You only need 7 ingredients to make these dinner rolls. Flaky, soft, and buttery, these fresh dinner rolls outshine any main dish. If you’re a bread beginner, read this blog post to learn more about the yeast rolls recipe, including how to prep the rolls ahead of time. You can also reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
This recipe is brought to you in partnership with Red Star Yeast.
- Do you long to bake homemade bread but are too intimidated to start?
- Does yeast dough send you running for the hills?
- Do bread recipes seem overly complicated and confusing?
I’m teaching you how to make homemade dinner rolls. These are the best homemade dinner rolls I’ve ever had and it all starts with a straightforward 7-ingredient dough. I make these rolls whenever I get the chance and even brought a pan to our friends who just welcomed a baby. They’re pillow-soft with the most delicious flaky and buttery texture. Everyone will demand you bake them on repeat.
And with this recipe, I guarantee you will finally feel confident baking bread. 🙂
This recipe is such a fan favorite, that it deserved a spot in print! You’ll also find this recipe in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
Video Tutorial: Dinner Rolls
Let’s start with a video tutorial.
Overview: How to Make Homemade Dinner Rolls
- Make the dough. Continue below to learn more about this dough recipe.
- Knead the dough. Reference my How to Knead Dough video tutorial if you need extra help with this step.
- Cover the dough and let it rise. The dough rises in about 1-2 hours in a relatively warm environment.
- Punch down the dough to release the air and shape into rolls.
- Let the rolls rise for about 1 hour.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown. If desired, brush the warm rolls with a little honey and melted butter for extra flavor.
As shown in the video tutorial, the dough comes together with a mixer. You can use a paddle attachment or a dough hook. You can also make the dough by hand, but it requires a bit of arm muscle. After the dough comes together in the mixing bowl, it’s time to knead. You can simply continue beating the dough with the mixer for this step or you can knead the dough by hand. I chose to knead the dough by hand so you can see me doing it in the video above.
If you’re new to bread making, my How to Knead Dough post and video can help even more with this step. And my Baking with Yeast Guide is a wonderful resource for all bread beginners!
Soft Dinner Rolls Require a Rich Dough
The crustier and chewier the bread, the less fat in the dough. This is known as a lean dough. The softer and richer the bread, the more fat in the dough. This is known as a rich dough. Unlike chewy homemade bagels, focaccia, ciabatta, and my artisan bread, soft dinner rolls require a rich dough. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean that the dough is swimming in cash. Rather, “rich” correlates with the amount of fat. For example, this dough has milk, butter, and egg.
You need 7 ingredients total. They’re the same ingredients in my easy cinnamon rolls and homemade brioche, which are also rich doughs. (Though I use more sugar for sweeter cinnamon rolls, of course.)
- Milk: Liquid activates the yeast. For the softest dinner rolls, use whole milk. Nondairy or low fat milks work too, but whole milk produces phenomenal flavor and texture.
- Yeast: You can use active dry yeast or instant yeast. If using active dry yeast, the rise times will be a little longer. I recommend Platinum Yeast from Red Star, which is an instant yeast blended with natural dough improvers.
- Sugar: Sugar feeds the yeast, increases its activity, and tenderizes the dough.
- Egg: 1 egg provides structure and flavor.
- Butter: Butter promises a flavorful and soft dinner roll. Make sure it’s room temperature.
- Salt: You can’t make flavorful bread without salt!
- Flour: You can use all-purpose flour or bread flour in this recipe. All-purpose flour is convenient for most, but bread flour produces chewier dinner rolls. There are no other changes to the recipe if you use bread flour.
Once you make the dough, let it rise:
After that, punch down the risen dough. Shape into balls and arrange in a baking pan. Don’t worry if they’re not all uniform in size.
Let the shaped rolls rise before baking. Look how puffy they get after 1 hour of rising:
How to Shape Dinner Rolls
You can shape this dough many different ways including twisted rolls, knotted rolls (how I shape garlic knots), cloverleaf rolls, or even hot dog buns. Let’s stick with the basic round shape. Divide the dough into 14-16 pieces. Take a piece and stretch the top of the dough while pinching and sealing the bottom. Make sure the rolls are smooth on top and sealed on the bottom. I shape hot cross buns the same exact way.
How to Make Yeast Rolls Ahead of Time
The rolls require around 3 hours of rising. Not everyone has 3 hours to spare, so let’s discuss another option! Prepare the dough, let it rise, and shape the rolls. Cover the shaped rolls tightly and refrigerate for up to about 16 hours. At least 3 hours before you need them the next day, remove the rolls from the refrigerator and allow to rise on the counter for about 1-2 hours before baking.
