Fluffy Vegan Dinner Rolls
These fluffy vegan dinner rolls use a simple tangzhong for a soft, pillowy bread that stays fresh for days. Make them ahead for the holidays!
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Servings: 15 rolls
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Equipment
- stand mixer (or large bowl if kneading by hand)
- Small saucepan and whisk for the tangzhong
- Bench scraper
- 9x13" Baking pan or two 9" round or two 8" square pans
- Pastry
Ingredients
Tangzhong (Flour Paste)
- 1/2 cup (80 g) water
- 1/3 cup (118 g) soy milk
- 1/3 cup (40 g) bread flour
Dough
- 1 cup (240 g) lukewarm soy milk (about 110°F)
- 4 ½ teaspoons (4.5 teaspoons) active dry yeast (2 standard packets)
- tangzhong from above
- 6 tablespoons (85 g) stick-style vegan butter softened
- 5 cups (625 g) bread flour plus more as needed
- 1/3 cup (67 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons (9 g) fine salt
- vegetable oil or vegan butter for greasing
Vegan "Egg" Wash (optional)
- 1 tablespoon soy milk
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
To Finish (optional)
- 1 tablespoon vegan butter melted
- flaky salt
Instructions
Make & Rise the Dough
- Make the tangzhong: In a small saucepan, whisk together water, soy milk, and bread flour until no lumps remain. Cook over medium, stirring constantly with a heat-proof spatula, until it thickens to the consistency of wallpaper paste, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool until just warm to the touch, about 10 minutes. (Too hot will kill your yeast.)1/2 cup water, 1/3 cup soy milk, 1/3 cup bread flour
- Proof yeast: Add lukewarm soy milk into the bowl of a stand mixer. Whisk in the yeast along with 1/4 teaspoon of your sugar and allow to proof for about 5 minutes, until foamy.1 cup lukewarm soy milk, 4 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- Mix the dough: Add the cooled tangzhong, softened butter, bread flour, sugar, and salt to the bowl. Mix on medium speed with the paddle attachment until a shaggy dough forms.tangzhong, 6 tablespoons stick-style vegan butter, 5 cups bread flour, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, 1 ½ teaspoons fine salt
- Knead dough: Switch to the dough hook and knead 6-8 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. The dough should clear the sides of the bowl and spring back when poked. If it's very wet or sticky, add in more flour 2 tablespoons at a time, mixing fully between additions. (By hand, knead for 8-12 minutes.)
- First rise: Shape the kneaded dough into a ball. Lightly oil the bowl, add the dough, and flip it over to coat with oil. Cover and let rise in a warm spot until doubled in volume, about 1 hour (up to 2 hours in a chilly kitchen, or faster in a warm kitchen).vegetable oil or vegan butter
Shape & Final Rise
- Prep the pans: Grease a 9x13” baking dish, or two 9” round cake pans, or two 8" square pans with vegan butter or vegetable oil.
- Divide the dough: Turn the dough out onto a clean surface. (No flour — the dough needs to stay tacky to be shaped well.) Divide into 15 pieces. (For two 9" round pans, divide into 16 pieces; for two 8" square pans, divide into 18.)
- Shape the rolls: Shape each piece of dough into a ball by tucking the edges underneath and pinching the seam closed. Place it seam-side down on your work surface, cup your hand over it, and roll it in small circles until the ball is tight and smooth.For classic round rolls: That's it! Your rolls are ready for the pans.For milk bread spirals: Use a rolling pin to roll each ball into an oval. Fold the long sides over each other like a letter, then roll it up from the short end into a log, starting loosely and then tighter as you go. (See shaping photos in the post.)
- Final rise: Arrange the rolls into the greased pan(s). For a 9x13" pan, 5 rows of 3. For square pans, 3 rows of 3. For round pans, 1 in the center and 7 around.Cover with plastic wrap or a damp kitchen towel and let rise in a warm spot for 60 to 75 minutes, until very puffy. When poked, the dough should bounce back very slowly and leave only a small dent. If it springs back right away, give it more time. A full rise is the key to fluffy rolls.
Bake
- Preheat: During the last 15 minutes of rising, preheat the oven to 350°F with a rack in the middle.
- "Egg" wash (optional): Whisk together soy milk and maple syrup and gently brush over the rolls.1 tablespoon soy milk, 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- Bake: Bake for 30-35 minutes, until deep golden brown and at least 190°F in the center of a middle roll.
- Cool and enjoy: Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with flaky salt right away, if using. Let the rolls cool for at least 15 minutes before serving. (Bread sets as it cools, and digging in early can leave them gummy.)1 tablespoon vegan butter, flaky salt
Notes
Measuring flour: For the fluffiest rolls, weigh your flour with a digital scale. If using cups, spoon and level it to "fluff" up the flour rather than scooping with the measuring cup. Too much flour is the most common cause of dense rolls.
Milk: Soy is best, but any plain, unsweetened plant milk can work. (The exception is canned coconut milk, which is too dense and greasy.)
No stand mixer: Mix the ingredients in a large bowl, then knead on the counter for 8-12 minutes until smooth and bouncy. Add extra flour 2 tablespoons at a time as needed. A bench scraper is highly recommended to help with sticky dough.
Make ahead: Shape the rolls, cover the pan tightly, and immediately place in the fridge. Refrigerate overnight. The next day, let them sit at room temperature for until almost doubled in size, usually 60-90 minutes depending on kitchen temperature. Bake as directed. Ideally, bake the rolls within 24 hours of shaping.
Leftovers: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Make sure they are fully cooled before storing.
Freeze: Freeze the baked and cooled rolls for up to 2 months. Rewarm wrapped in foil at 350°F for about 10 minutes. (You can also reheat gently in the microwave.)
Nutrition
Calories: 231kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 6g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 288mg | Potassium: 89mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 295IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 41mg | Iron: 1mg
The nutrition information provided on Sarah’s Vegan Kitchen is an estimate and is offered for general informational purposes only. Values will vary depending on the specific brands and amounts used.