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Rosemary Sea Salt Dinner Rolls

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5 from 14 votes

Buttery, soft rolls are loaded with fresh rosemary and sea salt, are the perfect mix of a fluffy dinner roll and flaky biscuit, and will melt in your mouth! Serve them with Easy Instant Pot Corn Chowder or Instant Pot Carrot Ginger Soup for an ultra cozy meal.

Close up of a golden dinner roll with a bite taken out to reveal the soft and fluffy inside

While we were in Hawaii for our honeymoon, we stayed at this phenomenal adults only resort called Hotel Wailea. There were approximately a million amazing things about our stay there, but one of the most memorable aspects of our trip was the food.

Oh my god, the food. 

It's a Relais & Châteaux hotel with a Relais & Châteaux restaurant, so to say they have good food is an understatement. The menu is based on what is readily available from the farms on Maui and some of the ingredients are even grown right on the grounds in their gardens. 

Overhead shot of golden dinner rolls in a skillet

All that said, my favorite thing from the restaurant was the dinner rolls. Their soft, buttery, salty dinner rolls stuffed with fresh rosemary and an intoxicating aroma. The menu is loaded with incredible entrees and desserts, and what's my favorite thing? The free dinner rolls.

My husband and I got a reputation for how much we loved those dinner rolls. We would be sitting at the bar, just having drinks, and they would bring us a plate of rolls. That alone makes it worth going back. 

I'm only half joking.

Golden dinner roll on a white plate topped with chopped rosemary

Here's why these rolls are so amazing…

I knew I needed to make my own when we got back, but I wanted to put my own spin on it because when I realized I couldn't get the recipe exactly the same I'd lose my mind. So instead, I decided to make them just as buttery, salty and rosemary-y – but in a dinner roll biscuit hybrid.

  • They're a little sturdier than your standard dinner roll, so they hold up well to being dipped in soups and chili.
  • They melt in your mouth with every bite, and eating them while they're warm is completely drool worthy.
  • The scent of these rolls when you're making the dough is intoxicating, and it's even more amazing when they're baking. Who needs potpourri when you have these?
Close up of a golden dinner roll covered in melted butter and chopped rosemary

Ingredients for rosemary sea salt rolls

  • ¾ cup buttermilk, around 110°F
  • 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
  • 1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
  • ⅓ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary, divided
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
Four photo collage showing the steps to prep yeast

Making the yeast for the rolls

  1. In a small bowl, you'll combine sugar and yeast.
  2. Heat buttermilk in a small sauce pan until the temperature gets between 105-115°F. I like to use my ThermoWorks ChefAlarm (aff link) propped on the edge of the pan with the probe just below the surface to monitor the temperature.
    1. If you don't have buttermilk and don't want to make your own, you can substitute whole milk – but the results might be slightly different.
  3. Add the heated buttermilk to the bowl of sugar and yeast and whisk to combine.
  4. Let it set for about 10 minutes – it will double in size and bubble. It's aliiiiiiiiiiive
Four photo collage showing steps to creaming butter with herbs and egg

