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The AMAZING Legendary Lion House Rolls Recipe

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No trip to the Lion House Pantry is complete without one of their large, billowy rolls. This is the amazing and legendary Lion House Rolls recipe so you can wow your friends and family no matter where you live – including our best tips for success.

Lion House Rolls

Deseret Book Lion House Rolls

When I shared my round-up about 15 unique stuffing recipes, I mentioned that one of my favorite parts of Thanksgiving dinner is the rolls!

I definitely can’t help but grab several rolls throughout the day…and I’m always excited when there are leftover ones!

And as much as I love Rhodes rolls (I really, really do) the best rolls are always homemade. Sadly, those can be hard to master! But when you do master them…it is oh, so worth it.

So, today, I want to share with you my very favorite homemade roll recipe, that also happens to be very easy (especially if you have a mixer with a dough hook!

Meet the Lion House Roll:

Lion House Dinner Rolls

So, unless you are from Utah, or you’re a Latter-day Saint, or you have Latter-day Saint friends, you are probably asking…what the heck is a Lion House Roll?

Well, they are rolls made at the Lion House Pantry. The main restaurant is in Salt Lake City, but mini versions are scattered throughout the United States in Deseret Book stores.

They make these rolls fresh, and you can even order them for events. And they are SO good.

Let me explain them a little bit — they have a slightly sweet taste to them, which is nicely balanced with a flaky, buttery outside.

And the inside? Oh…the inside is absolutely heavenly. It’s so soft and fluffy. It’s completely impossible to eat just one. I dare you to try.

Ever since I got my hand on a recipe a few years ago, they are definitely my go-to homemade roll recipe. I love that they are super easy, but taste incredible. I’ve honestly never tasted another roll like them.

And, best of all, the freeze really well!

Croissants

Anyways, before I get to the part you’ve all been waiting for (the recipe) here are just a few tips.

You might have seen this recipe around the web before, but my recipe is the best (in my opinion!)…because I’ve taken all the tips and tricks from different recipes, to hopefully create the ultimate guide!

Croissants

Lion House Rolls Recipe

A few notes on making these rolls (or any rolls, really):

  • As with all bread recipes, don’t add all the flour the recipe calls for at once. Add it in about 1/2 cup at a time. Depending on where you live, you may need more or less than a recipe calls for. You can always add more, but you can’t take it out! I’ve been told one of the biggest reasons people don’t succeed in making rolls is because they use too much flour! The dough for this recipe needs to be slightly firm, not super sticky, and definitely not dry.
  • Use either a handheld mixer or a stand mixer. Making these with a wooden spoon or spatula will be a lot harder. A bonus would be if you have a dough hook attachment!
  • I’m pretty much terrible and rolling them as the Lion House does…but here’s a video on how to roll a perfect Lion House roll. Basically, you take the strip of dough, stretch it, and flip it over itself…and that sounds really confusing, so just watch the video.
  • You want to place about 1 inch apart while cooking. This gives them room to rise and eventually touch the rolls next to them (so they don’t fall) but also don’t squish them!
  • They are easy to make the night before and store. If you do this, place them in a large, gallon-sized Ziploc bag but DO NOT seal the bag. If you do, the inside of the bag will become wet…and so will your rolls. No one likes soggy rolls! Let the bags stay open for a few hours, at least.
  • If you are making them ahead of time, I would recommend placing them in the oven for about five to 10 minutes, just on a warming setting, and then brushing them with the last coat of butter (skipping it the night before.) If you want to do this part the night before, that’s fine, but
  • When reheating, 15 seconds in the microwave will do the trick and they will taste {{almost}} like you just took them out of the oven!
  • To freeze the rolls (uncooked), place them about 1 inch apart on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Put in the freezer until firm (about 2 hours.) Place in Ziploc bag — they will last up to about four months in the freezer. When you want to cook them after freezing, let them rise until they double on a cookie sheet, and the cook according to the original instructions.
  • Have the recipe on hand, because people are definitely going to be asking for it.
Croissants
A doughnut sitting on top of a wooden table

Legendary Lion House Rolls Recipe

Yield: About 15 rolls

Ingredients

  • 2 cups warm water
  • 2/3 cup nonfat dry milk
  • 2 tablespoons dry yeast
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/3 cup melted butter
  • 1 large egg
  • 5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
  • About 1/2 cup melted butter (divided) for topping

Instructions

  1. In a large mixing bowl (preferably of a stand mixer), combine the water and dry milk. Stir until milk dissolves. Add yeast and let it set for about five minutes.
  2. Add in the sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 2 cups of flour.
  3. Mix ingredients lightly until moistened, and then mix for about 2 minutes on medium speed.
  4. Add 2 more cups of flour, mix lightly until moistened, and then mix again for 2 minutes on medium speed.
  5. At this point, add 1/4 cup flour at a time, mixing in between additions to make sure the dough isn't getting too stiff or dry. After the dough is ever-so-slightly sticky, but soft, stop adding flour.
  6. If you were using a dough hook, the dough should already be in a nice, round bowl. Otherwise, gently fold down into a soft ball.
  7. Place dough in a well-greased bowl, and cover with plastic wrap or kitchen towel for about 45 minutes (or until it's doubled)
  8. When the dough has doubled, roll it out on a floured surface into a large rectangle (about 18 inches by 8 inches.)
  9. Brush the dough with about 1/4 cup melted butter
  10. Cut the dough with a pizza cutter down the center.
  11. To cut the roles, cut rectangles about 2 inches wide (starting at the edge of the dough, and cutting toward the middle cut line)
  12. To roll the rolls -- stretch the dough slightly, take one of the narrow edges, and in one motion, flip the other end of the dough over the end you are holding, and you have the perfect roll. See video I referenced for a better explanation. Alternatively, you can just take one edge, and roll it up to the other edge.
  13. Place on a well-greased cookie sheet, about one inch apart, and let rise until doubled in size.
  14. Bake for 13-15 minutes at 375 degrees. Brush immediately with butter after taking out of oven (unless you are freezing them, or making them the night below. See instructions in post for this situation)
Nutrition Information:
Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 4573Total Fat: 162gSaturated Fat: 98gCholesterol: 421mgSodium: 5222mgCarbohydrates: 660gSugar: 80gProtein: 117g
© andreas

Katie is a Colorado-native, BYU graduated, and most importantly, wife to one and mother to three beautiful boys. She is passionate about sharing her experiences with others - especially about pregnancy, breastfeeding, cooking, and crafts. She is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. She loves spending time with her family and helping others find joy in family life.

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