Soft Golden Sesame Dinner Rolls

These are classic soft, fluffy pull-apart dinner rolls with a golden crust and sesame seeds on top. They’re enriched with milk, butter, and egg for that tender, cloud-like texture that tears apart easily, just like the ones in the photo.

Ingredients (makes 12 rolls)

Dough

• 240 ml (1 cup) warm milk (about 40–45°C / 105–110°F)
• 7 g (2¼ tsp / 1 packet) instant or active dry yeast
• 50 g (¼ cup) granulated sugar
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 60 g (4 tbsp / ½ stick) unsalted butter, softened (plus extra for brushing after baking if desired)
• 1 tsp salt
• 450–500 g (3½–4 cups) all-purpose or bread flour (start with 450 g)

Topping

• 1 egg, beaten (for egg wash)
• 2–3 tbsp sesame seeds

Method

1. Activate the yeast
   In a large bowl or stand mixer, mix the warm milk, yeast, and a pinch of the sugar. Let sit 5–10 minutes until foamy (if using active dry yeast). Instant yeast can go straight in with the dry ingredients.
2. Make the dough
   Add the remaining sugar, egg, soft butter, salt, and most of the flour. Mix and knead (by hand or with a dough hook) for 8–10 minutes until the dough is smooth, soft, and elastic. It should be slightly tacky but not sticky—add a little extra flour only if needed.
3. First rise
   Place the dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about 1–1½ hours).
4. Shape
   Punch down the dough and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each into a smooth ball. Arrange them snugly in a greased 9×13-inch (or similar) baking pan or on a parchment-lined sheet so they touch and bake into pull-apart rolls.
5. Second rise
   Cover and let rise again until puffy and nearly doubled (30–60 minutes).
6. Bake
   Preheat oven to 180–190°C (350–375°F).
   Gently brush the tops with beaten egg and sprinkle generously with sesame seeds.
   Bake for 18–22 minutes until the tops are deep golden brown. If they brown too quickly, tent loosely with foil.
7. Finish
   Optional but recommended: Brush the hot rolls with a little melted butter for extra shine and softness. Cool slightly in the pan, then pull apart and serve warm with butter.

Tips for the photo-perfect result

• The milk + butter + egg enrichment keeps the crumb very soft and fluffy.
• Placing the rolls close together creates that classic pull-apart look.
• Egg wash + sesame seeds give the shiny golden top with the seed coating.
• Don’t overbake—pull them when deeply golden so the interior stays tender.
• Best eaten the same day while still warm (they reheat beautifully).

These match the soft, steamed-looking golden rolls with sesame seeds and the easy tear-apart texture shown. Enjoy!