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    Home » Dinner Rolls

    Dinner Rolls

    Published: Nov 18, 2019 · Modified: Feb 16, 2022 by Kate · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Homemade dinner rolls! Make the best soft and fluffy dinner rolls with this easy recipe! These yummy rolls are so simple to make.

    Dinner rolls in a blue linen napkin lined basket.

    My family can't get enough homemade bread! Homemade bread is just one of those things that can't be beat.

    The smell alone is enough to bring even my pickiest kid to the table. But a lot of people find working with yeast and making homemade dinner rolls to be intimidating.

    So, let's fix that!

    I've included step-by-step photos, tips, and plenty of notes to help you make amazing dinner rolls.

    How to make dinner rolls (from scratch)

    Proofing yeast next to roll dough.

    Begin by mixing 3 cups of flour, yeast, sugar, salt, milk, butter, and egg in a mixing bowl until combined. Continue adding flour until a soft dough forms.

    The dough should cling to the dough hook and clear the sides of the bowl, and the dough should feel soft and slightly sticky but shouldn't come off on your fingers when you pinch it.

    After kneading, cover the dough and let it rise.

    Roll dough in a baking pan.

    After the dough rises, divide the dough into 24 pieces. There are notes just below the recipe that explain how I divide the dough.

    Place the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Cover, and let the rolls rise.

    Risen roll dough in a baking pan.

    Once the rolls have risen the second time, bake the rolls. If the rolls brown too quickly, tent the rolls with aluminum foil.

    The rolls should be golden brown. Once the rolls have finished baking, brush the hot rolls with melted butter before serving.

    A tray of dinner rolls next to a bread basket.

    Tips

    • Temperature: Temperature is important when working with yeast. The milk should be warm, but it shouldn't be hot. If it's too hot, it can kill the yeast.
    • Using a kitchen thermometer is the best way to check the temperature of the milk. There're about $10, and you can use a kitchen thermometer for a variety of cooking and baking tasks.
    • Butter and eggs:  the butter and egg should be at room temperature. Otherwise, if they're cold, they can bring down the temp of the dough and cause the rolls to rise more slowly.
    • Yeast: Using fresh yeast is key! Old yeast can lead to a dough that doesn't rise.
    • Flour: A range in flour measurements is given. You only need to use enough flour to form a smooth, slightly sticky dough.

    Recipe FAQs

    What if I don't have a stand mixer?

    You can make the dough by hand. I recommend adding an additional minute or two to the kneading time if mixing by hand.

    Can I use active dry yeast?

    You can! If using active dry yeast, combine the yeast, sugar, and warm milk in a small bowl. Let it stand for 5 minutes, or until foamy. If the yeast doesn't foam, start over, or the rolls won't rise.

    Can I freeze the rolls?

    You can! Make the rolls through step 9. Place them in a freezer-safe container, and wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Let the rolls thaw and rise through the second rise before baking. I recommend increasing the amount of yeast by 20% to help with the yeast die-off in the freezer.

    Storage

    The rolls should be store, covered, at room temperature. These rolls should keep for up to 3 days.

    A basket of homemade dinner rolls next to a stack of plates.

    More dinner roll recipes!

    • Hawaiian Rolls
    • 60 Minute Dinner Rolls
    • Butterhorn Dinner Roll Recipe
    • 30 Minute Honey Butter Rolls

    If you’ve tried this dinner roll recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. I love to hear from people who've made my recipes!

    You can SUBSCRIBE to receive my latest recipe newsletters or FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for even more delicious food.

    Dinner rolls in a blue linen napkin lined basket.

    Dinner Rolls

    Easy recipe that makes old-fashioned dinner rolls in about an hour and a half.
    4.96 from 21 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: bread
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 25 minutes
    Cook Time: 12 minutes
    Rising: 1 hour
    Total Time: 1 hour 37 minutes
    Servings: 24 rolls
    Calories: 133kcal
    Author: Kate @ I Heart Eating

    Ingredients

    • 4 -5 cups all purpose flour divided
    • 2 tablespoons instant yeast
    • ⅓ cup granulated sugar
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 1 ½ cups warm milk¹ about 105-110 F
    • 6 tablespoons butter at room temperature
    • 1 large egg at room temperature
    • 2 tablespoons butter melted

    Instructions

    • Grease a rimmed 9x13-inch baking dish. Set aside. 
    • Combine 3 cups of flour, yeast, sugar, salt, warm milk, 6 tablespoons butter, and egg in the bowl of a stand mixer.
    • Mix on low using the dough hook until the ingredients are combined. 
    • Continue adding flour, ¼ cup at a time, until the dough clears the sides of the bowl and clings to the dough hook. The dough should feel smooth and slightly sticky but shouldn't come off on your fingers if you pinch it.
    • Increase speed continue to knead on low for 2 minutes. 
    • Cover the bowl.
    • Let the dough rise for 30 minutes in a warm, draft-free spot.
    • Uncover, and deflate the dough by punching down.
    • Divide dough to form 24 rolls.²
    • Place rolls onto prepared baking pan.
    • Cover, and let rolls rise for an additional 30 minutes in a warm draft-free place.
    • Toward the end of the rising time, preheat oven to 375 F. 
    • Bake the rolls for 12-15 minutes, or until light golden brown.³ 
    • Remove rolls and brush with the 2 tablespoons melted butter. 

