Soft and fluffy with golden brown tops, these are the best dinner rolls! This recipe makes one dozen homemade rolls making it the perfect holiday side dish.
Homemade bread recipes are a must-make for the holidays! Potato rolls, French rolls and Texas Roadhouse rolls are other favorites.
Table of Contents
Homemade Dinner Rolls Recipe
If you’re looking for the best dinner rolls, you’ve found them here. I I adapted it from my famous homemade bread recipe then tested and re-tested this recipe to make sure they came out perfect.
This homemade dinner rolls recipe is made with 7 simple ingredients and is super soft, fluffy and has the best flavor. We love to enjoy them with chicken noodle soup or roasted turkey for a Thanksgiving side dish!
Dinner Rolls Recipe Ingredients
All you need is pantry staples to make the best dinner rolls ever!
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Flour: I recommend using bread flour when making this recipe. It has a higher protein count than all-purpose flour, which produces more gluten and a better texture. Learning how to measure flour accurately will also make a big difference in texture.
- Yeast and sugar: An active dry yeast makes short work of giving these rolls their necessary rise. Sugar helps feed the yeast and adds a little sweetness.
- Warm water: Make sure the water reaches 110°F so that it can activate the yeast.
- Butter: I use unsalted because I add salt to the dough. You can use salted butter and adjust added salt.
- Milk: The milk makes this dough incredibly tender and just a little sweet.
How to Make Dinner Rolls
The ultimate homemade dinner rolls take a little bit of time and love but the soft and fluffy results are well worth it. From start to finish you will never want to purchase store-bought rolls again!
- Proof the yeast. Place the yeast and 1/2 Tablespoon sugar in a small bowl. Pour warm water (not too hot) over the mixture and let sit it’s nice and bubbly, about 10 minutes.
- Combine wet ingredients. Stir together the melted butter, 2 Tablespoons sugar, milk and salt into a large mixing bowl. Once the yeast mixture is bubbly, add them together and mix.
- Add flour to mixture. Using a stand mixer with bread hook, pour in 1 1/2 cups of flour. Then add in 1/2 cup of flour at a time and continue to knead, until the dough is no longer sticking to the sides.
- 1st rise. Coat the ball of dough and sides of the bowl with shortening or butter. Then cover the bowl with a warm towel and rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
- 2nd rise. Once the dough has doubled, punch down, place on a floured surface and knead. Cut dough into four pieces. Roll each piece into 3 rolls then place into a buttered 9×13″ pan. Let the rolls rise again, until doubled.
- Bake in oven. Bake dinner rolls in the oven at 350°F for 15 minutes. When the center is cooked through, remove from the oven and coat the tops with butter. Sprinkle sea salt on top if desired. Enjoy!
Baking Tips
Follow these guidelines and you will have golden brown, soft and fluffy dinner rolls every time!
- Proofing yeast. After it sits for about 10 minutes, the yeast should be nice and foamy. The higher it bubbles up, the better! If it’s not bubbling at all, then it’s probably expired or the water you used was too hot.
- Use a dough hook. When making the dough, you can use a dough hook with a mixer or a dough whisk to whisk together the dough.
- Let dough rise. Make sure to place the bowl in a warm spot to rise. You can also place on top of a heading pad. Another way to help the dough rise is to turn the oven to 100°F and then turn off. Then place the bowl inside the oven and allow to rise there.
- Use foil if browning too fast. Tent with foil if the dinner rolls are starting to brown too fast.
Serving Suggestions
Homemade dinner rolls are best when they are fresh from the oven! For holiday dinners, you can prepare the rolls and then slow their rise by placing them in the fridge until ready to bake.
They are great on their own or impress guests by serving with cinnamon honey butter on top! They are also delicious with strawberry jam or apple butter.
After Thanksgiving I use the leftovers for turkey and cranberry sliders but they are also perfect for ham and cheese sliders, alongside any soup recipe, pot roast or salad.
Don’t stop with just these dinner rolls! Other favorites include Parker House rolls, Hawaiian rolls or these copycat Olive Garden breadsticks.
More Homemade Bread Recipes
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Best Homemade Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 cup warm water (about 110°F)
- 1 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 2 ½ Tablespoons granulated sugar , divided
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter , melted, plus more for tops
- 1 ½ teaspoons Kosher salt , or sea salt
- ¼ cup milk
- 3 cups bread flour , plus more as needed
- Shortening or butter , to coat dough ball
Optional: Maldon sea salt for tops; Butter and jam for serving
Instructions
- Activate yeast. In a small bowl, add 1 1/2 teaspoons yeast and 1/2 Tablespoon sugar. Pour 1 cup warm water (not too hot) over the yeast mixture and let it sit about 10 minutes, or until nice and foamy.
- Combine milk mixture in mixer. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a bread hook (or dough hook), stir together 2 Tablespoons butter, the remaining 2 Tablespoons sugar, 1/4 cup milk, and 1 1/2 teaspoon salt. When your yeast mixture is ready, mix until combined.