And here’s how to freeze dinner rolls: Follow the make-ahead instructions and instead of refrigerating overnight, freeze the rolls in a baking pan. Once frozen, they won’t stick together anymore and you can place them in a freezer bag. Let them thaw and rise for about 4-5 hours, then bake. You can also freeze the baked dinner rolls. Therefore, if you want a smaller batch, you can make the entire recipe and bake only a few fresh rolls at a time.
These make-ahead options are especially helpful if you want fresh-baked rolls for Easter brunch, Thanksgiving dinner, or on Christmas.
Dinner Roll Flavors
How about some pizazz? Mix in these ingredients when you add the flour.
- Rosemary Dinner Rolls – 2 Tablespoons fresh or dried chopped rosemary.
- Cheddar Dinner Rolls – 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese. Other cheese varieties work, but avoid super soft cheeses.
- Garlic & Herb Dinner Rolls – 2 teaspoons each: dried rosemary, dried basil, & dried parsley, along with 1 teaspoon garlic powder.
- Whole Wheat Dinner Rolls
- Brown Butter Sage Dinner Rolls
- Honey Butter Rolls
- Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls
- Oatmeal Molasses Dinner Rolls
- Multigrain Rolls – Here is my Multigrain Bread recipe that you can turn into rolls.
They’re also fantastic with a simple swipe of homemade honey butter or homemade cinnamon butter.
This dough is not ideal for a big loaf of bread. Instead, I recommend using a leaner dough, such as my sandwich bread or whole wheat bread recipes. If you need an egg free dough, try homemade breadsticks instead. And if you love pizza, try these pizza pull apart rolls next!
3 Success Tips
- Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide, which answers many common yeast FAQs.
- Make sure your yeast isn’t expired. Expiration date is on the package.
- Directly from the pros at Red StarYeast: Measuring flour correctly is key to avoiding a dense dough, which leads to heavy (not soft!) rolls. Spoon and level your flour, do not scoop it out of the package.
My final piece of advice? Don’t limit these rolls to suppertime. They’re welcome anywhere, with any meal, any time of day. Use for sliders, breakfast sandwiches, soaking up your favorite tomato sauce with slow cooker turkey meatballs, alongside salad, or dunking into a bowl of creamy chicken noodle soup. Above all, don’t doubt yourself because you, too, can become a bread baking pro.
Soft Dinner Rolls Recipe
- Prep Time: 3 hours, 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 22 minutes
- Total Time: 3 hours, 45 minutes
- Yield: 14-16 rolls
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
You only need 7 ingredients to make these dinner rolls. Flaky, soft, and buttery, these fresh dinner rolls outshine any main dish. See recipe notes for freezing and overnight instructions. You can also reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs. This recipe is also in my cookbook, Sally’s Baking 101.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, warmed to about 110°F (43°C)
- 2 and 1/4 teaspoons Platinum Yeast from Red Star instant yeast (1 standard packet)
- 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature and cut into 4 pieces
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups (390g) all-purpose flour or bread flour* (spooned & leveled)
- optional topping: 2 Tablespoons (28g) melted unsalted butter mixed with 1 Tablespoon honey
Instructions
- Prepare the dough: Whisk the warm milk, yeast, and 1 Tablespoon of sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes. *If you do not own a stand mixer, you can do this in a large mixing bowl and in the next step, mix the dough together with a large wooden spoon/silicone spatula. It will take a bit of arm muscle. A hand mixer works, but the sticky dough repeatedly gets stuck in the beaters. Mixing by hand with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula is a better choice.*
- Add the remaining sugar, egg, butter, salt, and 1 cup flour. With a dough hook or paddle attachment, mix/beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, then add the remaining flour. Beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. If the dough seems too wet to a point where kneading (next step) would be impossible, beat in more flour 1 Tablespoon at a time until you have a workable dough, similar to the photos above. Dough should be soft and a little sticky, but still manageable to knead with lightly floured hands.
- Knead the dough: Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 5 full minutes, or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 full minutes. (If you’re new to bread-baking, my How to Knead Dough video tutorial can help here.) If the dough becomes too sticky during the kneading process, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of flour at a time on the dough or on the work surface/in the bowl to make a soft, slightly tacky dough. Do not add more flour than you need because you do not want a dry dough. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise. You can also do a “windowpane test” to see if your dough has been kneaded long enough: tear off a small (roughly golfball-size) piece of dough and gently stretch it out until it’s thin enough for light to pass through it. Hold it up to a window or light. Does light pass through the stretched dough without the dough tearing first? If so, your dough has been kneaded long enough and is ready to rise. If not, keep kneading until it passes the windowpane test.
