Homemade dinner rolls! Make the best soft and fluffy dinner rolls with this easy recipe! These yummy dinner 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 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)
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.
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.
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.
Tips For Making Dinner Rolls
- 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.
Commonly Asked Questions
- What if I don’t have a stand mixer? You can mix this dough by hand, and I recommend adding an additional minute or two to the kneading time.
- 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.
- How do I shape the rolls? I’ve added a video that shows different shapes of dinner rolls.
- Can I freeze the rolls? You can! Make the rolls through step 9. Place them in a freezer-safe dish, and wrap tightly. 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.
Storing And Keeping The Rolls
The rolls should be store, covered, at room temperature. These rolls should keep for up to 3 days.
More Dinner Roll Recipes!
More Dinner Roll Recipes!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!
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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 1/2 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, 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.
- 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
- 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 Information
Originally published 4/18/19. Updated with a video and new tips and answers 11/18/19.
Brenda says
Would I use the same amount of dry active yeast as I would instant yeast listed in the ingredients? Thanks!
Kate says
Yes, you will use the same amount of active dry yeast. You’ll just proof the yeast by mixing it with the warm milk and 2 tablespoons of the sugar and letting it sit for 5-10 minutes or until foamy. Then, you’ll mix the foamy (proofed) yeast along with the remaining sugar and the rest of the ingredients in step 2. Hope that helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions!
Misty says
Very good roll. Easy to make and great taste and consistency.
A few notes (some probably won’t affect outcome, but as info):
– I mixed the salt, yeast, butter, and sugar with the dough hook for just a few seconds before adding the egg. After letting the egg mix in for a few more seconds to break it up a little I started incorporating the flour. I started with the 3 cups first (make sure to spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level off- don’t dip the cup into the flour bag and pack it in the cup). I ended up using a full 5 cups of flour in this instance.
– I greased my 9 x 13 glass baking dish with butter (because you can never use too much butter).
– I baked them on the very center rack of my oven. I set the timer at 15 min. and the tops were starting to get fairly brown so I tented foil over them at around the 12 minute mark. The bottoms were still very light and I put them back in the oven for 3 more minutes. Oven times of course vary.
Kate says
Hi! I’m glad you liked the rolls. =) And thanks for taking the time to share your notes!
Katie says
These were the best rolls!! I’ve tried lots of recipes and this takes the cake!
Kate says
Yay!! Thank you so much!! =)
Lara says
The rolls and dough turned out great! However after 15 minutes the middle was quite undercooked. Had to bake for 15 minutes longer. But that could be cause I used a glass 9×13 container for baking.
Kate says
Hi! I’m glad they came turned out well for you! The reasons that I say “or until golden brown” is because oven temperatures can vary tremendously and baking dish materials can make a huge difference in the baking time. =)
Michael says
fabulous, the best I’ve ever baked!!!
Kate says
Thank you so much!
Izzy says
These rolls are so good! They will be on our Thanksgiving table.
Kate says
Thank you! I’m glad that you’re enjoying the recipe and that it will be a part of your Thanksgiving celebration. =)
Bonnie says
I have tried bread recipes so many times in the past with failures. Your blog and recipes like this has helped get beyond my flops and maKe a try at it once again. The kneading accessory on the mixer helps, too! After a huge success with your pizza dough, I just tried this yesterday. Although my rolls did not look as pretty and smooth as your pics, they are beyond wonderful rolls. I need to work on how to roll these in my hand before I place them in the pan – any pointers? I am thinking of inviting the whole family for Thanksgiving and making these! I’ll be a gramma who can actually make buns; I am thrilled
Kate says
Yay!! I’m so happy to hear that! Yes! I just made a video that shows how to shape rolls. I hope to have it up asap. =)
Caroline says
Hi Kate! Quick question, if I only wanted to bake half the dough, can I freeze the other half for another day? At what stage would I freeze it? The look fabulous! Thanks so much for sharing.
Kate says
Hi! Thanks! Once you’ve finished kneading the rolls in step 5, you’ll want to shape them and freeze them (without letting them rise). Also, if you’re planning to freeze them for more than a couple days, increase the yeast by 20%. Hope that helps!
Mary Victor says
Hi Kate, is it possible to roll the flour by hand instead of the machine. And if I do use my hand do I have to take note of any thing eg not to knead it too much etc
Kate says
Yes, you can mix the dough by hand. It takes more work, but it can be done! You’ll need to add an extra minute or two to the kneading time when making this by hand. Hope that helps!
Mary Victor says
Thanks Kate n will work on it and give you a feedback when I try the rolls
Gabi says
I read a similar recipe yesterday and it had potatoes filled in these rolls. How about you incorporate more ingredients like veggies etc in the filling of the roll?
Kate says
Hi! Are you looking to incorporate potato into the dough, or are you looking to fill the rolls with a veggie filling?
Linda says
I love your recipes! Can’t wait to try these rolls!
Kate says
Thanks! I hope you love the rolls. =)
Deb says
Easy and delicious!!! I will make these again and again and again.
Kate says
I’m so glad! Thank you so much for commenting! =)