Soft Dinner Rolls are the perfect companion to any main dish. These are soft, pull-apart bread rolls that rise beautifully. You will love that they are make-ahead friendly, so you can bake them fresh for dinner.
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Dinner Rolls Video Tutorial
We love easy bread recipes like No-Knead Bread, our famous Banana Bread, and of course Dinner Rolls. They are easy, have simple ingredients, and are approachable for any cook. Watch the easy video tutorial and you will impress everyone with your dinner rolls.
Whether you’re serving Potato Soup, a hearty bowl of crockpot chili, or your family’s favorite meatloaf, any menu is elevated by a good dinner roll. Keep this recipe in your back pocket and soon it will become second nature.
Homemade Dinner Rolls
Simply put, the process of making dinner rolls is split into three parts: preparing the dough, shaping the rolls and baking them. All you need is a very short list of ingredients which are pantry staples: milk, flour, sugar, yeast, salt, and butter.
How to Make Dinner Rolls
- Activate the Yeast: In the bowl of your mixer, combine milk, 1 Tbsp sugar and yeast and let sit for 5 minutes until foamy. Then whisk in melted butter, remaining sugar, and salt. Slowly incorporate the flour 1/2 cup at a time.
How do I know when I’ve added enough flour? The dough should feel sticky and tacky to the touch, but should not stick to clean and dry fingertips. Add the last 1-3 Tbsp flour only if needed.
- Knead Dough: Once your flour is in, continue kneading with the dough hook attachment for about 2 minutes. Kneading releases the gluten and makes it softer (don’t skip this step).
- Dough Rising: After kneading, you are going to oil a bowl and place your dough ball in it. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it rise for 2 hours or until doubled.
Can I Mix the Dough by Hand?
You can easily make homemade dinner rolls without a mixer. Mix the dough ingredients together in a large bowl using a wooden spoon or firm spatula. Once it comes together, knead with clean dry hands 10-12 minutes.
To knead by hand, press on the dough with the heel of your hand, moving in a forward rolling motion. Rotate your dough ball and repeat several times. Prepare to work those arms!
How to Shape Bread Rolls
- Divide the dough: Remove the dough and separate it into 15-16 even pieces using a bench cutter tool.
- Form the Rolls: To shape the dinner rolls, cup the dough between your fingers and thumb and roll the pieces into rounds on the countertop or over your other hand (watch the video tutorial to see how easy it is to form perfect dinner rolls like a pro).
- Let Rolls Rise: Place dough rounds onto a greased 9×13 baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and let it rest for another 30-60 minutes until puffed. (Note: Instead of letting the dough balls proof, you can freeze or refrigerate the dough at this point – see make-ahead tips below).
Pro Tip: Avoid over proofing your rolls. If they rise too much, you will exhaust the yeast and they can collapse.
Can I use a different pan?
If using a different sized pan, you can make more dinner rolls. You can make anywhere from 15-24 dinner rolls using this recipe. If you make the rolls smaller, they will rise a little faster and will need a little less time to bake.
Tips for Yeast Dough to Rise Faster
Yeast is activated by warm temperatures and moist environments. If you are running short on time, here are a couple of hacks to make your dough rise faster.
- Microwave (our favorite method): Place a damp kitchen towel in the microwave on high heat for 1 minute then place the dough covered in plastic wrap in the warm microwave and let rise with the door closed.
- Oven Method: Place your dough bowl into the oven with the light on. We use this method to make our Easy Cinnamon Rolls rise in half the time!
How Long to Bake Dinner Rolls
Bake your dinner rolls at 375˚F until golden brown (about 23-25 minutes). When the rolls come out of the oven, immediately brush them with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse salt.
How to Keep Dinner Rolls Warm?
After baking, transfer your rolls to a serving dish or bowl and cover them with a kitchen towel. This will trap the heat and keep your rolls warm.
How to Make Dinner Rolls Ahead of Time
- Refrigerate Formed Dough Rolls – once the rolls are shaped and placed into the baking dish, cover tightly with oiled plastic wrap to prevent drying out and place the rolls in the refrigerator up to 24 hours. On baking day, take out the rolls 2-3 hours before baking to allow the rolls to rise at room temperature. They should nearly double in size. Rising time can depend on your room temperature.
- To Freeze dinner rolls – instead of refrigerating the dough rolls, put them in the freezer. Once they are frozen solid, you can transfer them to a freezer bag if desired. Remove them from the freezer to thaw and rise about 4-6 hours before baking.