- 1st Rise: Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or nonstick spray. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm environment for 1-2 hours or until double in size. (I always let it rise on the counter. Takes about 2 hours. For a tiny reduction in rise time, see my answer to Where Should Dough Rise? in my Baking with Yeast Guide.)
- Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan or two 9-inch square or round baking pans. You can also bake the rolls in a cast iron skillet or on a lined baking sheet.*
- Shape the rolls: When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Divide the dough into 14-16 equal pieces. (Just eyeball it– doesn’t need to be perfect!) A bench scraper is always helpful for cutting dough. Shape each piece into a smooth ball. Arrange in prepared baking pan.
- 2nd Rise: Cover shaped rolls with aluminum foil, plastic wrap, or a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise until puffy, about 1 hour.
- Adjust oven rack to a lower position and preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). (It’s best to bake the rolls towards the bottom of the oven so the tops don’t burn.)
- Bake the rolls: Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top, rotating the pan halfway through. If you notice the tops browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven, brush with optional honey butter topping, and allow rolls to cool for a few minutes before serving.
- Cover leftover rolls tightly and store at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Freezing Instructions: Prepare recipe through step 6. Place shaped rolls in a greased baking pan, cover tightly, and freeze for up to 3 months. Once frozen, the dough balls won’t stick together anymore and you can place them in a freezer bag if needed. On the day you serve them, arrange the dough balls in a greased baking pan, cover tightly, then let them thaw and rise at room temperature for about 4-5 hours. Bake as directed. You can also freeze the baked dinner rolls. Allow them to cool completely, then freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, then reheat as desired. If reheating the whole pan, lightly cover and reheat in a 300°F (149°C) oven for about 10 minutes or until warm.
- Overnight Instructions: Prepare the recipe through step 6. Cover the shaped rolls tightly and refrigerate for up to about 15 hours. At least 3 hours before you need them the next day, remove the rolls from the refrigerator, keep covered, and allow to rise on the counter for about 1-2 hours before baking. Alternatively, you can let the dough have its 1st rise in the refrigerator overnight. Cover the dough tightly and place in the refrigerator for up to about 15 hours. Remove from the refrigerator and allow the dough to fully rise for 2 more hours. Continue with step 5.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Electric Stand Mixer or Glass Mixing Bowl and Wooden Spoon / Spatula | 9×13-inch Glass Baking Pan | Bench Scraper | Pastry Brush
- Baking Pan: I prefer baking the rolls in a glass 9×13 inch baking pan because I find they brown a little too quickly in metal. As long as you bake the rolls on a lower oven rack and keep your eye on them, any pan is great.
- Yeast: Platinum Yeast from Red Star is an instant yeast. You can use Red Star Yeast active dry yeast instead. Rise times will be slightly longer using active dry yeast. Reference my Baking with Yeast Guide for answers to common yeast FAQs.
- Flour: You can use all-purpose flour or bread flour. All-purpose flour is convenient for most, but bread flour produces chewier dinner rolls. The rolls are still soft and fluffy no matter which you use. Either flour is fine and there are no other changes to the recipe if you use one or the other.
Adapted from Homemade Bread Bowls and Honey Butter Rolls
Reader Comments and Reviews
I never made rolls before and these turned out perfect! Actually, your page is my go to recipe page – always a success!
Can this recipe be doubled?
Hi Sandra, for the best results, we recommend making separate batches rather than doubling. So glad you love these rolls!
I have been unsuccessful with many of Sally’s bread recipes. I know it is due to human error and not the recipe. I just realized that it maybe due to the yeast. My store doesn’t have Platinum Yeast from Red Star so I have been using Red Star Quick-Rise Instant Dry Yeast. Is this a suitable substitute?
Hi Tiffanie, that yeast is perfectly fine to use here, it just may need a bit more time to rise. Have you read through the tips in this Baking With Yeast Guide? There may be something in there that helps your next batch of rolls turn out better! And this How to Knead Dough tutorial, too. Hope this helps!
Hi It’s Rachael, what happens if the dough doesn’t rise up will it still bake properly?
