Scallion Milk Bread Rolls

Milk bread dinner rolls have a reputation for being impossibly soft, and these scallion-swirled beauties fully deliver. The secret is a tangzhong, a quick cooked paste of milk and flour that locks in moisture and gives the dough remarkable extensibility. That simple step, done in mere minutes on the stovetop, translates to a dough that rises like a dream and bakes into feathery rolls with a delicate pull. Here, softened butter and a generous amount of scallions get spread over the dough before it’s rolled and sliced like savory cinnamon rolls, so every bite has a ribbon of aromatic, gently oniony richness. An egg wash adds a bakery-style sheen and gorgeous color.

This recipe is designed for reliability on a busy holiday timeline. It’s incredibly forgiving and can be made entirely ahead and held for days or made partially and refrigerated overnight. Prefer slightly smaller rolls to feed a bigger crowd? There’s a tested option to make 15 rolls instead of 12, by adjusting the size of the dough and bake time (see Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen). The result is a pan of soft, glossy rolls that are subtle enough to play well with a Thanksgiving spread yet flavorful enough to crave all year round. 

Scallion Milk Bread Rolls are fantastic warm with dinner and brilliant for next-day sandwiches, and they also freeze beautifully so you can get a head start on holiday cooking. If you’re looking for a crowd-pleasing roll that delivers again and again, this is the roll to bake.

Bake it in a loaf pan

If you’d like to skip making rolls and make this bread into a single loaf, simply roll the dough into a 13- x 10-inch rectangle instead of a 16- x 13-inch rectangle in step 5. Skip cutting the bread into rolls, and instead, tuck the roll into a pullman loaf pan or a parchment paper–lined 9- x 5-inch loaf pan. Continue with step 6. Bake the loaf until golden on the outside and fully cooked through, about 30 minutes.

Why it’s worth it to buy bread flour  

Bread flour has a higher protein content (about 12–13%) than all-purpose (10–11.5%), so it can form a stronger gluten network that traps gas and yields taller, chewier loaves. All-purpose flour is more versatile, but it develops less strength and absorbs slightly less liquid. In milk bread, which is enriched with milk, sugar, butter, and a tangzhong, bread flour’s extra protein and absorption counteract gluten-shortening fats and sugar, supporting feather-soft strands, a fine crumb, lasting loft without collapsing, and improved overall resilience.

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen 

• We use Diamond Crystal kosher salt, which has a larger grain size than Morten’s. If using Morten’s, reduce the salt to 1 1/4 teaspoons.
• For the second proof, “puffed” is your cue; over-proofing until doubled can reduce the roll’s pull and oven spring.
• Both the light and green parts of the scallion work in this recipe. If you’re making 15 rolls, add a touch more butter, and extend bake time as noted.
• To make 15 slightly smaller rolls, proceed through step 3. In step 4, add 2 additional tablespoons of butter to the scallion mixture. In step 5, roll dough to an 18- x 15-inch rectangle. Fill and roll dough as directed, and then cut log crosswise into 15 (about 11/4-inch-wide) slices; proceed with recipe. In step 7, bake as directed.

Key steps

1. Roll It Up: Spread scallion butter filling over dough, making sure to leave a 1-inch border on the long sides. Starting from the long side closest to you, roll dough into a tight spiral log. 

2. Cut into Slices: Slide unflavored dental floss under log. Wrap the floss around the top, and pull in opposite directions to glide the floss through the dough at 11/4-inch intervals into 12 pieces. 

3. Bake: Place rolls in a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking pan. Let proof at room temperature until puffed. Brush rolls with an egg wash just before baking to make them golden and shiny.