How to Store Dinner Rolls
- At room temperature – once rolls are fully cooled, place them into a resealable bag to keep them from drying out and store at room temperature for 2-3 days. Do not refrigerate or they will dry out.
- How to freeze baked dinner rolls – once the rolls are cooled, roll them individually in plastic wrap and place them in an airtight, freezer-friendly zip-top bag or airtight container. Freeze up to 3 months.
- Thaw frozen bread rolls at room temperature, then reheat in the microwave or cover with foil in the oven at 300˚F for 10-12 minutes. If you freeze them the same day they are baked, they will keep their freshness when thawed.
There is nothing like fluffy, warm bread rolls with honey butter or jam.
What to Serve with Dinner Rolls
A holiday table isn’t complete without homemade dinner rolls. Serve these alongside your roast turkey, mashed potatoes, and of course Turkey Gravy for an unforgettable dinner. We also love to pair dinner rolls with:
- Beef Stew – with tender morsels of beef
- Cheeseburger Sliders – dinner rolls make great sliders
- Creamy Carrot Soup – silky smooth and so satisfying
- Cabbage Soup – hearty and satisfying
- Minestrone Soup – pairs so well with rolls
Soft Dinner Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup whole milk, warmed to 110F
- 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1 Tbsp active dry yeast
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 1/4 tsp salt, (we used fine sea salt)
- 4 cups all-purpose flour, (minus 1 to 3 Tbsp) measured correctly
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted to brush the tops of dinner rolls
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt, to sprinkle finished rolls
Instructions
- In the bowl of your mixer, whisk together warm milk (about 110F) and 1 Tbsp sugar. Sprinkle the top with 1 Tbsp yeast and let sit 1 minute. Whisk together and let it sit for about 5 minutes until yeast looks foamy. Add 4 Tbsp melted butter, remaining sugar and salt.
- Add flour half a cup at a time until the dough whisking to incorporate. Once the dough gets too thick, switch to the dough hook attachment and mix on speed 2 (you can also continue mixing by hand with a stiff spatula). Add about 4 cups of flour, adding the last 1 to 3 Tbsp of flour only if needed. The dough should feel sticky and tacky but should not stick to clean/dry finger tips.
- Knead the dough with the dough hook in a stand mixer for 2 minutes or knead by hand (10 min), then place dough in an oiled bowl. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rise about 2 hours in a warm place or until doubled in size.
- Once the dough rises, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and cut it into 15-24 even pieces depending on the shape of your baking dish. Roll each piece of dough into a ball and place them onto an oiled 9×13 casserole dish or baking sheet.
- Cover the dinner rolls with plastic wrap and let them rise another 30-60 minutes in a warm place or until puffed (do not over-proof). Bake at 375F for about 23-25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown.
- Immediately brush tops of dinner rolls with melted butter and set aside to cool to room temperature before serving.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
First off, this dough is gorgeous! It came together really well. I opted for 24 rolls so we could make little sandwiches with our ham, I baked them for 11 minutes at 375 degrees F. I never knew my dad did not enjoy the rolls I grew up with and learned to make from my mom. This was our first Thanksgiving and Christmas and now New Years without her. I tried the cloverleaf rolls for thanksgiving and they were well liked by my dad and son. I did them again for Christmas and then decided to try these for New Years. My dad said, out of all the rolls you’ve made, I would chose these ones first. Huge compliment to you. Have a safe and happy New Years!
I am so happy you all enjoyed the Cloverleaf rolls. Those are honestly my favorite also. Thank you for sharing that with me!
I have used this roll recipe many times and it’s my go-to! I have made it with traditional ingredients and vegan ingredients. It works well every time!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, J!
Hi Natasha,
I baked these rolls a couple of times – great recipe, so easy to make, but they are a little bit too sweet for my taste. How much do you think is the minimum sugar needed for this recipe?
Hi Irina, I haven’t tested that with less sugar. If you experiment please let me know how you like that
Hi Natasha, your ingredients indicate you need 1/3 cup granulated sugar instead of 1 tbs.
Hi Clori. At the end of step 1, there are instructions to for you add the rest of the sugar 🙂
Have you tried this recipe with a gluten free flour? If so, are the measurements different?
Thank you.
Hi Deb, I haven’t tested this as a gluten-free recipe, so I won’t be able to provide any suggestions for additional modifications.
Made your rolls tonight as a test for Christmas Eve dinner and was the first time I’ve ever made rolls…my husband loved them. He said they were the best rolls he’s ever had! Thank you for a great and easy recipe!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Lisa!
Natasha, I follow you on Facebook and you always mention linking things in the NOTES, I have searched everywhere and can never find the notes. Can you steer me in the right direction ??