Hi Rachael, if the dough has not risen, the yeast is likely not activated and the rolls will bake up quite hard and dense. If you can, it’s best to start over with a new batch of dough. This Baking with Yeast Guide may be a helpful resources to review, too.
I have Fleischmann’s Active Dry Yeast, would that be okay to use in the recipe or should I buy the yeast mentioned in the recipe?
Hi McKenna, that will work just fine here!
Can I make the dough in a bread machine with this recipe, and then just follow the rest of the directions as listed?
Hi Teri, we haven’t tested it, but several readers have reported success using a bread machine for this recipe in that way. Let us know if you do give it a try.
I just made these yesterday and they were soooo good! They were so easy to make and tasted so yummy. I will be making more next week and freezing them to save for Thanksgiving. Thank you, Sally!
yum!
I love the combination of dill and tarragon. Could I add them instead of the rosemary? And at what stage would I add it.
Hi Carrie, Yes you can add dill and tarragon. Add them in step 2 when you are mixing together the dough before kneading.
Hello!
I am a new baker, and believe it or not the first thing I started with was sourdough! I’ve been reading your recipes on your website, and this is the first one I’ve decided to try. Everything is well explained, which resulted in perfect rolls my first time. Thank you Sally, and I look forward to monthly challenges and trying more recipes.
A cleaned up recipe:
Soft Dinner Rolls
1 cup whole milk, warmed to about 110°F
2 and 1/4 teaspoons
Red Star instant yeast (1 standard packet)
2 Tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
1 large egg
1/4 cup soft unsalted butter and cut into 4 pieces
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour spooned & leveled
Whisk the warm milk, yeast, and 1 Tablespoon of sugar together in the bowl of your stand mixer. Cover and allow to sit for 5 minutes.
Add the remaining sugar, egg, butter, salt, and 1 cup flour. With a dough hook or paddle attachment, mix/beat on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a silicone spatula, and then add the remaining flour. Beat on medium speed until the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl, about 2 minutes. If the dough is to wet to knead, beat in more flour 1 tablespoon at a time until you have a workable dough. Dough should be soft and a little sticky, but still manageable to knead with lightly floured hands.
Keep the dough in the mixer and beat for an additional 5 full minutes or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 5 full minutes. Do not add more flour than you need because you do not want a dry dough. After kneading, the dough should still feel a little soft. Poke it with your finger—if it slowly bounces back, your dough is ready to rise.
Lightly grease a large bowl with oil or butter. Place the dough in the bowl, turning it to coat all sides in the oil. Cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel. Allow the dough to rise in a relatively warm spot for 1-2 hours or until double in size.
Grease a 9×13 inch baking pan or two 9-inch square or round baking pans.
When the dough is ready, punch it down to release the air. Divide the dough into 14-16 equal pieces and shape each piece into a smooth ball. Arrange in prepared baking pan. Freeze at this point if desired.
Cover shaped rolls with a clean kitchen towel. Allow to rise until puffy, about 1 hour.
Adjust oven rack to a lower position and preheat oven to 350°.
Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top, rotating the pan halfway through. If you notice the tops browning too quickly, loosely tent the pan with aluminum foil. Remove from the oven, brush with optional honey butter topping, and allow rolls to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Cover leftover rolls tightly and store at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Thanks for the cleaned version. I go straight to this!
can i use wheat flour like roti flour
For a whole wheat version, we recommend using this recipe for whole wheat dinner rolls.
What are the nutrition facts for it?
Hi Anne, We don’t usually include nutrition information as it can vary between different brands of the same ingredients. Plus, many recipes have ingredient substitutions or optional ingredients listed. However, there are many handy online calculators where you can plug in and customize your exact ingredients/brands. Readers have found this one especially helpful: https://www.verywellfit.com/recipe-nutrition-analyzer-4157076
If I were to shape these into cloverleaf rolls, how many do you think it would make? 12?
Hi Angela, it should make about 18 cloverleaf rolls. If you have a copy of Sally’s Baking 101, we use this recipe to make cloverleaf rolls there!
Hi Sally!
Our family ABSOLUTELY LOVES your recipes, especially these dinner rolls! I want to make these for Thanksgiving, and need at minimum three batches. I was wondering if this recipe could be par-baked? Thanks again for all of your deliciousness. ♥️
Hi Maria, we have used a par-bake and freeze method, which does work, but the rolls don’t bake up quite as high and fluffy. See the Notes section below the recipe for our recommendations for freezing the rolls both before and after baking.
Good afternoon. Would one be able to use gluten free bread flour in this recipe? I would love to be able to have a good gluten free bun for my family.