- Add flour. Add 1 1/2 cups of flour. Add in 1/2 cup flour at a time and continue to mix on medium speed, until the dough is no longer sticking to the sides. You’ll know it’s ready when your fingers no longer stick to the dough but it's still soft.
- 1st rise. Spread shortening or butter across the dough ball and sides of the bowl and cover the bowl with a warm towel. Set by the window and let rise about 1 hour, or until it doubles in size.
- Knead. When the dough has risen higher than the bowl, punch it down and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead the dough 2 to 3 minutes.
- Divide into equally sized rolls. Cut into 4 pieces. Roll each section into 3 rolls (they should be about 60 grams each). Place into a buttered 9×13-inch pan.
- 2nd rise and bake. Let the rolls rise again and once they have doubled, place them in the oven at 350°F for 15 minutes, or until golden brown and the center is cooked through. Remove from the oven and brush the tops with butter.
- Serve. Sprinkle sea salt on top, if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Recipe FAQs
Not at all! You can make this dough by hand, if you’d prefer. Use a large mixing bowl and a sturdy wooden spoon to form the dough and then knead by hand on a floured surface 3 to 4 minutes, or until the dough feels smooth.
Absolutely! Form the dough into balls and place in the baking dish, Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Let the rolls come to room temperature and let them rise until doubled in size before baking.
Sadly, not for this recipe. It was created using active dry yeast and it wouldn’t work the same. Try my ciabatta roll recipe instead!
Store homemade dinner rolls at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Freezing baked rolls: Let easy dinner rolls cool completely, then wrap each roll in foil. Place in a zip-top bag or freezer container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat in oven until warm.
Yes! To freeze the dough, place the shaped dough balls on a baking sheet and freeze. Then transfer to a zip-top bag or freezer container. When ready to bake, place on a buttered 9×13-inch baking dish and let rise for about 4 hours. Then bake as directed.
To freeze baked dinner rolls, cool completely, then wrap each roll in foil. Place in a zip-top bag or freezer container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then reheat in oven until warm.
Categorized as: American, Biscuits + Rolls, Bread, Christmas, Freezer-Friendly, Kid-Friendly, Thanksgiving, Yeast Bread
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
This recipe is now my go-to for dinner rolls. I’ve made them three times now and each time they don’t disappoint. I threw away all the other recipes I have for dinner rolls. Thank you, thank you , thank you.
I’m so happy to hear you have loved them! Thank you for your comment Marnie! :)
I was wondering if I could use the rest of evaporated milk instead of regular milk that I used in the bread
That should be fine.
Love these and how quick they are compared to other roll recipes. I even had to teach some friends how to make them because they loved them so much
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed them!
Any recommendation for making this dairy free? Thanks!
Hi Elli! I haven’t tried using dairy free substitutes in this recipe so I’m not sure. You could try almond milk and dairy free butter. Please let us know how it goes if you decide to give it a try! :)
Made these dinner rolls twice but it did not come out like yours but my family still loved it. I’m going to try it again (third time!) but would you give me some advice?
I kneaded it for a while but I needed to add about an extra 1/2 cup of bread flour for it to not stick to my fingers or should I have just kneaded it longer?
Baked it at 350 but it did not brown so at the end I baked it at 400 for a couple of minutes. It was the same in my Breville oven my regular oven
Thank you for all your amazing recipes!
Hi Charla! Everyone measures flour differently, so your dough may have needed the extra 1/2 cup to get the right consistency. I’m not sure why they did not brown, but I think you did the right thing increases the temp for a few minutes!
Super yummy! Made these for my hubby’s birthday dinner. Even my non-roll-eater 10 year old ate three! We enjoyed them topped with honey butter!! I used all-purpose flour and they turned out great.
I’m so glad you enjoyed them! :)
I love how fluffy and light these rolls baked up! They were totally irresistible!
Oooo, these look so light and fluffy! I know rolls are a side dish at thanksgiving but I could eat just these and have a little turkey on the side!
These came together easily and my whole family loved them! Only complaint.. not enough! :D
Can I do the diner rolls recipe with oil instead of butter and oat milk instead of regular milk?… in other words dairy free, because of my allergies.
Thank you for your help.
I haven’t tried it before so I’m not sure! Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Made these on Thanksgiving, they were a HUGE hit! Thank you!
I am SO excited to try these for Thanksgiving! I have been on the hunt for the perfect roll, and if they are anything like your bread, I know these will be a winner!
These dinner rolls are so easy to make! And they look fabulous!
Great dinner for busy weeknights!
These turned out so fluffy! Loved how simple the ingredient list was perfect!
These are really perfect dinner rolls!
I can’t wait to try this recipe! I love how soft and fluffy these are!! I bet they taste amazing!
So fluffy, so yummy, these are the perfect dinner rolls!