Hi Yvonne, when reading through the recipe post, any wording highlighted in red & underlined leads to a link to that item. If you are watching the Youtube video, open the video on youtube and click the read more drop-down to see full notes. Are there specific notes on a recipe you need help finding? Oh, and by the way, you can find our favorite kitchen tools in our Amazon Affiliate Shop HERE.
Not sure if I’ve commented before or not?? I’ve made this recipe several times,, and oh my gosh,, they are so good!!
Thanks for your awesome review, Geri!
Hi Natasha,
I just made these tonight and they are so good. I’ve been looking for a good yeast roll recipe and just like all the other recipes of yours these did not fail. I love the fact you show in videos how it’s suppose look during the process. I’ll keep trying different recipes of yours because I know it’s gonna be delicious. ❤
Hello Michelle, thanks for your good comments and feedback. I’m happy to know that you’re enjoying my recipes. I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try!
Will just one pack of yeast work instead of 1 Tablespoon? I never buy the jars. That might mean opening another pack for just a little bit of yeast.
Hi Morga, I would measure the packet into a tablespoon to ensure you have the right amount of yeast.
These were great, i didn’t use a casserole dish but instead placed them closely together on a cookie sheet and doubled the recipe. Turned out soft and delicious even on day 2.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Mira!
Hi Natasha! Thank you very much for this amazing dish! My rolls turned out a little wrinkled. I think maybe because I added too much flour? Please, share a tip how you make it so smooth and pretty looking!
Hi Daria, it’s hard to say what happened without being there. I recommend making sure all the steps are followed. If you’re worried about too much flour, be sure to measure by fluffing the flour first with a spoon, then spoon it into a dry ingredient measuring cup and scrape off the top. If you push your measuring cup into a flour bin, you will get up to 25% too much flour. Also, do not tap the flour down in the measuring cup.
THE BEST!!!! I have never been successful at rolls and this time I was!. I couldn’t get them to be smooth in the ball rolling, there was a bit of seperation, but it didn’t matter! Thanks you so much !
You’re welcome, Daphne. I’m happy to know that you loved these dinner rolls!
My 7year old grandson made these all by hand as we do not have a stand mixer. They were awesome. He also made your cranberry sauce, also outstanding. Brayden is your biggest fan !!! Thank you for all your recipies.
Yay great job to him! It is good to know that kids are already learning to cook at a young age, so inspiring!
I needed to cook a mountain of yeast rolls for Thanksgiving and decided to try a five different recipes. This recipe was hands down the very best of the bunch! I wish I had discovered it sooner, as I wouldn’t have even bothered with any of the others. There were delicious!!
That’s awesome! I’m really happy to hear that this was the best recipe for you. Thanks for sharing that with us.
Hi Natasha…these rolls are a family fave. I have a question tho…can it be made into loaves? I have several long loaf pans – approx 12″x4.5″. I was thinking of baking them at 350°F for about 20 or 25 minutes. What do you think?
Hi Laura, I have not tested that as a loaf, but I imagine it could work! If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe!
I tried it in a loaf. I used a 9×5 loaf pan and it still tasted great, but it wasn’t as soft as the dinner rolls. I baked it at 350°F for about 25 minutes. I’m not sure I’m going to make it as a loaf again. They’re just perfect as little rolls.
BTW, did you know that you can store your yeast in the freezer and it keeps for ages? I bought a 1 lb pack of yeast April 2020 and I’m still using it right out if the freezer.
Can I use bread flour will it change? I say the cloverleaf rolls and I saw you use bread flour and I was just curious if I could use it with this one
Hi Alyssia, we tested these with Bob’s Red Mill All-purpose flour. I think it should work with bread flour though, which tends to have slightly more gluten. If you experiment, let me know how it turns out.
What kind of thermometer do you use? I love your recipes I already have your sweet potato casserole, green bean casserole and garlic mash potatoes on Thanksgiving menu.
Hi Brenda, I use this Thermapen here for an instant read. This in oven thermometer is also a favorite!
Yes I was wondering if they can be made up a head of time and can you freeze them unbaked.
Hi Robbie, For Freezer-friendly dinner rolls, bake your rolls as directed. Allow them to cool completely, and then place them in an airtight, freezer-friendly container. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then reheat in the microwave or oven. If you freeze them the same day they are baked, they will keep their freshness when thawed.
I am new to baking bread and this is the second time I made one. It is definitely better than the first one I made. I saved the recipe! I’ll definitely be making this again! Thanks a lot!
I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe. Thank you for your feedback too!