    Video

    Notes

    1. Anything from skim to whole milk will work. Whole milk will give you a richer roll. 
    2. I divide the dough in half. Then, I divide each half in half to form 4 pieces. I then divide each of the 4 pieces in half again to form 8 equal pieces. Each of those pieces I divide into 3 rolls to form 24 rolls. 
    3. If the rolls are browning too quickly, tent the rolls with foil.
    4. Nutrition values are estimates. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1roll | Calories: 133kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 18mg | Sodium: 139mg | Potassium: 48mg | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 150IU | Calcium: 22mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this recipe? Rate it below. Mention @i_heart_eating on Instagram & tag #ihearteating!

    Originally published 4/18/19. Updated with a video and new tips and answers 11/18/19.

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    About Kate

    Kate got her first cookbook when she was five years old, and she hasn't stopped cooking since then! Her delicious recipes have been featured on Food Network, MSN, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed, The Huffington Post, and more. When she's not cooking or baking, she can be found on her mini farm with her husband and her five kids.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Bev

      April 03, 2022 at 12:33 pm

      Hi. These look delicious. Are they a sweet bread (like Hawaiian)? I noticed there is a lot of sugar in the recipe.

      Thanks

      Reply
      • Kate

        April 04, 2022 at 10:58 am

        Hi! Thanks! No, they aren't sweet like a Hawaiian roll. The recipe makes 24 rolls, so maybe that's why it seems like there's more sugar. A lot of recipes make 12 rolls, which, if you halved this recipe, would be about 2.5 tablespoons of sugar. Also, you could reduce the sugar in the recipe to 1/4 cup, but I don't recommend reducing it any further. I hope that helps!

        Reply
    2. Sloth

      November 25, 2021 at 9:27 am

      5 stars
      I loved this recipe when I cooked it for Thanksgiving! So yummy!

      Reply
      • Kate

        December 02, 2021 at 2:08 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    3. Marla

      September 09, 2021 at 12:20 am

      5 stars
      This is the best bread/bun recipe I have ever made.‼️

      Reply
      • Kate

        September 09, 2021 at 1:15 pm

        Thank you! I'm so glad that they turned out well for you!

        Reply
    4. Trish

      May 10, 2021 at 6:36 pm

      I have made these multiple times and every time they turn out amazing! I am wondering if I could use wheat flour?

      Reply
      • Kate

        May 11, 2021 at 1:05 pm

        Thank you! I haven’t tried that with this recipe. When I sub in whole wheat flour in recipes, I start by replacing half of the ap flour and then go from there. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    5. Rose

      April 02, 2021 at 12:37 pm

      I’ve made these dinner rolls and they are absolutely delicious!

      Reply
      • Kate

        April 02, 2021 at 12:43 pm

        Thank you so much!!

        Reply
    6. Virginia

      April 02, 2021 at 6:55 am

      I really want to make these for our Easter Dinner. I don’t have time the day of. I saw some one comment and it says they made them, let them rise once, shaped the rolls covered and refrigerated over night. Then get back to room temp and bake. Have you tried that? Do you think it will work?

      Reply
      • Kate

        April 02, 2021 at 12:42 pm

        I haven't tried it with this recipe, but I think it would work!

        Reply
      • Barbara

        April 03, 2021 at 10:05 am

        I just made mine for tomorrow . Did the same thing last year. Soo good

        Reply
        • Kate

          April 03, 2021 at 8:27 pm

          Thanks!

          Reply
      • Theresa

        April 17, 2021 at 1:19 pm

        It would work with a traditional dry yeast but not a quick yeast

        Reply
    7. Sonia

      February 20, 2021 at 5:25 pm

      These are hands down, without a doubt the best recipe for rolls I have ever found! Thank you so much for sharing, my husband and I are addicted to them!

      Reply
      • Kate

        February 22, 2021 at 11:59 am

        Thank you so much!! I'm so glad that you like them!

        Reply
    8. Cassandra

      February 09, 2021 at 2:04 pm

      5 stars
      I've used this recipe a ton but we just found out my daughter has an intolerance to eating dairy & grain together, so I made them with coconut milk, and a vegan butter, and they still turned out fantastic. We have also had trouble finding a good hotdog bun, so with a bit of reshaping I made 6 hotdog buns, and 12 dinner buns. This Recipe freezes well, and has a permanent spot in our kitchen! Thank you

      Reply
      • Kate

        February 09, 2021 at 4:01 pm

        That's so hard! It can be so difficult trying to adjust to food allergies and intolerances! I'm glad that you've figured out a way to make this work for you! Thank you for sharing your notes about that.

        Reply
    9. Neil Jamieson

      February 08, 2021 at 11:24 am

      I would love to make these but May I use garlic butter instead of ordinary butter would it affect the dough.

