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Dinner Rolls

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close up shot of Dinner Rolls in a baking dish
These classic, fluffy, homemade dinner rolls are the perfect, delicious rolls your whole family will love!
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Table of Contents
  1. Dinner Rolls Ingredients
  2. Substitutions And Additions
  3. How To Make This Dinner Rolls Recipe
  4. How To Serve
  5. Storage
  6. Frequently Asked Questions
  7. More Recipes You’ll Love
  8. JUMP TO RECIPE
  9. Even More Easy Recipes

Make fluffy, soft-as-a-cloud, homemade dinner rolls as a side dish for your next meal using these simple directions. This ultimate recipe uses instant yeast and creates the best dinner rolls that are bursting with a rich, buttery flavor.

close up overhead shot of Dinner Rolls in a baking dish

Dinner Rolls Ingredients

Dinner Rolls raw ingredients that are labeled
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You’ll need:

  • 4½ cups of all-purpose flour, divided into 3 cups and 1½ cups
  • 1½ tablespoons of rapid-rise instant yeast
  • ¼ cup of granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1¼ cups of warm milk, 110°F
  • 4 tablespoons of butter, softened
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons of butter, melted (for the top of the finished rolls)

PRO TIP:

Make sure you are using instant yeast rather than active dry yeast for this recipe.

Unlike active dry yeast, instant yeast does not need to be activated (rehydrated) in warm water to bloom, but rather can be added to a recipe directly from the package and will dissolve in the ambient moisture of the dough rather than needing to be rehydrated.

Substitutions And Additions

MILK: Although any type of milk will work, for the softest dinner rolls, I recommend using whole milk. The more fat your milk contains, the softer your dinner rolls will be.

How To Make This Dinner Rolls Recipe

STEP ONE: Add three cups of flour, yeast, sugar, and salt to the large bowl of a stand mixer. Stir together, then add in your warm milk, softened butter, and egg.

PRO TIP:

Warm the milk in the microwave for about 1 minute and 10 seconds to reach approximately 110°F.

Dinner Rolls process shot of ingredients being mixed together in a bowl

STEP TWO: Attach the dough hook to your stand mixer and turn the mixer on to the lowest speed.

Mix until the flour is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

STEP THREE: Increase the speed to medium and beat for two minutes.

STEP FOUR: Add ½ cup of flour and blend with the dough hook attachment until it’s fully incorporated.

Add another ½ cup of flour and repeat, mixing at medium speed for another one to two minutes until a ball of dough is formed.

Add up to ½ cup of additional flour until the dough ball is slightly sticky and pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

PRO TIP:

If you don’t have a stand mixer with a dough hook, you can achieve the same thing using a wooden spoon, mixing until combined and sticky. Knead the dough for ten minutes on a floured surface.

Dinner Rolls process shot of dough being blended together

STEP FIVE: Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rise for 30 minutes at room temperature.

Dinner Rolls process shot of dough being risen in a bowl

STEP SIX: Remove the towel and deflate the dough by punching it down lightly.

STEP SEVEN: Pinch off pieces of the dough to form 20 equally-sized dough balls.

Dinner Rolls process shot of dough balls in a baking dish

STEP EIGHT: Transfer the rolls to a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish sprayed with cooking spray.

Cover the baking pan with a towel and let rise for an additional 30 minutes at room temperature.

STEP NINE: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the rolls for 15 to 17 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

If the rolls are getting too brown, just tent the rolls with foil.

PRO TIP:

Oven temperatures vary and may need to be recalibrated periodically to ensure they are accurate. Make sure to check your rolls at the lower end of the recommended baking time.

STEP TEN: Remove the baked rolls and brush the hot rolls with the melted butter. Serve immediately or store cooled rolls.

How To Serve

Buttery dinner rolls go well with so many meals. They can complete a pasta dish like this baked spaghetti and meatballs, and they are a yummy addition to a hearty comfort meal like this crockpot chicken and gravy.

These fluffy dinner rolls are an especially perfect addition to a holiday meal such as Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas dinner.

Homemade bread is leaps and bounds more delicious than store-bought. Our no-knead bread and cloud bread are two bread recipes that we are sure you will love.

Storage

IN THE FRIDGE: You should serve your soft dinner rolls immediately or store any extra cooled rolls in a plastic bag for up to three days.

