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
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Is it possible to use this same recipe and process to make two loaves of bread? If so, how would you do it? I’ve never made homemade rolls, and these were amazing on Thanksgiving! 🙂
I bet this will work great doubled. I hope you love this recipe!
I just wanted to say thanks for publishing this recipe. I love it for so many reasons: (1) they’re delicious! (2) they’re egg-free (allergies) (3) it always turns out well. The children went wild over them!!
That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great!
What would happen if after the 1st proofing I do not have time to form rolls for the 2nd proofing? After the 1st rise, can I refrigerate the dough and then the next day after letting dough sit out couple hours can I form the balls and then put in oven? Thanks in advance.
Hi RS, I haven’t tried that with this recipe to say for sure. Usually I would form the rolls and then do a slow cold fermentation if I was doing an overnight dinner roll.
Stumbled across this recipe and they were an absolute HIT at Thanksgiving dinner yesterday! Looked at your other recipes and today made the cinnamon rolls…👌🏻perfection! Thank you!! I looked for a recipe for an Amish-style white bread recipe of yours but haven’t found one…would you happen to have one? THANK YOU for sharing your great recipes!!
Hi Adrienne! Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback.
I’m sorry, I do not have a recipe for Amish white bread.
Love these rolls! I used to make them every year following this recipe exactly. About a year ago I got into sourdough and for thanksgiving this year I swapped the yeast in this recipe for 200g of sourdough starter. They are delicious! Next time I may try swapping the sugar for honey or maple, but this is a great recipe so ty!
Can these be made with instant yeast?? That’s all I have but I’m not sure what type of modifications to make
Hi Becca! With instant yeast, you’d skip the proofing step initially and just whisk together the wet ingredients then add yeast with your first cup of flour. I hope that helps.
Absolutely perfect recipe!! I did all of the mixing with the dough hook. Made 12 rolls in a 13×9 cake pan. It’s a keeper
I have used two of your recipes today, the Pecan pie bars and the pumpkin cheesecake. Both have turned our perfectly.
Can I use 2% milk for this dinner roll recipe?
Hello! I imagine that would be fine. I hope you enjoy it!
Having Thanksgiving lunch at 11 am, thinking of baking the rolls this evening. How would you recommend re heating, or can I?
HI Amber, I think these taste the absolute best when they are made fresh but when you’re having an early meal, you’ll probably appreciate our Make-ahead tips and storage tips which are towards the bottom of the recipe post.
Can I place rolls in fridge before second rise ?
Hi Linda, yes, see the Make-ahead section for more helpful tips on that.
Dinner rolls ahead of time, do I wait 2hrs for the dough to rise and then roll the shape balls and place it on the baking pan tightly oiled plastic wrap. Then, place it in the refrigerator to bake the next day. or should not let the dough rise just make the rolls shape and place it in the baking pan tightly with oil. place it in the refrigerator for the next day.
Hi Gardenia, I would shape the rolls and then cover with oiled plastic wrap and refrigerate. See the sectioned titled: “How to Make Dinner Rolls Ahead of Time” for more helpful tips.
love all your recipes just made cloverleaf rolls delish
Natasha,
I made these rolls last year for Thanksgiving and they were such a hit I am making them again this year! I’m wondering if you have ever doubled this recipe or if I should make 2 separate batches. There just wasn’t enough even with all the other food we had. They are so easy to make and very delicious! Though I haven’t found a recipe of yours that hasn’t been a big hit at our house. Now when I need a recipe I just type in your name. I have binders of your recipes I have printed off. My daughter who recently moved out asked for your cookbook for Christmas. So, when my other daughter asked me if there was anything I wanted for Christmas I knew exactly what I was asking for too! Thanks for all the delicious meals you helped me make for my family and the great videos, you make everything look easy and are so much fun to watch. You make me want to cook everything!
Thanks again, Happy Holidays!!!
Hi Deena! Happy Holidays! I bet this will work great doubled. I hope you love this recipe!
I made these for Thanksgiving last year, they were so easy to make and so delicious! Everyone loved them so much I’m making them again this year! This will always be the only dinner roll recipe I will ever make.
Hi Natalya. I want to make these for Thanksgiving. I read your reply to other posters about baking before time and storing until ready to consume the next day but I don’t see the “Make Ahead” note within your recipe. Please explain how you suggest we do that. Thanks.
Hi Mike! I’ve updated this section in the blog post and added some additional information now. I hope that helps! Happy Thanksgiving!
Can anyone help me? I followed the directions but my rolls seem a bit dense. Where did I go wrong? I did touch the dough while kneading it in the mixer. It stuck to my fingers so I kept it going in the mixer with a few T of flour for a few more minutes. Did I knead too long? Not enough? I’m so frustrated but I really want to nail this for Thanksgiving. Also, my yeast was not quite as bubbly as the video – should I have let it sit longer? I checked the temp of the milk with a thermometer.
Hi Kathleen, a few things to consider – When proofing the dough initially, did you let it double in size? Also, make sure not to over-proof or it will exhaust the yeast and it won’t get a good final rise. This is also the case when they are in the baking pan and rising – make sure not to overproof. Also make sure your milk is just warm and not hot which could deactivate your yeast. If you proof in too warm of an oven, it can also exhaust your yeast .I hope that helps!
Can I make these a day ahead of time and then bake the day of?
Hi Heather! I haven’t tested that. We usually bake them once the dough is ready. See my make ahead notes above for recommended tips or my
notes for making your yeast dose rise faster if you’re short on time.
Hi Heather! I’ve provided some additional information in the post for making these ahead of time. Please see my “make-ahead” notes above.
Thank you so much! I’m so excited to make these along with the many other recipes I’m using from your site! Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi Natasha!
Love your recipes and videos! Thank you for your effort of putting them together.
Regarding the dinner rolls… do I need to preheat the oven to 150F, once it reaches the temperature then keep it on for 2 minutes before turning off and placing the dough in the oven basically at 150F or do I turn on the oven at 150F and whatever temperature it reaches in two minutes that’s what I should let the dough rise at? I have never tried to make my own bread or rolls, so appreciate the help.
Hi Zsuzsa! No. You do not wait until it reaches temperature. You just turn your oven on to the lowest temperature (which is usually 150) let it warm up for 2 mins then turn off the oven and place your dough in. I hope that helps clarify.
I never get the temperature of the milk right…. any hints??? What do you check the temperature with? Maybe tell me how long to heat it in the microwave… I really want to make these rolls for Thanksgiving.
Hi Dianna! The best way to tell is to use a Food thermometer (Amazon affiliate link).
mine per her recipes using the microwave for raising them, they came out perfect light and fluffy and delicious.
I’m glad they came out perfect, Dana. Thank you so much for sharing that with me.