When I was in college I interned at a local grocery store bakery. It was the first bakery I had ever worked in and I did a little bit of everything—donuts, rolls, and cake decorating. It was a fun job and a great learning experience.
That job is also where I met my friend Jason, who is an incredible baker. Today is his birthday, so happy birthday Jason! To celebrate, I’m sharing a beautiful butterflake dinner rolls recipe. These rolls are layered with butter and peel apart into tender, flaky pieces.
These are the perfect rolls to serve at Thanksgiving or any special meal. You don’t need to be a professional baker—the instructions are straightforward and paced so anyone can follow along.
There are a few variations you can try: orange or raspberry butterflake rolls (add a thin layer of marmalade or jam over the softened butter) or a savory garlic butterflake roll. This recipe yields about 2½ dozen rolls, so you’ll likely have leftovers for turkey sandwiches the next day.
Enjoy the process—and thanks to Jason for helping with this post. The recipe follows below.
How to make butterflake rolls
Once the dough is made, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Shape it into a square, cover with a towel, and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Roll the dough into a roughly 1/2″ thick square.
Spread softened butter over two-thirds of the square. (For raspberry or orange rolls, spread a thin layer of jam or marmalade over the butter. For garlic rolls, sprinkle garlic salt over the butter.)
Fold the unbuttered section over first, then fold the buttered section on top (a tri-fold). Place the dough on a baking sheet and freeze for 20 minutes so the butter firms up.
After chilling, roll the dough lengthwise to about 1/4″ thick.
Brush melted butter down the center half of the dough.
Fold the bottom fourth of the dough up, then fold the top fourth down so the two ends meet in the middle (a book fold).
Press gently with a rolling pin to flatten.
Brush more melted butter on the bottom half of the fold, then fold the top half over. Reserve any remaining butter to brush the hot rolls after baking.
Roll the strip of dough to roughly 1″ thick and about 3″ wide.
Cut the strip into pieces about 1/2″ to 3/4″ thick.
Lay each piece flat and roll from the top down to form the rolls.
Place the rolls seam-side down into lightly sprayed muffin pans.
Cover the pans with plastic wrap lightly greased with pan spray. Let the rolls proof until they rise about 1/2″ over the top of the muffin tin—roughly 1 to 2 hours depending on room temperature. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 13–15 minutes.
Brush the hot rolls with the remaining melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven. Serve warm.
Butterflake Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- ¼ lb whole eggs, whisked (about 2 large eggs)
- ¾ lb (355 ml) warm water (approximately 1½ cups)
- 1¾ lbs (690 g) all-purpose flour (about 5¾ cups)
- 7 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 7 Tbsp shortening
- 7 Tbsp non-fat dry milk powder
- 1 Tbsp salt
- 5 tsp dry instant yeast
- ¼ cup (57 g) butter, softened
- ¼ cup (57 g) butter, melted (reserve some for brushing)
Instructions
- Place all ingredients except the butter into a stand mixer fitted with a hook. Mix on medium speed 20–25 minutes, until the dough pulls away from the bowl and forms a clean ball. The dough may look sticky—avoid adding extra flour.
- Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface, shape into a square, cover, and rest 10 minutes.
- Roll to a ½” thick square.
- Spread softened butter on 2/3 of the square. Tri-fold by folding the unbuttered side over, then the buttered side on top. Freeze on a baking sheet for 20 minutes.
- Roll the chilled dough lengthwise to about ¼” thick. Brush melted butter down the center half. Fold the bottom fourth up and the top fourth down so the ends meet (book fold). Flatten gently.
- Brush melted butter on the bottom half of the fold and fold the top half over. Reserve remaining butter for brushing after baking.
- Roll the dough strip to about 1″ thick and 3″ wide. Cut into ½”–¾” pieces. Lay each piece flat and roll from the top down.
- Place rolls seam-side down into greased muffin pans. Cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and let rise until they are about ½” above the pan rim, about 1–2 hours.
- Bake at 350°F for 13–15 minutes. Brush hot rolls with remaining melted butter. Makes about 2½ dozen.
Notes
- Variations: For orange or raspberry rolls, spread a thin layer of marmalade or jam over the softened butter before folding. After baking and cooling slightly, mix powdered sugar with a small amount of water to make a glaze. Flavor the glaze with a bit of marmalade or jam and dip the roll tops; let the glaze set.
- Make garlic rolls by sprinkling garlic salt onto the butter in the folding step. After baking, brush with butter and add an extra sprinkle of garlic salt or grated Parmesan if desired.
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