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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Catherine M Anderson says
I had made another recipe prior to this one and wasn’t totally satisfied. I found this one and was 100% happy. Reminds me of the old days at school. They were light, fluffy and delicious. Can I make them ahead of time and freeze the dough?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Thank you so much Catherine!
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.
Iantha says
Omg these are indeed the best rolls ever. Entire family loves them. Had to restrain myself from eating all straight out of the oven. Thanks Trish
Laura says
I made these last night and they were awesome! Just moved and didn’t feel like digging out my mixer so I hand kneaded the dough. The rolls were absolute perfection. Used fresh milk and butter from my dairy farm—am making again tonight as requested by EVERYONE in the family! Thanks for a quick easy recipe!
Pamela D Lutz says
My stand mixer died and I was looking to see if hand kneading would work, first review I came across was yours! Thanks!
Katina A ricks says
I found your recipe a year ago, I love these rolls, and my family and friends do also, I actually lost the printed copy I had, so I had to go online to find it again.
Hema says
I made this once and turned out super yummy. Just like in the picture. Thank you so much for the recipe and the various tips. I wanted to find out if the dough can be made ahead and bake it when needed?
Erin says
I’ve made these rolls three times so far. The first two times I made the dough, let it rise twice, and baked right away. They were fluffy and amazing. The third time I got distracted with kid pick up and drop offs and didn’t get them into the oven until an hour or so after the last rise. They were still good but not as fluffy and had a slightly different flavor. They also stayed looking like the stretched dough when they were baked, instead of nice rounded tops like previous times.
Stef says
You can never make a yeasted dough ahead if you want good results. The yeast are living organisms, and they’re responsible for the beautiful rise and structure of the dough. Basically, the yeast produce gas as they metabolize the ingredients in the dough, and the proteins (gluten) and starches in the flour create a structure that holds the gas.
The yeast initially ferments, and then you have the two waiting periods–the first is bulk fermentation, and the second is proving (or proofing). In the recipe above, both are 30 minutes. If you go too long on either one, but especially the second one, you get huge bubbles in the dough and possibly a dense, sunken roll if the gluten structure collapses.
It sounds very complicated, but if you read about some of the science behind bread it can help with understanding why things did or did not work, and makes it feel like it has less to do with your own talent/luck/etc.
Allen says
The title says it all. This is now my go-to recipe for dinner rolls. I have made them several times without fail. I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so I use a method of measuring the entire dough ball for weight by grams, divide by 24 and use an electronic kitchen scale so everything comes out even. In fact, last time, they were so well-received, I didn’t actually get to eat one. all of my guests had them gobbled down before I could get there. I also have used the method of making my rolls in advance, freezing them for a day or so, and rising them and baking them. They came out perfect.. hands down, the best roll recipe I have found and used yet.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
This makes me so happy! Thank you so much!
Sarah says
So delish! I was asked to bring buns to a New Years Day dinner but all stores were closed. I decided to make them but only had 2 hrs to do it. This recipe saved the day and they were a hit 🙂
Thank you!
Alisa Conboy says
Just love this recipe, and I wish there was a way to quickly cook these up on a weeknight. Do you think they could be frozen, then take them out to do the final rise cycle and cook?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I have had readers do that successfully so absolutely!
“I also have used the method of making my rolls in advance, freezing them for a day or so, and rising them and baking them. They came out perfect.. hands down, the best roll recipe I have found and used yet.”
Alisa says
I’ve searched forever, looking for the best dinner roll recipe. THIS IS THE ONE. So good, and my kids commented that they taste just like the ones at Lambert’s Cafe in Sikeston, MO (we stop every single time we travel through there, and they are literally known for their rolls!). Thanks so much for posting this, because I’ll be making them for years and years to come!
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
High praise indeed! Thank you so much Alisa!
Crystal says
Excellent recipe!!! Thank you so much for sharing. I just took mine out of the oven and everyone’s raving about how good they are! I want to give Infinity stars but I’ll settle for 5 since I clearly have no choice!🙄🤣
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
LOL! I’ll take infinity stars any day!
Shannon says
My husband and I love this recipe. The rolls are perfect and so delicious every time. Was a hit at Christmas dinner. They are so beautiful too.
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
Thank you so much Shannon!
Rashelle SYTSMA says
These rolls came out sheer perfection!! One thing to note, in the recipe it calls for 2 tbsp., which would commonly be known as 2 Tablespoons, however I believe it should just be 2 teaspoons.
Leslie says
Perfect rolls. Big hit at today’s Christmas dinner. Thank you!
Leslie
Tesscod says
I needed rolls to take to a Christmas dinner and these were perfect. Easy as far as bread making is concerned. This will be my go to recipe. Thank you Trish
Olivia says
I made 75 for my extended-family Thanksgiving dinner and they were PERFECT. Now I’m making them again for Christmas. Thank you for this recipe!!
Adrienne says
I’m excited to try this recipe. I’m wondering if I could use margarine instead of butter or will that affect the texture?
Trish - Mom On Timeout says
I would definitely use butter if you can. I haven’t tested this with margarine.