Making rosemary sea salt dinner roll dough

  1. Beat butter in a stand mixer (aff link) for about 1 minute.
  2. Add rosemary, garlic, salt and sugar and beat until everything is well combined and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
  3. Next, add egg and beat again to combine.
  4. Then add the prepared yeast mixture to the bowl along with 2 cups of flour and mix on low speed until it becomes smooth.
    Four photo collage showing steps to make dinner roll dough
  5. Switch the paddle attachment for a dough hook.
  6. Run the mixer on low speed and add the remaining flour a little at a time until it starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Increase to medium-high speed and beat for 2 minutes.
  7. Transfer dough to a bowl sprayed generously with nonstick spray or lightly oiled, and turn it to coat.
  8. Cover the bowl with a dishtowel and let it sit in a warm spot until the dough doubles in size, about an hour. 
    • Tip: If your house is chilly, here's a trick to create a warm environment – for the first rise, turn the oven on to 150°F then turn off. Wait a few minutes and then place your bowl of dough inside and let it rise. For the second rise, turn your oven on to preheat to 375°F and place the skillet on top of the stove. The ambient heat will be just enough to keep it warm!
Four photo collage showing steps to punch down dinner roll dough and cut it
  1.  Remove the dishtowel – your dough should be doubled in size.
  2. Gently punch down the dough to deflate it, then turn it out onto a clean surface. I like to use a large nonstick silicon baking mat.
  3. Roll the dough into a 10-12″ log . Don't worry if the dough is a little soft and spreads a bit – it won't be a tight, rigid dough.
  4. Cut the dough into 10 equal sized pieces.Four photo collage showing steps to portion dinner roll dough and place in skillet
  5. Shape into loose balls. Again, they don't need to be tightly rolled – this is what's going to make them the perfect dinner roll/biscuit hybrid in the end. 
  6. Spray a 10″ skillet with nonstick spray or lightly oil, then transfer each dough ball into the skillet. If you don't have a skillet, you can use a 10″ pie pan instead.
  7. Position them so there are 9 around the outside perimeter, and 1 in the middle.
  8. Let them settle a little while you melt butter, and get your sea salt and rosemary ready to go.Four photo collage showing steps to prep dinner roll dough with butter and herbs
  9. Brush the tops with a generous coating of melted butter.
  10. Sprinkle with sea salt and chopped rosemary.
  11. Make sure you've got an even coating of everything across all the rolls.
  12. Cover the skillet with a dishtowel and place in that warm spot again to let them set for about 30 minutes.Dinner rolls shown before they're cooked and after when they are golden brown
  13. Remove the dishtowel – they should be almost doubled in size again.
  14. Bake for 22-27 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown. 

Gaze upon your good work, and inhale the amazing smell in your kitchen.

And try really hard not to stick your face directly into the skillet.

Close up of dinner rolls in a black skillet topped with rosemary

Serving dinner rolls

Carefully remove the rolls from the skillet, gently tear them apart, and serve topped with a generous tab of butter. They pair perfectly with just about any dinner, but I'm partial to serving these with my Easy Instant Pot Corn Chowder and Instant Pot Carrot Ginger Soup.

Enjoy every salty, buttery bite!

Close up of a golden dinner roll with a bite taken out to reveal the soft and fluffy inside

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Rosemary Sea Salt Dinner Rolls

5 from 14 votes
Buttery, soft rolls are loaded with fresh rosemary and sea salt, are the perfect mix of a fluffy dinner roll and flaky biscuit, and will melt in your mouth!
Prep Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours
Servings: 10 rolls

Ingredients
 

Instructions

  • Heat your buttermilk in a sauce pan over low heat until the temperature reaches about 110°F.
    3/4 cup (180 g) buttermilk
  • In a small bowl, combine buttermilk, sugar and yeast and whisk to combine. Let sit until it doubles in size and bubbles, 5-10 minutes.
    2 tablespoons granulated sugar
    1 1/2 teaspoons (1 ½ teaspoons) active dry yeast
  • In a stand mixer (aff link) fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter for 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary, garlic, salt, and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar, and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy (2-3 minutes).
    1/3 cup (75 ⅔ g) unsalted butter
    3 tablespoons fresh rosemary
    2 cloves garlic
    1 teaspoon kosher salt
    2 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • Add egg and beat again on medium speed until combined.
    1 large (1) egg
  • Add yeast mixture and 2 cups of flour and mix on low speed until it becomes a smooth batter.
    3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
  • Switch the paddle attachment for a dough hook. With the mixer on low speed, add the remaining 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until it forms a smooth ball of dough that starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
    3 cups (375 g) all-purpose flour
  • Increase speed to medium-high and beat for 2 minutes.
  • Spray a large bowl with nonstick spray or lightly oil the inside, and transfer dough to the bowl, turning it to coat. Cover with a dishtowel and place in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size, about 45-60 minutes.
  • Gently punch down the dough to deflate it, then turn it out onto a clean surface coated with a large nonstick pastry mat or parchment paper.
  • Roll the dough into a 10-12″ log, then cut into 10 equal sized pieces. Lightly press each piece into a disk, then shape into a ball.
  • Spray a 10″ skillet with nonstick spray or lightly oil the inside, and transfer each dough ball into the skillet (9 around the outside, 1 in the middle).
  • Brush the tops of each ball with melted butter, then sprinkle with sea salt and remaining 2 tablespoons chopped rosemary.
    1 tablespoon unsalted butter
    1 teaspoon sea salt
    3 tablespoons fresh rosemary
  • Cover again with a dishtowel and place in a warm spot until the dough balls have doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
  • Preheat oven to 375°F and place skillet in the oven to bake for 22-27 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.
  • Serve immediately, and enjoy!