      Reply
      • Kate

        February 08, 2021 at 1:33 pm

        Hi! I've never used garlic butter to bake rolls, so I'm not sure how it would work.

        Reply
    10. Suzanne

      December 31, 2020 at 11:39 am

      5 stars
      Made for Christmas 2020 -- sooooo good!
      I actually made them about 6 days before, wrapped them in saran-wrap in "rows" of three and froze in gallon storage bags. Just took them out of the freezer the day before and they were delicious!

      Reply
      • Kate

        December 31, 2020 at 3:39 pm

        Yay!! I'm so glad that they turned out well for you! Thanks for sharing your notes!

        Reply
    11. Brittney

      December 24, 2020 at 12:09 am

      I’m going to use fleischmanns Rapid release instant yeast. It says only one prove? This is my first time

      Reply
      • Kate

        December 24, 2020 at 9:44 am

        Hi! I've used that type of yeast before in other recipes. The yeast calls for one rise and one rest, and I think you'll be ok to just follow the recipe as-written.

        Reply
    12. Kim Grande

      December 11, 2020 at 7:51 pm

      5 stars
      Amazing! I made these on a whim for Thanksgiving 2020 & took them to a friend's house for dinner. Everyone was raving about them all day! Super simple & easy to follow recipe.

      Reply
      • Kate

        December 14, 2020 at 8:42 am

        Thank you! I'm so glad that they were a hit!

        Reply
    13. Amy

      November 26, 2020 at 2:18 pm

      I do not :( Should I get one?

      Reply
      • Kate

        November 27, 2020 at 8:35 am

        I think it's really useful to have one, and I use mine all the time. In the mean time, you can check the water by feeling it. If it's too hot for you, then it's too hot for the yeast, and it could kill it, which would keep your rolls from rising. You'll want it to feel like warm bath water, so hotter than lukewarm water and cooler than hot water. Hope that helps!

        Reply
    14. Katelyn

      November 26, 2020 at 11:50 am

      Can I make these in the morning and cook them right before we eat?

      Reply
      • Kate

        November 27, 2020 at 8:33 am

        I'm afraid that they would overrise if they sat for several hours.

        Reply
    15. Kaja

      November 26, 2020 at 9:50 am

      Hi! I’m excited to try these but what kind of butter am I using? Salted or unsalted?

      Thank you!!!

      Reply
      • Kate

        November 26, 2020 at 10:57 am

        Hi! I use salted butter in the rolls, but it’s really just what you prefer. Happy Thanksgiving!

        Reply
    16. Verónica D

      November 25, 2020 at 3:13 pm

      5 stars
      Best dinner rolls that have come out of my kitchen. Easy and soooo good.

      Reply
      • Kate

        November 25, 2020 at 7:53 pm

        Thank you!! I’m so glad that you liked the rolls!

        Reply
    17. Amy

      November 25, 2020 at 1:09 pm

      Hi, sorry, I't's my first time making dinner rolls (and bread), when it says "warm milk" does it mean room temp? Or do I need to microwave it until it's a certain temp? (If I need to heat it up, please tell me how warm it should be)

      Thank You. :)

      Reply
      • Kate

        November 25, 2020 at 2:20 pm

        Hi! No worries! =) No, it calls for the milk to be about 105-110F. Do you have a kitchen thermometer to check the temp of the milk?

        Reply
        • Pat H

          January 16, 2021 at 10:33 pm

          What kind of flour do you use?

          Reply
          • Kate

            January 19, 2021 at 1:54 pm

            The recipe calls for all purpose flour.

    18. Lisa

      November 25, 2020 at 8:36 am

      5 stars
      Can I prepare these in advance refrigerated until tomorrow then bake them?

      Reply
      • Kate

        November 25, 2020 at 9:37 am

        Hi! I haven't tried that to say for certain how it will work out.

        Reply
      • Meredith

        December 19, 2020 at 8:12 pm

        Yes! I made this recipe for Thanksgiving. And I have it on the menu for Christmas as well. I let them rise I made the rolls and then I put them in the refrigerator on the pan covered and took them out the next day to get to room temperature before baking.

        Reply
    19. Michelle

      November 24, 2020 at 1:02 am

      5 stars
      Hi! I made them twice and the taste is really good, but there must be something I am not doing right because it wasn’t soft and fluffy. Help!

      Reply
      • Kate

        November 24, 2020 at 9:03 am

        Hi! Thanks! Let's get this figured out! Can you tell me more about the texture of the rolls? That would help.

        Reply
    20. Jen

      November 21, 2020 at 9:49 pm

      Love this recipe! So much so in fact that we use it as our bread recipe now for sandwich bread as well as for rolls LOL I am allergic to sugar and we are dairy intolerant so I use coconut sugar and oat milk and they turn out perfectly. We do okay with butter so I use it still but usually goat butter.

      Reply
      • Kate

        November 23, 2020 at 12:43 pm

        Thank you! I'm glad you like them! Thanks for sharing your notes, too!

        Reply
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