Hi Tracie Lee, we haven’t tested these rolls with a 1:1 gluten free flour, so we’re unsure of the results. Although some readers report using an all-purpose 1:1 gluten-free flour in many of our recipes with success, you should expect slightly different results anytime you substitute ingredients. Let us know if you give it a try.
oh man i made this except changes the shape from dinner rolls to bread sticks and it turned out soooooo good 😀
Hi Sally!! I just made the rolls and they are sitting in the pan for their second rise. I just realized that I have an appointment right when I should be baking them off in an hour- but I have to go straight from that appointment to the location where I’m serving the rolls.
What would happen if I take them with me (covered, but obviously not refrigerated) and baked them off in a few hours ? I think that’s my only option. Otherwise I’m thinking stick them in the fridge and bake them later today for my family instead.
This is my curse for having terrible timing !
Hi Sara! They could rise too much if left for that long on the second rise. If that happens, they could collapse when baked. It may be the safest to refrigerate them and bake later today!
Thank you!! On the flip side, what’s the risk if I cut the second rise short ?
They could be dense if they don’t get to rise enough.
If instant yeast is being used, is the blooming step still recommended, or is it ok to just put the yeast in with all of the other ingredients?
Hi Kaity! We would still bloom the yeast – just to make sure it’s active.
Mine didn’t rise the way they should. Everything looked good. I used my stand mixer but me and yeast don’t get along. I have tried to make cinnamon rolls so many times and each time it flops I don’t know what I do wrong. The weren’t fluffy at all. Any advice ?
Hi Kierra! Happy to help. There are so many variable that can change the outcome of yeasted doughs, so we made this helpful Baking With Yeast Guide that should be a helpful resource!
If I want to do 3 or 4 x this batch, should I make each batch of dough separately or can I do 2 double batches? Advice please 🙂
Hi Dani, For the best results, we recommend making separate batches rather than doubling.
Do you recommend brushing anything (egg, butter, etc) on top before baking? I’ve made these twice now and both times the top gets light brown – not deep golden like in the photo – and it doesn’t seem like leaving them in longer would help.
Hi Noel, We don’t typically brush these with an egg wash. They tend to deflate when you brush them with anything prior to baking. We brush with honey butter after baking (see step 5). Enjoy!
I have a kid that is crazy about Everything Bagel Seasoning, so I brushed the tops with an egg white wash and spiinkled
on top and they were delicious!
Hi! Would I be able to use almond milk instead of whole milk?
Hi Khrysta, Almond milk should work, though the rolls may be *slightly* less soft and fluffy.
Rolls were very soft. Good texture. I thought they needed a little more sugar. Could I add a little more?
.
Hi Sally,
I just made the Sweet Potato Dinner Rolls and they turned out perfect…
For the Soft Dinner Rolls, could i swap out the Granulated Sugar for Honey? If so, would i need to reduce the amount to account for extra moisture and sweetness?
Thank you
Hi James! You can use honey here without any other changes to the recipe.
I have used this recipe several times, and each time, the rolls have been a big hit with everyone. I have made the small roll version and used them for chicken salad finger sandwiches at a shower. I have also made a larger roll and served them for pulled pork sandwiches. I have prepped and frozen the dough. Each time, this recipe makes perfect rolls. Thanks Sally!
Hi! I have a question regarding the yeast. If I don’t have platinum red star yeast available to me, does Fleischmann rapid rise yeast work just the same? I want to attempt to make these and hopefully get the recipe down by thanksgiving!
Hi Esmeralda, yes! Instant yeast and rapid rise yeast are the same type of yeast. Any brand is fine – Platinum Yeast from Red Star is just what we use and love. Hope these rolls are a hit!
This is my go to bread bowl recipe! There has never been one item on this site that I have not liked! Thanks for all the amazing recipes and the helpful tips
I have made these rolls over and over! I love your site and use your recipes a lot! Thank you for sharing your love of baking!
HI. Would wholemeal brad flour work in these.
Thanks!
Hi Sabs, for a whole wheat version, we recommend using this recipe for whole wheat dinner rolls.
Is there a good way to omit or substitute the egg? (household allergies) Or is it vital to the recipe?
Hi Maria! Other bakers have reported success using a “flax egg” substitute in this recipe but we haven’t tested it ourselves.
I’ve wanted to try these for ages but my husband has a severe egg allergy. I tried the recipe with a flax egg as replacement for egg and it worked great! Almost no difference in taste or texture. So good!