Light, fluffy, buttery dinner rolls are impossible to resist. Homemade with just a handful of simple ingredients, the BEST Dinner Rolls can you be on your table in a jiffy. They really are the perfect addition to any meal but I love this easy dinner roll recipe with Buttermilk Ranch Oven Fried Chicken or these delicious Turkey Meatballs.
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The BEST Dinner Rolls
An easy dinner roll recipe needs to be in everyone’s repertoire. These dinner rolls are perfect. Like, truly perfect. Soft and fluffy, my dinner roll recipe is going to blow you away with it’s pillowy texture and buttery flavor. They are extremely versatile and a welcome addition to essentially every meal.
I am the biggest fan of carbs. There, I said it. I’m currently working with a nutritionist and I get 3 starches a day. It’s basically torture but I’m learning to deal with it. I pick and choose those starches verrrry carefully these days.
When I knew I was making these soft dinner rolls for dinner this past week, I took extra precautions to make sure I could have at least two of these amazing dinner rolls with butter and jelly. Although, to be completely transparent, they don’t even need butter. It’s more of a habit at this point.
You guys! Just look at these fluffy dinner rolls! I love that they have just a hint of sweetness but it’s not too much. They are perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, sandwiches – you name it.
They homemade dinner rolls are quick too! They do rise twice, for 30 minutes each, but start to finish, you’re looking at 90 minutes total and not a whole lot of work either.
I use my stand mixer and let the dough hook do the kneading for me. I’m using rapid rise or instant yeast in this dinner roll recipe so all the ingredients get dumped in together, much like you would in a bread machine. It’s basically the best thing ever.
Tips for Making Perfect Homemade Dinner Rolls
- This recipe comes together super fast so it’s nice to be prepared. Measure out all the ingredients before you get started so you can just dump them in the bowl of the mixer and get started.
- The milk is what activates the yeast so be diligent about checking for the right temperature. You’re looking for somewhere between 100-110F. I warm mine in the microwave in a glass measuring cup and then use this thermometer to check the temperature. If it gets too hot, let it sit until it reaches the right temperature. Killing the yeast is a big no-no.
- The first and second rise are both 30 minutes. Keep your rolls in a draft free location and cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap.
- Making the rolls the same size ensures an even baking time. I’m pretty good at eyeballing it but to be extra sure, pat the dough into a rectangle about 8 x 12 inches. Cut into 4 strips and then cut those strips into 6 squares for a total of 24 rolls. You can use a kitchen scale to weigh them.
- When rolling the dough into balls, I like to make them nice and smooth on top by pulling the “seams” down to the bottom and giving it a twist. That’s the side I place on to the baking sheet so the top is perfectly rounded. The video below will show you more of what I mean if that is unclear.
- Check the rolls at 12 minutes. If they are starting to darken beyond what you prefer, put a piece of foil over the top. I like my rolls a nice golden brown and once it hits that color, I know the rolls are done. Always check a center roll for doneness and then tent with foil if they need a few more minutes.
- Don’t forget to brush with butter! This is what gives the top of the dinner rolls that irresistible golden sheen. It’s super important 🙂
To Make Homemade Dinners Rolls, You’ll Need
How To Make Dinner Rolls
If you like this easy dinner roll recipe, make sure to check out this Cinnamon Bread and these Cheddar Bay Biscuits – so good!
The BEST Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 4 -5 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons rapid rise, instant yeast
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1½ cups warm milk , 110 degrees
- 5 tablespoons butter, softened
- 1 egg , room temperature
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
Instructions
- Combine 3 cups of flour, yeast, sugar, salt, warm milk, butter, and egg in the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Attach the dough hook and turn the mixer on to the lowest speed and mix until flour is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes.
- Add 1/2 cup flour and blend with the dough hook until incorporated. And another 1/2 cup flour and repeat, mixing at medium speed for another 2 minutes until a ball of dough is formed.
- Add additional flour as necessary. The dough should be slightly sticky and soft and pulling away from the edge of the bowl.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Let rise for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Remove the towel or plastic wrap and deflate the dough by punching down lightly.
- Pinch off pieces of the dough and form 24 rolls. You can weigh them to keep the rolls close to the same size. Mine were about 2 ounces each but this will vary depending on how much flour you added.
- Transfer the rolls to a lightly greased quarter baking sheet or 9 x 13 baking dish. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise for an additional 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake the rolls for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. If the rolls are getting too brown, just tent the rolls with foil.