Notes

  • If you don't have a skillet, you can use a pie pan.
  • If you don't have buttermilk and don't want to make your own, you can substitute whole milk – but the results will be slightly different.
  • Proofing the dough: If your house is chilly, here's a trick to create a warm environment – for the first rise, turn the oven on to 150°F then turn off. Wait a few minutes and then place your bowl of dough inside and let it rise. For the second rise, turn your oven on to preheat to 375°F and place the skillet on top of the stove. The ambient heat will be just enough to keep it warm!

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 235kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 493mg | Potassium: 96mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 295IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 2mg

Nutrition Disclaimer

The provided nutrition information is generated by an automatic API and does not take variations across specific brands into account. This information is provided as a general guideline and should not be treated as official calculations. Learn more here.

Recipe created by Leslie Kiszka

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20 Comments

  1. I tried making this 3 times in a row with success up until adding the flour part. I followed the directions exactly and each time the dough came out WAY too dry and didn’t form a dough at all and wouldn’t come together. I tried added a tiny bit of water at a time to try and get it to come together and it was dense ball of nothing, would not rise. The recipe flopped there all 3 times. I followed everything EXACTLY. had really high hopes for this recipe but it was a horrible flop. Not sure what happened.

  2. 5 stars
    This is so good and tempting looking, love it.
    I visited you via LOADED HASH BROWN CASSEROLE – WEEKEND POTLUCK #608
    I linked up this week with = Puff Pastry Milk Cake and Tim-Tam and Chocolate Cheesecake Ice Cream (No Churn!)
    Hope you will join us M-S SeniorSalonPitStop and W-S #WordlessWednesday. You will find both under BLOGGING.

  3. 5 stars
    This was my first time making a real actual bread item. I was terrified but the instructions with the step-by-step pictures made this doable and even fun. The end result was AMAZING. They were so delicious and paired perfectly with the Stress Baking butternut squash soup. I will be making these over and over again!

  4. 5 stars
    These were so good! We made them for thanksgiving and they were the first thing to go. :)
    We didn’t have a mixer, so we did all the steps by hand. Still turned out amazing- buttery, fluffy, and the perfect balance of salty/sweet. Can’t wait to make them again over xmas!

  5. 5 stars
    I’m right there with you. Dinner rolls are often my favorite part of the meal, especially when they’re soft and fluffy like these! Rosemary is amazing when worked into bread; these are perfect for the holidays!

  6. These rosemary se salt rolls look perfectly fluffy and delicious! I bet they smell even better than the turkey when you pull them out of the oven for Thanksgiving!

  7. 5 stars
    These rolls look amazingly tender and flaky Leslie! My husband and I could make a meal on dinner rolls and I can totally since us enjoying some along with your carrot ginger soup!

  8. 5 stars
    Wow, they look sensational! I bet they’re even better than the restaurants. Thanks for such a great recipe with detailed photos! I’m adding this one to my list of favorites!

  9. 5 stars
    Not only did your post make me want to bake these rolls, it made me want to book a trip right now to Hotel Wailea. Sounds incredible! I bake bread nearly every week, but have never baked rolls in a cast iron skillet for some reason. After making these, I don’t know what took me so long. The recipe itself is delicious, but I just love how well the skillet conducts heat and gives them a slightly crispy outer texture. Great recipe!

  10. 5 stars
    Our weakness. Bread, butter, olive oil. So so yummy. We love the aroma coming right from the oven. We’d definitely have to make a double and triple batch because they wouldn’t last very long. We love fresh savory rolls with our soup and salad. These rolls will be perfect.

  11. 5 stars
    These perfectly fluffy moist rolls are such a great addition to any dinner. We LOVE them, and reserve them for a special treat when we have company over. Can’t wait to make them again for Thanksgiving!