There is something magical about walking into Golden Corral and catching the whiff of their freshly baked legendary yeast rolls. These are pillowy-soft, buttery rolls that have become legendary. Now, you can recreate the same irresistible experience in your own kitchen with this foolproof copycat recipe.
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What makes Golden Corral Yeast Rolls so irresistible?
When the rolls outshine the rest of the dinner, you know you have a real winner. These Golden Corral Yeast Rolls are soft, fluffy, and buttery with just the right amount of sweetness. They’re perfect for serving with everything from pasta to steak, and make a great alternative to toast for breakfast. Go ahead and bake a double batch, as they will sell out quickly.
Golden Corral-style Yeast Rolls ingredients and their roles
To make this Golden Corral Rolls recipe, you’ll need:
- Whole milk – enriches the dough to ensure the rolls come out light and flaky.
- Water – hydrates the dough and activates the yeast.
- Butter – Adds a rich, buttery flavor and a shiny exterior to the dinner rolls.
- White granulated sugar – feeds the yeast and adds sweetness.
- Instant or active dry yeast – provides the rise for the rolls.
- Egg – adds richness to the rolls and helps them hold their shape.
- Salt – enhances the flavor of the other ingredients and balances out some of the sweetness.
- Bread flour – gives the rolls more structure than all-purpose flour due to its higher gluten content.
How to make Golden Corral Rolls
To mix the dough and prep the Yeast Rolls:
- Pour the whole milk into a small saucepan over medium heat on the stove top. Stir occasionally until the milk begins to steam and small bubbles form around the edges of the saucepan. Pour the hot milk into the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Melt the butter in the microwave and pour it into the bowl with the warm milk.
- Stir in the warm water and sugar. Allow the sugar to dissolve.
- When the mixture is slightly warm, stir in the yeast. Allow the mixture to sit until it foams.
- Once the yeast mixture is foamy, add a whisked egg, salt, and about four cups of bread flour.
- Bring the mixture together using a dough hook attachment at low speed.
- Slowly add more bread flour while running the stand mixer until the dough forms a soft, sticky ball around the dough hook, and there is hardly any dough left on the sides of the bowl.
- Turn the dough out onto your work surface and knead until it becomes elastic, about 5 minutes more. Don’t add more flour. Instead, coat your hands in oil to prevent the dough from sticking to them. If you want, you can also finish kneading in the stand mixer. Just increase the speed to medium and mix until the dough becomes shiny.
- Place dough in a greased bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Punch dough down and divide it into 12 portions. Roll each portion into a rough square.
- Place the rolled dough squares onto a baking tray lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper. Ensure there is approximately an inch of space between them.
To bake the rolls:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F. Make sure there is a rack in the center of the oven.
- Cover the rolled dough and wait up to an hour until the rolls are puffy and touch each other.
- Bake the rolls for 15 to 20 minutes until they are lightly browned on top.
- Brush the top of the rolls with melted butter and serve warm.
What to serve with Golden Corral Yeast Rolls
These rolls are delicious with butter and jam, or try serving them with one of the following dishes.
Yankee Pot Roast. One of the best parts of a good pot roast is all the natural gravy. It’s like gold, and it’s an awful shame to leave any behind. That’s why you will want to have plenty of these Yeast Rolls to mop up those plates. This recipe for traditional Yankee Pot Roast is classic New England when it comes to taste and frugality. There’s nothing fancy here, but that’s why it is so darn delicious and easy to make.
Broccoli and Three Cheese Soup. Soup is good food. It’s easy; it’s cheap, and it can be very nutritious. However, it isn’t always fulfilling. Some soups need a few carbs on the side. Are you in search of a great new soup recipe? Try pairing Golden Corral Rolls with this Broccoli and Three Cheese Soup recipe. It’s rich and creamy, and a great way to introduce reluctant eaters to broccoli.
Sliders. The sweetness in these rolls shines brightest when paired with either tangy or spicy food. That’s why they’re great to use as buns for saucy Buffalo Chicken Sliders or a mini spicy Chick-fil-A Spicy Chicken Sandwich. But they also work well with the smoky bacon on Chili’s Big Mouth Bites.
Make-Ahead suggestions
You can prepare this Golden Corral Rolls recipe in advance, saving you a lot of time when making dinner.
Whether you plan to refrigerate or freeze the rolls, follow the directions for the first half of the recipe above.
If you plan to bake the rolls within 24 hours, cover the baking tray with plastic wrap and store it in the fridge. Remove the baking tray from the fridge about an hour and a half before baking to allow the rolls to come to room temperature.
For longer-term storage, cover the tray with plastic wrap and place the entire tray in the freezer until the rolls freeze. Transfer the frozen rolls to a freezer bag and store for up to two months. When you are ready to bake the rolls, place them on a baking tray to thaw (about five to six hours) and bake as above.
Storage & Reheating Instructions
- Counter Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days at room temperature
- Reheating Method: Place rolls in a deep baking dish and warm in a 350°F oven for 8-10 minutes until heated through
- Freezing: Baked rolls can be frozen for up to 1 month. Wrap individually and thaw at room temperature
More Golden Corral copycat recipes
Favorite copycat restaurant bread recipes
- Cheddar’s Honey Butter Croissants
- Fogo de Chao Brazilian Cheese Bread
- Little Caesars Breadsticks
- Macaroni Grill Rosemary Bread
- Saltgrass Steakhouse Shiner Bock Beer Bread
- Texas Roadhouse Rolls
Check out more of my easy bread recipes and the best copycat restaurant recipes on CopyKat!
Golden Corral Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1/4 cup water
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar (81 grams)
- 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons butter melted, divided use
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant or active dry yeast
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 cups bread flour (about 566 to 600 grams)
Instructions
- Heat the milk until it’s steaming and tiny bubbles form around the edges.
- Pour the hot milk into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Add the water, sugar, and 1/4 cup of melted butter and let cool until warm to the touch (like a warm bath). Stir in the yeast and let it sit for 5 to 7 minutes until foamy.
- Add the egg, salt, and 3 3/4 to 4 cups of bread flour. Mix and continue adding flour gradually until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl and forms a soft, sticky ball. Avoid adding too much flour. Continue kneading the dough on a low speed for 5 to 6 minutes until smooth and elastic.
- Let the soft dough rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- Punch down the dough and divide it into 12 equal pieces. Gently shape the dough into roughly square-shaped rolls. Place the dough on a rimmed baking sheet lined with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Cover and let rise again until the rolls are very puffy and touching one another, about 45 to 60 minutes.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and position a rack in the center of the oven. When the oven reaches temperature, bake the rolls for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown on top and bottom.
- Remove from the oven and immediately brush tops of rolls with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Serve warm.
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