If you have ever lived in Utah, you know about these Lion House dinner rolls. The Lion House was formerly Brigham Young’s home, but it is now a restaurant and banquet/reception center. For years, my Great Aunt gave us each a traditional Christmas gift: an invitation to a dinner at the Lion House. She had a banquet there every year for her brother and sister, along with their entire families.

The rolls they serve there are out of this world. If you ever have the opportunity to try one from the restaurant, you should. They have shared the recipe, but to me, it’s still not the same as the ones from the actual Lion House.

The texture is a little different, but when you can’t have one from the restaurant, this recipe is the next best thing. They are also well known for their shape. That’s how everyone knows they are from the Lion House.

They are made like crescent rolls, except you shape the dough into a large rectangle instead of a circle. Then, you cut out smaller rectangles instead of triangles. More instructions are below in the recipe. I love to make these rolls for Thanksgiving.

These are usually paired with honey butter, so I have included that recipe, too. I prefer to eat them with plain old butter. This allows me to truly enjoy the flavor of the roll. The honey, to me, hides the delicious taste.

Ingredients to Make Lion House Rolls with Honey Butter

WATER
iNSTANT NONFAT DRY MILK (OR NON-INSTANT)
ACTIVE DRY YEAST
SUGAR
SALT
BUTTER, SHORTENING, OR MARGARINE (I USE CANOLA OIL)
LARGE EGG
ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR OR BREAD FLOUR
BUTTER
VANILLA
HONEY

How to Make Lion House Dinner Rolls

Prepare the Dough:

In a large bowl or the bowl of an stand mixer, combine the warm water and yeast. Let it sit for 5 minutes until the yeast is dissolved and foamy.
Add the dry milk powder, sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 2 cups of flour to the yeast mixture. Mix on low speed until the ingredients are combined and wet. Then, mix on medium speed for 2 minutes.
Add another 2 cups of flour to the bowl. Mix at low speed until combined, then continue mixing at medium speed for another 2 minutes. The dough will start to get stiff, and you may need to mix the remaining flour by hand.
Add about 1/2 cup of flour at a time and mix until the dough is soft and slightly sticky but not stiff. You may not need to use the entire amount of flour.

First Rise:

Scrape the dough off the sides of the bowl and pour about one tablespoon of vegetable oil around the sides of the bowl.
Turn the dough over in the bowl to coat it with oil, which helps prevent it from drying out.
Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise in a warm place until it doubles in size, about 45 minutes.

Shape the Rolls and Second Rise:

Scrape the risen dough out onto a floured board and divide it into two equal parts.
Turn the dough over so it is floured on both sides, and gently flatten it to about 1 inch thick.
Using a rolling pin, roll the dough out to a rectangle approximately 12 inches long, 8 inches wide, and 1/4 inch thick.
Brush the dough with melted butter.
Using a pizza cutter or a very sharp knife, cut the dough in half lengthwise to make two strips about 4 inches wide. Then, make cuts every 2 inches along the strips, creating about 12 pieces of dough.
Starting with the short end of one piece of dough, roll it up with the buttered side on the inside.
Place the roll on a parchment-lined or greased baking pan with the seam side down. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough, ensuring all rolls face the same direction on the pan.
Cover the rolls lightly with plastic wrap and allow them to rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Lion House Dinner Rolls | realmomkitchen.com

Bake the Rolls:

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).
Bake the rolls for 20 minutes or until they are light to medium golden brown.
Brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter immediately after removing them from the oven.

Helpful Tips for Making Rolls

Always add flour gradually and keep the dough as soft as you can handle. A soft dough will produce a lighter roll.
It is not necessary to use the entire amount of flour called for in the recipe—add only enough flour to make the dough manageable.

To shorten the dough’s rising time, use one of these methods:

When the dough is thoroughly mixed, oil the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Fill the sink or larger bowl with about 2 inches of hot water or enough water to come about half or three-fourths the way up outside the dough bowl. Place the bowl of dough in the bowl of water and allow it to rise until it doubles in size.
Before mixing the dough, turn the oven to the lowest possible temperature. Place a pan of hot water on the bottom oven rack. When the dough is thoroughly mixed, place it in an oiled bowl. Cover the dough with plastic wrap; place in the oven. Turn the oven off, shut the oven door, and allow the dough to rise until double in size, for about 50 to 60 minutes. Shape or cut into desired rolls. Place rolls on greased or parchment-lined pans and allow to rise until double in size. Bake according to recipe.
Brush the top of the rolls with butter when first taken from the oven.

FOR MORE Delicious Crepe RECIPES LIKE THIS, TRY:

Lion House Dinner Rolls

Real Mom Kitchen

5 from 2 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 20

Rising 2 30

Total Time 3 20

Course Breads

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Calories 141 kcal

Equipment

Kitchen Aid Mixer

baking sheet

Rolling Pin

Ingredients

▢ 2 cups warm water 110 to 115 degrees
▢ ⅔ cup nonfat dry milk instant or non-instant
▢ 2 Tbsp dry yeast
▢ ¼ cup sugar
▢ 2 tsp salt
▢ ⅓ cup butter shortening, or margarine (I use canola oil)
▢ 1 egg
▢ 5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour

Instructions

In large bowl or electric mixer, combine water and yeast; let sit 5 minutes. Add dry milk yeast, then sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 2 cups flour. Mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then for 2 minutes at medium speed. Add 2 cups flour; mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then for 2 minutes at medium speed. (Dough will be getting stiff and remaining flour may need to be mixed in by hand). Add about ½ cup flour and mix again, by hand or mixer. Dough should be soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff (It is not necessary to use the entire amount of flour).
Scrape dough off sides of bowl and pour about one tablespoon of vegetable oil all around sides of bowl. Turn dough over in bowl so it is covered with oil. (This helps prevent dough from drying out). Cover with plastic and allow to rise in warm place until double in size, about 45 minutes.
Scrape dough out onto floured board. Divide dough into two. Turn dough over so it is floured on both sides; gently flatten to about 1 inch thick. With rolling pin, roll out to a rectangle about 12 inches long, 8 inches wide, and ¼ inch thick. Brush with melted butter. With pizza cutter or very sharp knife, cut dough in half to make two strips about 4 inches wide. Make cuts through strips of dough every 2 inches, making about 12 pieces of dough.
Starting with short end, roll up one piece of dough, with butter on the inside. Place roll on parchment-lined pan with other short end down on the paper (I just use a greased pan). Repeat with remaining pieces of dough. Be sure all rolls face the same direction on baking pan. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise until double in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, or until light to medium golden brown. Brush tops of rolls with melted butter. Makes 2 dozen rolls.

Nutrition

Keyword best dinner rolls, Lion House, Utah rolls

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Honey Butter

Real Mom Kitchen

5 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10

Course Breads

Cuisine American

Servings servings

Calories 83 kcal