- Remove rolls and brush hot rolls with the melted butter. Serve immediately or store cooled rolls in a plastic bag for up to 3 days.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Feeling all the carbs?? Make sure to check out these recipes from friends:
Brioche Loaf Bread | The Best Cloud Bread | Milk Bread
Some great appetizers to try!
Bacon Wrapped Chicken Teriyaki Bites
Cranberry Pecan Mini Goat Cheese Balls
For all dinner recipes, go HERE.
For all dessert recipes, go HERE.
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Jennifer says
Love these rolls. So soft and delicious. Also, used it to make WV pepperoni rolls. They were great. The sweetness of the bread pairs well with the spicy pepperoni.
Allyson Kelly says
Can you let them rise more than 30 minutes on the second rise? Like could I leave and go to church and just cook them when I get home?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
You will want to reduce the yeast by at least half if you are planning on letting them rise that long.
Meg says
Could you freeze these after you bake them?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
You can freeze the dough, here’s how:
Prepare the dough as directed, let it rise, and then shape the rolls.
Freeze the rolls on a parchment lined baking sheet or in a baking pan spaced out so they aren’t touching.
Place them in a ziploc freezer bag.
When you are ready to bake, let the rolls thaw and rise for about 4 hours at room temperature. The exact time will of course depend on warm your home is.
Then simply bake as directed.
If you prefer, you can also freeze the baked dinner rolls and let thaw for an hour or at room temperature.
Mimi says
Can you freeze the dough?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
You can freeze the dough, here’s how:
Prepare the dough as directed, let it rise, and then shape the rolls.
Freeze the rolls on a parchment lined baking sheet or in a baking pan spaced out so they aren’t touching.
Place them in a ziploc freezer bag.
When you are ready to bake, let the rolls thaw and rise for about 4 hours at room temperature. The exact time will of course depend on warm your home is.
Then simply bake as directed.
If you prefer, you can also freeze the baked dinner rolls and let thaw for an hour or at room temperature.
Bernadette Boulier says
Make these all the time they are the best ever!!!!!!! Great recipe!!!!!!
Molly says
These are my go to dinner rolls . We have family dinners two or three times a month, and every time, I am asked to make these. I have actually made these three times this week! Easy and delish!!
Lauren says
Absolutely amazing. I made these and got SO many compliments! You don’t even need butter with these… they are outstanding. Thank you!
Ericka Alvarez says
These rolls are AMAZING!! The only change I made was to use bread flour because I had some on hand. My family said they were better than any restaurant yeast rolls and ask when I would make them again. These are now in rotation!!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Fantastic! I bet they were super tender with the bread flour – yum!
PK says
Just made these but didn’t have a stand mixer on hand so I kneaded by hand for about 10 min and THEY WERE AMAZINGLY SOFT AND FLUFFY. I was a little apprehensive to try it without my mixer but this is definitely going to be a go-to for impromptu bake sessions!!
Sam says
Doubled it, put the rolls on a bigger sheet pan, and the middle and bottoms were still doughy after 25 minutes, tin foil used after 12 minutes. It worked eventually, and they taste good, but next time I double i will probably use two smaller pans.
L L says
I am not a very good cook, nor am I a good baker. Imagine my surprise when these rolls came out perfect the first time I made them!! And they are really easy! Thank you for a great recipe!
Chris says
Is it ok to cut the recipe in 1/2–will they still turn out?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Yes, you can absolutely cut it in half.
Pam says
Could you please tell me how to not have such a hard top on these rolls
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
You can cover with foil about halfway through. Mine aren’t hard at all but ovens do cook differently. That will help with browning as well.
Ashley J Vanover says
These rolls are AMAZING! Tried them last night and they came out beautifully!
Mark says
Hi Pam,
I make homemade breads, rolls, etc. and came across a trick from another baker that works very well to solve the hard top problem. When you take the bread or rolls out of the oven, leave in the pan, lightly brush butter over the top of them, put a sheet of parchment paper over them and cover the parchment with a dry dish towel. Leave covered for 10 minutes then uncover and take out of the pan.
Abbie says
This is best recipe for dinner rolls. I use all the time. When I want whole wheat or a mix of both flours. They are always so soft. My family loves them.
Thank you so much for this.
Carly says
This is an easy and super delicious recipe. Finally found my dinner roll recipe!