Bread Machine Pull Apart Rolls

Soft, fluffy, tear-apart dinner rolls without the workout, that’s the promise of letting your bread machine handle the hard part. You add the ingredients, run the dough cycle, and the machine does the mixing, kneading, and first rise for you. No sticky hands, no watching the clock.

Once the dough is ready, the fun begins. You divide it into balls and crowd them together in the pan so their sides touch. That’s the trick to pull-apart rolls: as they rise and bake pressed against each other, they fuse into a soft batch with tender, steamy sides and golden tops you tear off one at a time.

Give the shaped rolls a second rise until they’re visibly puffy before baking, and brush the warm tops with butter for a soft, glossy finish. They’re the kind of dinner rolls that make a weeknight feel a little special, and they go with everything from a bowl of soup to a holiday roast.

Pro Tips

• Let the bread machine handle the dough cycle; it does the kneading and first rise so you only shape and bake.
• Arrange the rolls so their sides touch in the pan; that’s what gives soft, pull-apart sides instead of crusty ones.
• Don’t skip the second rise. Bake only once the rolls look puffy, and brush with butter for a soft top.

Variations

• Brush with garlic butter and herbs, or sprinkle with flaky salt or sesame seeds before baking.
• Work a little whole wheat flour into the dough, or add cheese for savory pull-apart rolls.