Texas Roadhouse Rolls

The impossibly soft steakhouse rolls, at home, by the basket.

Prep: 25 min (plus 1.5 hr rising) Cook: 15 min Makes: 24 rolls
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Ingredients

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Instructions

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  1. Stir warm milk, yeast, and 1 Tbsp of the honey in a large bowl. Let sit until foamy. No foam = dead yeast; start over rather than bake bricks.
  2. Whisk in remaining honey, melted butter, and the egg. Add flour and salt and mix into a shaggy dough.
  3. Knead by hand (or 5-6 in a stand mixer with the dough hook) until smooth and slightly tacky but not sticking to clean hands. Add flour 1 Tbsp at a time only if it's gluing itself to everything.
  4. Place in a greased bowl, cover, and rise in a warm spot until doubled, about 1 hour.
  5. Punch down. On a lightly floured surface, roll into a rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Fold it in half like a book and gently roll to seal - this fold is what makes the signature tall, layered square.
  6. Cut into 24 squares with a sharp knife or bench scraper. Place on two parchment-lined sheet pans, 1 inch apart. Cover and rise until puffy.
  7. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for until deep golden on top. Rotate pans halfway.
  8. Brush immediately and generously with melted butter. Serve warm, with the cinnamon honey butter.

Notes

  • The fold-then-cut trick is the whole Texas Roadhouse look - skip it and you have good dinner rolls with the wrong soul.
  • Weigh the flour. 4 scooped cups can be 5 actual cups, and that's a dense roll.
  • Freeze baked rolls up to 3 months; refresh at 300°F for 8 minutes and butter again.

When it goes wrong

  • Dense, heavy rolls → too much flour or a cold rise; weigh it, and give the dough a warm spot.
  • Didn't rise → yeast was dead or the milk was hot enough to kill it; 105-110°F, foamy proof, no shortcuts.
  • Pale tops → underbaked or oven runs cool; look for deep golden, not blond.
  • Tough crumb → over-kneaded after adding too much flour; tacky is correct.

Texas Roadhouse copycat