How do you know when your cream cheese dinner rolls have properly proofed?

My favorite way to tell if dough is proofed properly, is to employ the "poke test." To do this, just poke the surface of your dough gently with a finger. Under-proofed dough won't keep the indentation, and will spring right back. Correctly/sufficiently proofed dough will hold a slight indentation, and slowly spring back a bit. Over-proofed dough will hold its indentation and not spring back at all.

What is an enriched dough?

An enriched dough, as opposed to a lean dough, is one that is fortified with extra ingredients such as eggs, butter, sugar, and oil.

What do I do if my rolls get too brown in the oven?

I like to lay a piece of foil right over the rolls to prevent any further or excess browning. In this recipe, I lay a piece of foil over the rolls for the first 10 minutes to give the interiors a head start before the tops begin to brown.

How long do homemade dinner rolls keep?

Just like babies and juicy secrets, homemade breads don't keep. You can enjoy these dinner rolls for a day - maybe two - in stored in an air-tight container in a cool, dry place.

Can I freeze homemade dinner rolls?

Homemade dinner rolls freeze really well. Just cool them completely and then put them in a large, freezer-safe zip-top storage bag, being sure to press all of the air out. They'll keep nicely for you for a couple of months.

Honey Cream Dinner Rolls (cream cheese dinner rolls)

Flavorful Honey Cream Dinner Rolls (cream cheese dinner rolls)

Print Recipe

A fluffy, decadent, triple-enriched (Eggs! Butter! Cream cheese!) dinner roll that tastes like it wants to win a contest.

Author: Lauren McDuffie
Prep Time: 1 3/4 hours
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 0 hours
Yield: Makes 10 to 12 rolls 1x
Category: Breads

Ingredients

Units Scale

One (1/4-ounce) packet active dry yeast (not instant rise)
1 cup warm milk (not hot/boiling milk)
2 tablespoons honey
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
3 eggs, divided
4 tablespoons melted butter, plus more for serving
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups bread flour
Crunchy sea salt, for sprinkling

Also needed: aluminum foil

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Combine the yeast, ¼ cup of the warm milk, and the honey. Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes to activate the yeast.
Meanwhile, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream cheese so it’s nice and smooth/fluffy. Add the eggs, melted butter, remaining ¾ cup milk, and the salt. Mix until smooth.
After 5 minutes, add the yeast mixture and mix to incorporate. Switch to the dough hook and add the flour. Knead/mix the dough on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until a smooth dough forms.
Coat a large bowl with a little oil (or you can spray/butter it). Transfer the dough to the bowl and cover with a clean kitchen towel. Let the dough proof for 90 minutes in a warm-ish place (see note).
When the dough has nearly doubled in size and springs back a pit when poked, it’s ready. Divide it into 10 even pieces (12 for slightly smaller rolls), and roll into smooth balls. Place the balls into a large baking dish and cover again with the towel. Let them rise for about 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and adjust your rack to the middle position.
Combine the remaining egg with 3 teaspoons of water and brush this all over the rolls (you won’t use it all).
Bake the rolls for about 30 minutes (for 10 rolls) or 25-26 minutes (for 12 rolls). For the first 10 minutes, they should bake with a loose piece of foil laid over top (prevents over-browning). Remove that and continue baking for about another 20 minutes, or until nicely browned and cooked through. Cool them until they’re easily handled, and serve warm and buttered, if you like.

Notes

To create an ideal warm environment for my bread doughs, I preheat my oven to 170 for just a few minutes, turn off the heat, and then I set the dough/bowl inside to proof. That quick blast of heat will help the dough proof nicely. Just don’t get the oven too hot!

Find it online: https://mykitchenlittle.com/2023/11/08/cream-cheese-dinner-rolls/