Homemade Dinner Rolls
These homemade dinner rolls are the perfect easy side to any meal! These tasty, simple yeasted rolls are sure to become a family favorite recipe. Not a holiday or potluck will go by without a batch of these warm, fluffy rolls on the table.
The epitome of comfort is the smell of rising dough wafting through your home. Warm, soft rolls fresh from the oven are sure to bring a smile to your face and satisfaction to your belly. Whether preparing a special meal for guests or enjoying a weeknight dinner with your family, these homemade dinner rolls make every day feel special. Make these rolls to pair up with our Instant Pot Beef Stew.
These rolls will likely become a staple request from friends when you gather for a potluck. Have a new neighbor? You will make a great first impression when you show up at their home with a plate of these classic dinner rolls fresh from the oven. Plus, if you are lucky enough to have leftover rolls, they are the perfect size to make sandwiches for lunch the next day!
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons Sugar
- 1 packet Yeast, Instant
- 1 ⅓ cup Milk, warm (between 100-110F)
- 2 ½ cups Flour, plus more for kneading if needed
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ cup Butter, cut into tablespoons or smaller
- Optional Topping
- 2 tablespoons Butter, melted
- (Optional) Garlic Salt
Equipment You’ll Need
When it comes to making homemade yeasted dough, it doesn’t get much easier than these dinner rolls! You’ll only need a few common pieces of kitchen equipment to get started. Make sure that you have a large mixing bowl, a wooden spoon or dough hook, some measuring cups and spoons, a 9×13” casserole dish, a clean tea towel, and a pastry brush.
How to Make Classic Homemade Dinner Rolls
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, yeast, and warm milk. Let sit until bubbly.
- Add some of the flour and all of the salt to your yeast mixture and stir to combine.
- Add the butter and remaining flour, stirring until the dough is sticky.
- Knead the rolled dough until smooth and elastic.
- Return the kneaded dough to your mixing bowl, cover it with a clean dish cloth, and allow it to sit in a warm place until doubled in size.
- Separate the dough into 15 even pieces, roll them into balls, place them into a greased casserole dish, and let them rest until once again doubled in size.
- Bake until the tops of the rolls are a deep golden brown.
- Brush with melted butter, serve, and enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to let the dough rise twice?
Allowing your dough to rise twice ensures that these rolls will be fluffy and soft as opposed to small and dense. Dinner rolls that have only risen once will still be tasty but will not have the right texture.
Why are my rolls not light and fluffy?
These classic dinner rolls are fluffy but substantial. Rolls tend to get too dense when you accidentally add too much flour while kneading or don’t knead the dough for long enough. A quick and thorough kneading followed by two rises will ensure that these soft dinner rolls have the perfect texture.
Should you brush rolls with butter before baking?
You can brush these yeasted rolls with butter before or after baking. Before will encourage browning in the oven, but either way a bit of salted butter will add a ton of flavor to these rolls.
How to Store Soft Homemade Dinner Rolls
These rolls store well at room temperature for up to 4 days, refrigerated for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to 3 months. Just be sure to keep the bread in a ziplock bag, Tupperware, or other airtight containers. If possible, don’t add the melted butter to the top of the rolls you’re planning on saving for later. Leftover buttered rolls will still taste good, but the crust will turn soft as they continue to sit. Allow any chilled rolls to come up to room temperature before enjoying them.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- For a slightly healthier dinner roll, I recommend swapping out half of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour. The resulting bread will have the texture and some of the health benefits of whole wheat dough but will be as tasty as an all-white wheat roll.
- Give these soft dinner rolls a little extra pizazz by sprinkling the buttered tops with garlic salt, Italian seasoning, or sesame seeds.
- Want to save yourself from a serious upper body workout? Use a stand mixer to knead your dough instead of doing it by hand.
More Recipes:
Homemade Dinner Rolls
These homemade dinner rolls are the perfect easy side to any meal! These tasty, simple yeasted rolls are sure to become a family favorite recipe. Not a holiday or potluck will go by without a batch of these warm, fluffy rolls on the table.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons Sugar
- 1 packet of Yeast, Instant
- 1 ⅓ cup Milk, warm (between 100-110F)
- 2 ½ cups Flour, plus more for kneading if needed
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ cup Butter, cut into tablespoons or smaller
- Optional Topping
- 2 tablespoons Butter, melted
- (Optional) Garlic Salt
- Ingredient Notes
- Flour—All-purpose will give these rolls a light, fluffy crumb.
- Yeast—The leavening agent of choice.
- Sugar—Feeds the yeast, allowing the dough to grow light and pillowy.
- Milk—Any type of plant or cow’s milk should work. Just make sure it’s warm.
- Butter—Gives your dough a delectable buttery flavor and a nice golden shine.
- Salt—Just a pinch will enhance the bread’s natural yeasty flavor.
Instructions
- Mix together the sugar, yeast, and warm milk in a bowl, let sit for at least 5 minutes, it should foam.
- Add in 2 to 2 ½ cups of the flour, salt and mix until everything is well combined.
- Add in the cut up butter and combine with the rest of the dough, add more flour ¼ cup at a time until dough is just slightly sticky to the touch.
- Knead for 10 minutes.
- Let sit in a warm place for at least 45 minutes, it should just about double in size.
- Separate into 15 even pieces, roll into balls, place evenly in your casserole dish, let rest in a warm place for at least another 45 minutes..
- Grease your casserole dish and preheat your oven to 375℉.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes
- Brush on the melted butter and garlic salt, if using, before enjoying with your favorite dinner!
Notes
Equipment You’ll Need
When it comes to making homemade yeasted dough, it doesn’t get much easier than these dinner rolls! You’ll only need a few common pieces of kitchen equipment to get started. Make sure that you have a large mixing bowl, a wooden spoon or dough hook, some measuring cups and spoons, a 9x13” casserole dish, a clean tea towel, and a pastry brush.
Expert Tips and Tricks
- For a slightly healthier dinner roll, I recommend swapping out half of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat flour. The resulting bread will have the texture and some of the health benefits of whole wheat dough but will be as tasty as an all-white wheat roll.
- Give these soft dinner rolls a little extra pizazz by sprinkling the buttered tops with garlic salt, Italian seasoning, or sesame seeds.
- Want to save yourself from a serious upper body workout? Use a stand mixer to knead your dough instead of doing it by hand.
Nutrition Information
Yield
15Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 289Total Fat 14gSaturated Fat 6gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6gCholesterol 15mgSodium 357mgCarbohydrates 37gFiber 1gSugar 5gProtein 5g
