Let’s learn how to make perfect homemade dinner rolls! This recipe produces soft and flavorful classic dinner rolls and it all starts with a straightforward 7 ingredient dough.
Here are the basic steps:
- Make the dough.
- Knead the dough.
- 1st rise. Let the dough rise for about 1-2 hours.
- Punch down the dough and shape into rolls.
- 2nd rise. Let the dough rise for about 1 hour.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
The dough comes together with a mixer. If you don’t have a mixer, you can mix the dough by hand in a large mixing bowl with a wooden spoon or spatula. After the dough comes together, it’s time to knead. For kneading, you have 2 options. You can continue beating the dough with the mixer or you can knead the dough by hand. (I provide further detail about kneading in my Baking with Yeast Guide.)
You need 7 ingredients for these rolls.
- Milk:Liquid activates the yeast. For super soft rolls, use whole milk.
- Yeast:You can use active dry yeast or instant yeast. I recommend Platinum Yeast by Red Star, which is an instant yeast blended with natural dough improvers. It’s fantastic!
- Sugar:Sugar feeds the yeast.
- Egg: Egg provides structure and flavor in the dough.
- Butter: Butter adds tenderness and flavor.
- Salt: Salt adds flavor.
- Flour: You can use all-purpose flour or bread flour in this recipe.
After the dough rises in the 1st rise, punch it down to release the air, then shape the dough. You can shape it many different ways including twists, knots, or the classic round shape. Let’s stick with the round shape this time. Divide the dough into 14-16 pieces. Take a piece and stretch the top of the dough while pinching and sealing the bottom. You can roll it on the counter to make sure it’s extra smooth, too.
The rolls require around 3 hours of rising, but you can break it up over two days and turn this into an overnight recipe. Prepare the dough, let it rise in the 1st rise, then shape the rolls. Cover them tightly, then refrigerate for up to 15-16 hours. At least 3 hours before you need them, remove the rolls from the refrigerator and allow to rise on the counter for about 2 hours (the 2nd rise). Then bake the rolls as directed.
Even though these rolls are the perfect accompaniment to your dinner, they’re fantastic any time of day! Use them for burger sliders and sandwich trays, breakfast sandwiches with bacon and egg, or serve alongside salad. They’re wonderful for dunking in tomato sauce, soups, and stews or even a little garlic and olive oil.
You only need 7 ingredients to make thesedinner rolls. Flaky, soft, and buttery, these fresh dinner rolls outshine any main dish.
Yield 14 to 16 rolls
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Ingredients
- 1 cup whole milk (warmed to about 110°F)
- 1 (0.25oz) package (7g) or 2 1/4 teaspoons Platinum Yeast
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, divided
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter (softened to room temperature and cut into 4 pieces)
- 1 teaspoon table salt
- 3 cups all-purpose flour ( or bread flour)
- 2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter mixed with 1 tablespoon honey (optional, for brushing on baked rolls)
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/rubber 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 rubber 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 rubber 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 and video 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 2 minutes or knead by hand on a lightly floured surface for 2 minutes. (See video tutorial below if you need a visual of kneading dough by hand.)
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.
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!) Shape each piece into a smooth ball. I do this entirely in my hands and you can watch in the video tutorial above. 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: You can 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 its1st risein 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.
Baking Pan:I prefer baking the rolls in aglass 9×13 inch baking panbecause 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.
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.
Recipe by Sally’s Baking Addiction.
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Sally McKenney is a professional food photographer, cookbook author, and baker. She has written, photographed, and published more than 1,000 from-scratch recipes and written three cookbooks. Her thorough step-by-step tutorials give millions of followers the knowledge and confidence to bake from scratch.
Donna | • Reply
Can these be made through the first rise in my breadmachine?
Red Star Yeast | • Reply
Hi Donna,
Yes, you can use your bread machine for the kneading and first rise.
Happy baking!
Carol
Edna Sivertsen | • Reply
can I make a double batch of this dough at one time? thank you
Red Star Yeast | • Reply
Hi Edna,
Yes, as long as your mixer can handle 6 cups of flour.
Happy baking!
Carol
