
Soft, delicious, fluffy homemade dinner rolls (pav buns) or ladi pav (Indian) bread that is so easy to make from scratch at home in simple steps.

I feel like I have created a magic bread dough recipe, ever since I posted this recipe for homemade garlic bread sticks. Simple recipe of a classic soft dough which is so versatile, so could not wait to give homemade buns or dinner rolls a try and I am so happy with the result.

The texture? The crumb was so perfect - crispy outer and a butter soft fluffy inside making it perfect to dunk in a warm pumpkin soup or roasted tomato soup, or serve it as pav buns (ladi pav) Indian style in this recipe for vada pav (Bombay/ Mumbai street food).

How to make soft eggless dinner rolls at home?
- Start by activating your dry yeast - add sugar to lukewarm water and sprinkle active dry yeast over it. Transfer this bowl to a warm & dark place and let sit undisturbed for 15 minutes.

- Prepare your soft and spongy dough for garlic bread sticks by mixing together warm milk, activated yeast, flour, sugar, salt, butter and letting it rise for one hour.

- punch down the dough to knock out all the air

- divide the dough into 9 equal parts and make smooth round rolls and place them in a square dish that is brushed with some melted butter.

- cover the square dish with a kitchen (tea) towel and transfer to a warm place and let rise for 1 1/2 hours.

- the rolls will be soft and pillowy and totally fluffed up - almost doubled in size.

- now very carefully brush some melted butter on them.

- transfer to a pre heated oven and bake until golden brown. Immediately brush butter on the rolls and wait for at least 10 minutes before cutting/ separating/ serving them.

Tips to make really soft bread rolls (dinner rolls/ pav/ ladi pav Indian buns)
- butter and milk - this makes the bread dough really soft resulting in a very soft bread post baking - no alternatives for these ingredients.
- for really soft and fluffy rolls, make sure you brush the hard crusty fresh-out-of-the-oven bread dinner rolls immediately with butter.
- wait for at least 10 minutes before separating them.

There you go, you made bread!!! Serve this with salads, with soups, with hara bhara kebabs (spinach pea kebab) or corn kebabs or use it in my vada pav recipe (Indian potato burgers)

More bread recipes from the blog:
Here is the video for how to make soft eggless dinner rolls (pav buns)

Soft eggless dinner rolls (buns)
- Yield: 9 rolls 1x
Description
Soft, delicious, fluffy homemade dinner rolls (pav buns) or ladi pav bread that is so easy to make from scratch at home in simple steps.
Ingredients
- 2 cups + additional 1/4 cup all purpose flour (maida) - see note 1
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup room temperature milk or lukewarm (microwaved for 10-15 seconds)
- 1/4 cup room temperature water
- 2 tsp sugar (divided: 1 tsp + 1 tsp)
- 1 tsp active dry yeast
- 3 1/2 tbsp soft room temperature butter (divided: 1 tbsp + 1/2 tbsp + 1/2 tbsp + 1/2 tbsp + 1 tbsp)
Instructions
- In a small bowl (katori) add water and microwave for 10 seconds and add sugar and active dry yeast. Mix quickly for just 1-2 seconds with a small spoon and let this bowl sit in a warm place (back to the microwave that is switched OFF) for 15 minutes and let the yeast get activated.
- In the meanwhile, in a large bowl, add 1 1/2 cup of flour, salt, 1 tbsp of soft butter, remaining sugar and warm milk.
- Add the activated yeast mixture to the flour mix. Mix with the help of a wooden spoon until a pasty mixture is formed.
- Add the remaining flour gradually until everything comes together. (See Note 1)
- Knead the dough very well for at least 6-8 minutes. Add 1/2 tbsp of butter if there is difficulty and knead further until a soft dough is formed.
- Brush a little bit of butter (1/2 tbsp) on the bottom of a clean mixing bowl and transfer the soft dough in it. Apply some melted butter (1/2 tbsp) on top of the dough.
- Cover with cling wrap and keep it in a warm place for 1 hour until the dough has doubled (we let the dough rise in switched off microwave)
- After 1 hour the dough would have risen.
- Punch the dough down to knock out the air.
- Divide the dough into 9 equal smooth balls.
- Place them in a square dish brushed with some butter (1/2 tbsp).
- Cover the dish with a clean kitchen (tea) towel and transfer to a warm dark place (preferably microwave) and let rise for another 1 1/2 hour.
- Brush the dinner rolls carefully with melted butter (1/2 tbsp) and transfer to pre-heated oven and bake at 170 degrees for 27-32 minutes until the top is brown and crusty.
- Immediately after taking them out, brush with remaining 1 tbsp of butter (generously) so that the bread gets soft.
- Wait for at least 10 minutes before separating the buns/ serving them.
Notes
Note 1: You would need somewhere between 2 to 2 1/4 cup of flour for this recipe. Start with 1 1/2 cups and keep adding more flour gradually (2 tbsp at a time) until a soft dough is formed. We used a total of 2 1/4 cup of flour for this recipe.
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