form a smooth, slightly sticky ball.

Let the dough rise

Place the ball in a greased container and cover it with cling film. Let it rise until double in size (this will take approximately 60-90 minutes)
Brush a 12-cup muffin tin with 1 tablespoon of melted butter and set aside.

Divide and shape

When the dough has doubled, punch it down and divide it into 12 parts. Divide each part into 3 equal-sized pieces and roll each piece into tiny balls.
You can also use a kitchen scale to make equal size balls.
Place 3 balls, seam side down, in each muffin cup. Cover the muffin tin with lightly greased plastic wrap, put it in a warm spot, and let the rolls rise for another 60 minutes.

Bake

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Remove the plastic wrap and bake the cloverleaf rolls until golden brown, about 22 minutes.

Brush

Remove the rolls from the oven and brush immediately with melted butter. After 5 minutes, carefully transfer them to a rack.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Yeast: I used instant yeast. It can be added straight away to the dry ingredients, it doesn’t require any proofing, and it rises a bit quicker. If you want to use active dry yeast instead, activate it first.
To make the dinner rolls dairy-free or vegan, replace the milk with non-dairy milk and the butter with extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, or vegan butter.
Shape: I used a kitchen scale to get equal size balls. Each ball weighed 17 grams (0.6 oz.).
Make-ahead: Cover the rolls before the last rise and place the muffin tin in the fridge overnight. When ready to bake, remove the rolls from the refrigerator and let them sit on the counter for 90 minutes or until puffed.
Bake and freeze: Bake the rolls as directed and let cool completely. Put them in a large ziplock bag, and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and warm before serving.

Here I’ve included step-by-step pictures for this easy rolls recipe to show you the consistency of the dough and how I shaped the cloverleaf rolls

Nutrition