Roasted Garlic Vegan Dinner Rolls.
The fluffiest, softest vegan dinner rolls with roasted garlic!
Equipment
- 1 8" x 11" casserole dish
Ingredients
- 1 head garlic
- 7/8 cup plant-based milk (preferably soy or oat milk)
- 2 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice
- 2 1/4 tsp (1 packet) active dry yeast
- 3 tbsp (40 grams) sugar
- 5 1/2 cups (690 grams) all purpose flour
- 2 tsp sea salt (plus more for garnish)
- 1/3 cup (76 grams) cold vegan butter (cut into small cubes)
Vegan "Egg" Wash and Garlic Herb Butter Topping
- 4 tbsp vegan butter
- 2 cloves garlic (roasted, minced, or grated)
- 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup plant-based milk or JUST Egg
- 1 tbsp course or flakey sea salt
Instructions
- First, preheat your oven to 450° F. While your oven is preheating, cut your garlic in half towards the top (i.e., the hairy part) of your garlic head. Place the two halves back together and then wrap them tightly with aluminum foil. Bake in the oven for about 45 to 50 minutes, until the garlic cloves are slightly beige and very tender.
- While your garlic is roasting, make your vegan buttermilk by whisking together your plant-based milk with either vinegar or lemon juice. Set this aside.
- Add 1 cup of warm water (mix 1/2 cup of very HOT water with 1/2 cup of cold water) to the bowl of a stand mixer or a very large bowl. Then, add your sugar and yeast. Mix and set aside for 10 minutes. If you don't see bubbles, foam, or some kind of something happening in your bowl, your yeast is dead and you should start over.
- Heat your buttermilk in the microwave for 30 to 60 seconds, so that it's quite warm but not hot enough that it will hurt your finger. Then, add the flour, along with the roasted garlic cloves (squeeze them out and drop them into your flour) and salt to your yeast mixture. Using the dough hook on medium-low speed on your stand mixer (or a wooden spoon), mix the ingredients together until a very dry dough begins to form. Then, slowly pour in your warm milk and continue mixing on medium speed for about 2 to 3 minutes until a shaggy dough forms.
- Increase the speed on the stand mixer to high (or if kneading by hand, continue kneading for about 5 minutes). Then, begin dropping small cubes of the cold vegan butter in a little bit at a time. If kneading by hand, knead a few small cubes of vegan butter into your dough before adding more. Once all the butter has been incorporated, continue kneading with the stand mixer on high for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until your dough is much smoother and elastic. If kneading by hand, it may take you far longer, approximately 20 to 25 minutes.
- Shape your dough into a smooth ball and place your dough ball into a greased bowl (this prevents the dough from sticking when it's time to shape it into rolls). Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel or plastic wrap and place the bowl in a warm area in your house for the next 90 minutes to 2 hours, until the dough has doubled in size.
- Once your dough has doubled in size, punch the dough and remove your dough ball from your bowl. Place it on a lightly floured surface and knead it gently for a few seconds. Then, divide your dough ball into 12 equal pieces.
- To shape the rolls, work with one piece at a time (while keeping the other pieces covered so they don't dry out). Create a "C" with the index finger and thumb of one of your hands. Press the piece through the "C" using your other hand. Then, close the "C" around the bottom of your little ball. Place the dough ball on your surface. Create a cage with all five fingers of your hand over the ball. Then, make a circular motion with your "hand cage" so the dough ball is rolling around in it for about 10 seconds. Place the ball in a greased 8" x 11" casserole dish. Repeat with remaining dough. Space the balls out equally in your casserole dish.
- Cover the tray of dough balls with a kitchen towel. Let it sit in a warm place for about 60 minutes, until they double in size. About 30 minutes into your second rise, preheat your oven to 350° F.
- Melt your vegan butter together with your garlic (microwave or on the stovetop). Then, incorporate your fresh parsley. Add half this garlic butter mixture to a small bowl. Whisk in plant-milk or JUST Egg (either is fine). Using a pastry brush, gently (but generously) brush the tops of your dinner rolls.
- Place your tray of vegan dinner rolls on the center rack of your preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Go back in with that pastry brush and supplement with more vegan egg wash. Bake for an additional 10 minutes until the tops of your vegan dinner rolls are absolutely, stunningly golden brown. Remove from the oven and brush with just the vegan garlic herb butter (you may have to re-melt it). Sprinkle with sea salt. Allow the vegan dinner rolls to sit for about 10 minutes before cutting in, so they are springy, soft, fluffy, and magical.
Notes
- When making vegan buttermilk, it's best to use a plant-based milk with a higher protein content (like soy milk or oat milk), as it will curdle better when the acid is added. A thinner milk (like almond milk) will not work as well.
- Ideally, all the liquids added to your dough (water and buttermilk) will be between 100 and 110° F. If you don't have a thermometer, you can approximate the right temperature range for water by mixing together 50-50 very hot water with cold water. For the buttermilk, you can warm it in the microwave for approximately 30 to 60 seconds (it should be quite warm but not hot enough to hurt you).
- It's important to keep your butter cold to allow for a fluffier bread texture.
- The best way to ensure equal pieces is to use a kitchen scale. My entire dough ball ended up being a little over 1,200 grams and thus each piece was a little over 100 grams.
- Do not go too much smaller or bigger with your casserole dish, as this will affect the way your dough balls rise.
- Do not let the dough balls sit too long, thinking "Oh, the higher they rise, the fluffier they'll be." NO. If you overproof the second time, your vegan dinner rolls will completely deflate the minute they get exposed to heat. You'll know your second rise is done when the rolls look cozily snug, have risen higher, and they're still pretty firm to the touch.
Nutrition
Calories: 306kcalCarbohydrates: 50gProtein: 7gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 1gSodium: 1055mgPotassium: 93mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 271IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 47mgIron: 3mg
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