Table of contents
These classic Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls have a soft, fluffy texture with golden, buttery tops. They are perfect to make for special holiday dinners like Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter. This vintage-inspired recipe is a cherished family recipe that comes from my Nan’s handwritten notebook.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- Yeast is a leavening agent that produces carbon dioxide gas and alcohol during fermentation. During the baking process, gas gets trapped in the dough and the alcohol evaporates. Instant yeast speeds up this process, cutting the rise time in half.
- Sugar is a made by processing the juice of the sugarcane plant. Cane sugar is a natural option that is less processed with a slightly courser texture.
- Butter is made from churned cream that contains 80% butterfat. European butter is churned longer and has a higher fat content (82%-85%), which is why it yields more flavor.
- Buttermilk is a cultured dairy product that adds a tangy flavor and creates tenderness in baked goods. When purchasing buttermilk, look for simple, natural ingredients such as “cultured milk”. MAKE YOUR OWN! Add 1 T. vinegar or lemon juice into a liquid measuring cup and add cream or whole milk until it reaches the 1 c. measure line and let it sit for a few minutes before use.
- Eggs are produced by female chickens and consist of an egg white and a yolk, which provide protein, richness and moisture to baked goods.
Dry Ingredients
- All-purpose unbleached flour is made from ground wheat kernels with the bran and germ removed. It has a moderate protein content of 10-12%, making it a versatile option for most baked goods.
- Instant ClearJel is a modified food starch used as a thickener, stabilizer, and gelling agent. When used in pie fillings, it produces a clear, smooth texture. In baked goods, it helps retain moisture, producing a light, tender texture.
- Pink salt adds essential minerals and nutrients to baked goods.
Make your own ingredients
Buttermilk: Add 1 T. vinegar or lemon juice into a liquid measuring cup and add cream or whole milk until it reaches the 1 c. measure line and let it sit for a few minutes before use.
Dietary Substitutions
For the past 12+ years, I have owned an all-natural specialty bakery converting conventional recipes to gluten free, vegan, wholesome, etc. Read more about it here.
TO MAKE GLUTEN-FREE
Here are some tips for gluten free baking
- Use a premium gluten-free flour blend.
- Be sure to let the batter rest to help eliminate grittiness. Even letting the batter sit 15 minutes will yield a light and tender baked good. You can let batter sit in the fridge overnight, and up to 3 days.
- Add 1-2 tablespoons additional liquid (use the same liquid called for in the recipe) to help hydrate the flour.
- Reduce the oven temperature by at least 25° to bake low and slow, since gluten-free flour is delicate and tend to burn before the center is cooked through.
- Gluten-free baked goods have a shorter shelf-life than conventional baked goods and dry out faster. Store in airtight container on counter 1-2 days. The refrigerator tends to dry them out more, so it is best to freeze up to 6 months.
TO MAKE VEGAN/DAIRY FREE
- Swap out the butter with vegan butter. I use Violife Plant Butter.
- To replace the egg, place 1 tsp. of baking soda into your baked good and pour 1 T. white vinegar on top of the baking soda.
- Replace the dairy with unsweetened oat milk
Equipment
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Cloverleaf Dinner Rolls
Servings: 12
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Equipment
- 9×13 glass pan
Ingredients
YEAST MIXTURE
- ¼ c. warm water (110°)
- 3 T. sugar
- 2 ¼ tsp. instant yeast 1 packet
WET INGREDIENTS
- 1 c. warm whole milk or buttermilk (110°)
- ⅓ c. melted butter
- 1 egg
DRY INGREDIENTS
- 3 ½ c. bread flour
- 1 tsp. salt
Instructions
PREP
- Mix together the warm water, instant yeast and sugar in the mixer and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Melt butter and set aside to cool.
- Warm up the milk to 110°.
DOUGH
- Add liquid ingredients milk and egg to the yeast mixture.
- Add in the dry ingredients flour and salt.
- Knead in mixer for 8-10 minutes until the dough is soft and doesn't stick to the sides of the bowl.
- To see if the gluten has fully developed, take a small piece of dough and hold between both hands and stretch using your thumbs and first fingers up against the light (windowpane test) and if you can stretch it without breaking it and see through it, then its ready to rise. If not, knead dough on a lightly floured surface for a few more minutes until soft and the stretch test works.
- Place dough into a greased bowl and use proofing setting on oven or place by a fire until doubled in size (about 1 -1 1/2 hours).
SHAPE DOUGH
- Spray a muffin pans with non-stick spray.
- Punch dough and use bench scraper to divide into 36 pieces.
- Knead each piece into ball on your palm and dip in some melted butter. Place 3 balls into each muffin cup.
- Cover rolls and let them rise again for about 30 minutes.
- Pre-heat oven to 375°.
BAKE
- Bake at 375° for 15-18 minutes. Remove rolls from pans and brush immediately with butter.
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