Homemade dinner rolls! Make the best soft and fluffy dinner rolls with this easy recipe! These old fashioned rolls are so simple to make.
My family can’t get enough homemade bread! Homemade bread is just one of those things that can’t be beat.
The smell of baking bread 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.
And the rolls definitely are amazing! They are soft and fluffy, old-fashioned homemade dinner rolls. Give this dinner roll recipe a try, and you’ll find these rolls make a lovely side for weeknight and holiday dinners alike!
How to make dinner rolls (from scratch)
Step 1: Begin by mixing 3 cups of flour, yeast, sugar, salt, milk, butter, and egg in a mixing bowl until combined.
Step 2: Continue adding flour until a soft dough forms.
Step 3: 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.
Step 4: After kneading, cover the dough and let it rise.
Step 5: After the dough rises, divide the dough into 24 pieces.
Tip >> 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.
Step 6: Place the dough onto the prepared baking sheet. Cover, and let the rolls rise.
Step 7: Once the rolls have risen the second time, bake the rolls.
Tip >> If the rolls brown too quickly, tent the rolls with aluminum foil.
Step 8: The rolls should be golden brown. Once the rolls have finished baking, brush the hot rolls with melted butter before serving.
Recipe 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 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
You can make the dough by hand. I recommend adding an additional minute or two to the kneading time if mixing by hand.
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.
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 dinner rolls should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature. These rolls should keep for up to 3 days.
More dinner roll recipes!
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Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 4 -5 cups all purpose flour divided
- 2 tablespoons instant yeast
- 1/3 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 9×13-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, 1/4 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.
- 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
- Anything from skim to whole milk will work. Whole milk will give you a richer roll.
- 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.
- If the rolls are browning too quickly, tent the rolls with foil.
- Nutrition values are estimates.
Nutrition
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Originally published 4/18/19. Updated with a video and new tips and answers 11/18/19.
Reader Interactions
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Comments & Reviews
Danielle says
Can these be frozen after baking and reheated in the oven to serve? I’d like to get up a stock of bread and rolls for quick fixing meals and don’t want to have to wait for them to thaw and rise. Chasing toddlers all day sometimes leaves me with little time to throw supper together. Thanks!
Kate says
I get that! Yes, these dinner rolls freeze well.
Emily says
Do you usually use salted or unsalted butter?
Kate says
I use salted butter.
Cathy says
I’ve made these rolls a few times now, the recipe is easy to follow and they taste yummy. However after baking them for usually around 17 min, the tops are brown but the bottom part ends up quite doughy. Not sure how to avoid that.
Kate says
Hi! This sounds like an oven temperature issue. Ovens can vary in their actual temperature, and, from what you’re describing, it sounds like your oven bakes hot. I would try turning the oven down to 350F next time to give the dough time to cook through before the tops brown. The other thing that you can try is tenting aluminum foil over the pan. This will allow the rolls to continue to cook through without continuing to brown on top. I hope that helps!
Shelley says
Can I make these and cook them tomorrow
Kate says
Hi! I hope you see my response. =)
Shelley says
Can I make them and leave in frig to bake tomorrow ?
Kate says
I haven’t tried letting these rolls rise overnight in the fridge to say for certain. I would guess that they would work out well, but I haven’t tried it.
Pat says
These are delicious!! Would this recipe work for a loaf?
Kate says
Thank you! I haven’t tried making the roll dough as a loaf. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Rachel Thompson says
I want to freeze these. Do I do that between risings?
Kate says
To freeze the rolls, 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.