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Buttery Fluffy Cornmeal Dinner Rolls

Yield: 24 Rolls
Prep Time: 3 hours 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cups milk, 1%, 2% or whole
  • ⅔ cup (113 g) yellow corn meal
  • 1 ½ tablespoons instant yeast
  • ½ cup (113 g) salted butter
  • ⅓ cup (71 g) granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 large eggs
  • 5 ½ - 6 cups (781 to 852 g) all-purpose flour (see note)

Instructions 

  • In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, warm the milk to just below a simmer; tiny bubbles will appear around the edges (this is called scalding milk). Add the cornmeal and cook and stir constantly until the mixture is thickened and bubbling. It should be the consistency of porridge before taking off the heat.
  • Pour the cornmeal mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook or a large bowl (if mixing by hand) and let cool until lukewarm. Add the yeast, butter and sugar (if you dissolved active dry yeast with a bit of water and sugar until it foamed, add it now). Mix.
  • Add the salt and eggs. Mix well. Add the flour gradually until a soft dough forms. Knead for 2-3 minutes.
  • Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and cover with lightly greased plastic wrap; let rise until doubled.
  • Portion the dough into 24 equal pieces (about 2.75 to 3 ounces each) and roll into a taut ball on the counter. Place each roll on a large, rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper, spacing about an inch apart to allow for rising (on a 11X17-inch rimmed baking sheet, I fit 24 rolls on the sheet - four across, six down). Cover lightly with greased plastic wrap. Let the rolls rise until doubled.
  • Bake at 375 degrees for 14-17 minutes, until lightly browned and baked through. Remove from the oven and brush with butter while still warm.

Notes

Yeast: if you need/want to use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, change the amount of yeast to 2 tablespoons active dry and dissolve the yeast in 1/2 cup warm water and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let the yeast mixture activate and foam (approximately 5 minutes) before adding it to the cornmeal mixture with the butter and 1/3 cup sugar.
Whole Wheat Flour: I've had good luck subbing in 50% white whole wheat flour for these rolls as well (if doing so, increase the kneading time by 2-3 minutes).
Flour: Also, as with all yeast doughs, I never use the flour amount called for in the recipe as a hard fast rule (unless a weight measure is given and then I pull out my kitchen scale). Because humidity, temperature, altitude and a multitude of other factors can impact how much flour you need in your yeast doughs, I always judge when to quit adding flour by the texture and look and feel of the dough rather than how much flour I’ve added compared to the recipe. This tutorial on yeast may help identify how a perfectly floured dough should be.