You can store them in the fridge or on the countertop at room temperature.

IN THE FREEZER: If you have extra dinner rolls that you won’t eat within the three days, you can toss them in a Ziploc bag and put them in the freezer for up to three months.

Just be aware that they will not be quite as soft when defrosted as they were when served fresh.

PRO TIP:

To reheat your buttery rolls in the oven, wrap them in tin foil, place them on a baking sheet in the oven, and cook for about 10 minutes. To reheat your rolls using the microwave, wrap them in a damp paper towel, place the rolls on a microwave-safe plate, and warm for about 15 seconds.

close up shot of Dinner Rolls spread with butter on a plate

These homemade dinner rolls are soft and delicious. They are quick and easy to make using instant or active dry yeast. Buttery dinner rolls make a wonderful side to go with so many dinner dishes, and leftovers can easily be reheated to enjoy later.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I freeze dinner rolls?

This easy dinner roll recipe will keep for up to three months in the freezer. They may not be quite as soft after being thawed, but they will still be delicious.

I don’t have a stand mixer. Can I make these without one?

You can make the dough in a bowl and mix it with a wooden spoon until it is combined and sticky. Place on a floured surface and knead the dough for ten minutes before continuing with the recipe.

Can the dough be made in a bread machine?

It probably could be made with a bread machine, but we haven’t tried it out this way.

Can I use active dry yeast instead in this recipe?

Make sure you are using instant yeast rather than active dry yeast for this recipe. Unlike active dry yeast, instant yeast does not need to be activated (rehydrated) in warm water to bloom but rather can be added to a recipe directly from the package and will dissolve in the ambient moisture of the dough rather than needing to be rehydrated.

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close up shot of Dinner Rolls in a baking dish

Dinner Rolls

5 from 25 votes
These classic, fluffy, homemade dinner rolls are the perfect, delicious rolls your whole family will love!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Servings 20 rolls

Ingredients
  

  • cups all-purpose flour, divided into 3 cups and 1½ cups
  • tablespoons instant yeast, rapid rise
  • ¼ cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • cups warm milk, 110°F
  • 4 tablespoons butter, softened
  • 1 egg, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons butter, melted (for the top of the finished rolls)

Instructions
 

  • Add 3 cups of flour, yeast, sugar, salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. Stir together. Add warm milk, softened butter, and egg.
  • Attach the dough hook and turn the mixer on to the lowest speed, mix until the flour is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
  • Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes.
  • Add ½ cup flour and blend with the dough hook until incorporated. And another ½ cup flour and repeat, mixing at medium speed for another 1-2 minutes until a ball of dough is formed. Add up to ½ of additional flour until the dough ball is slightly sticky and pulling away from the sides of the bowl.
  • Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with a towel and let rise for 30 minutes at room temperature.
  • Remove the towel and deflate the dough by punching down lightly.
  • Pinch off pieces of the dough to form 20 equally sized dough balls.
  • Transfer the rolls to a lightly greased 9×13 baking dish. Cover with a towel and let rise for an additional 30 minutes at room temperature.
  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the rolls for 15-17 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. If the rolls are getting too brown, just tent the rolls with foil.
  • Remove rolls and brush hot rolls with the melted butter. Serve immediately or store cooled rolls in a plastic bag for up to 3 days.

Video

Notes

  • Make sure you are using instant yeast rather than active dry yeast for this recipe. Unlike active dry yeast, instant yeast does not need to be activated (rehydrated) in warm water to bloom but rather can be added to a recipe directly from the package and will dissolve in the ambient moisture of the dough rather than needing to be rehydrated.
  • Warm the milk in the microwave for about 1 minute and 10 seconds to reach approximately 110°F.
  • If you don’t have a stand mixer with a dough hook, you can achieve the same thing using a wooden spoon, mixing until combined and sticky. Knead the dough for 10 minutes on a floured surface.
  • To reheat your buttery rolls in the oven, wrap them in tin foil, place them on a baking sheet in the oven, and cook for about 10 minutes. To reheat your rolls using the microwave, wrap them in a damp paper towel, place the rolls on a microwave-safe plate, and warm them for about 15 seconds.

Nutrition

Calories: 156kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 157mg | Potassium: 57mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 142IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg
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This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

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