Julie Clark
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Soft Dinner Rolls
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The BEST homemade soft dinner rolls ever. This buttery dough is easy to work with and make such soft rolls. Perfect with any soup, salad or main dish.
Introducing our treasured family recipe for Soft Dinner Rolls. These buttery soft rolls are easy to make and perfect for any meal, including holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving. Learn step-by-step how to create the softest, most delicious dinner rolls with golden brown tops and warm flavor.
Our homemade rolls have earned their place at our dinner table for over 25 years. Now, we’re sharing our secret with you, so you can create your own memories together. We’ll share make ahead tips, reheating hints and even how to make the dough in a bread maker.
What readers are saying:
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Mary says, “Made these today. Easiest rolls I have ever made, only took a couple of hours start to finish. Made with easy bake dried yeast as didn’t have any fresh. Great soft texture and delicious. Will definitely make these again. Thank you.”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Tessa says, “My favorite dinner roll recipe! I’ve made it about ten times. Fluffy and delicious. We prefer saltier breads, so I increase the salt to a heaping teaspoon. I use this recipe for cinnamon rolls too!”
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ Tina says, “Made these last weekend. They are delicious! They are our new Thanksgiving day dinner rolls for sure & what I will be taking for monthly potlucks at work. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe.”
This dough is very close to our dough for cinnamon rolls. If you’ve made those, you’ll have no problem with these!
What is the secret to soft rolls?
We have 4 secrets to this recipe for soft dinner rolls:
- Butter, eggs and milk in the dough. All 3 of these ingredients in the bread dough add fat and give a soft texture to the rolls. These are brioche-style rolls that are rich!
- Weigh the flour. When mixing and kneading, don’t over flour the dough. Weigh the ingredients for best results. You want the dough to be slightly tacky to the touch. It should not feel dry and be firm, but rather after it has rise, but soft and airy.
- Bake the rolls just until done. The internal temperature of the rolls should be 190ºF. Instant read thermometers aren’t just for meat. Use them for your baked goods, too! The rolls will continue to cook slightly after you take them out of the oven, so don’t over bake.
- Store at room temperature. Do not refrigerate homemade bread as it will cause it to dry out more quickly. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Ingredients for Soft Rolls
One thing I love about this soft dinner roll recipe is that I always have ingredients on hand. No special ingredients needed.
- Bread flour makes the rolls chewier and sturdier. All-purpose flour will work as well, the rolls may end up slightly shorter and a little softer. Bread flour is a high gluten flour so it gives rolls great texture.
- I prefer to use instant yeast (rapid rise yeast). Active dry yeast will work as well. For either one, I prefer to activate the yeast in warm milk to ensure the bread will rise.
How to Make Soft Dinner Rolls
- Put the milk (115º Fahrenheit) in the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk. Allow the yeast to activate for 3-4 minutes. Use a thermometer to test the milk temperature. This is the key to making sure your dough rises.
- Add the butter, sugar and eggs. Use the beater blade on low speed to mix this just until combined. About 30 seconds.
- Add in 2 cups of flour and the salt. Mix about 30 seconds until combined. Then add in the remaining flour. Mix just until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Allow the mixture to rest for 5 minutes.
- Remove the beater blade and place the dough hook attachment on the stand mixer. Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes on low speed. Add more flour a tablespoon at a time as needed during kneading. The dough should still feel sticky and tacky to the touch, but it should not be so wet that it sticks all over your hands. As the dough turns in the stand mixer bowl, it will pull away from the sides, but may stick to the bottom slightly. This is ok and shows the dough is not too dry.
pro tip
The stand mixer is a great “hands off” way to knead dough, but what if you don’t have one? Simply knead bread dough by hand. Press with the palm of your hand, folding and turning the dough. Just be sure that you don’t add too much flour as you do this. The dough should feel tacky to the touch.
- Place the dough in a greased large bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until it has almost doubled, about 30 minutes.
The key to this is to place the dough in a warm place. This could be next to a sunlit window. It could be in the oven with the oven light on. You can even allow your bread dough to rise in a slow cooker. Read our tips on how to get bread dough to rise.
Whichever way you choose, just remember to be patient. Humidity and temperature can affect your bread making. So be patient and give the yeast time to do its work.
- Divide and roll dough into 12 balls. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and then roll the soft dough balls. Place in a greased 9×13″ baking dish. Cover and rise for 15-20 minutes while the oven is heating.
- Wondering how to get those shiny, golden brown tops on your soft rolls? In a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the egg mixture lightly on top of the unbaked rolls. This gives a shiny brown top. See our guide to bread wash. There’s so many different looks you can go for.
- Bake at 375ºF for 18-22 minutes. The exact baking time will depend on your oven, the type of pan you use (I use a glass pan) and the size of the rolls you made. The internal temperature of the rolls should be 190ºF. Test them with an internal probe thermometer.
- When the rolls come out of the oven, brush melted butter over the tops. Or for an extra special touch, brush with honey butter. This makes them look absolutely irresistible.
How many dinner rolls per person?
Plan for 1 ½ dinner rolls per person. This will account for people (and kids!) who want to eat more than one, and also those who may not eat any.
Can you make these rolls the day before?
We love to bake these soft rolls fresh the day we serve them, but you can make the dough the day before and place in the refrigerator overnight.
- Knead the dough and allow the dough ball to have its first rise.
- Shape into balls, place them in the pan and refrigerate until the next day.
- Take the rolls out and let them rise again. This will take at least an hour.
- Bake as the recipe suggests!
Can you make rolls in a bread maker?
This recipe was originally a bread machine recipe. Just add the ingredients in the order suggested by the manufacturer of your bread machine and use the dough setting. It’s super easy this way and makes much of the recipe “hands off”. Then take the dough out, shape it and bake.
How do I keep dinner rolls warm?
Use dry beans to keep your soft dinner rolls warm! Warm the beans in the microwave. Place the dry beans in a bowl and cover them with a towel. Heat until they are warm.
Then, place the beans in the bottom of a bowl or basket. Cover the beans with a towel, then place the dinner rolls in the basket. Place another towel over the top of the rolls to keep that warmth in.
How do you keep bread rolls from getting hard?
After the soft dinner rolls are baked, store them in an airtight container at room temperature. Do not refrigerate the rolls, as that can dry them out more quickly.
Wrap the soft rolls after they have cooled completely in foil and store at room temp for up to 3 days. Remember though, these rolls have lots of butter, so they will be a little firmer at room temperature, but will soft as soon as you reheat them for a few seconds.
What is the best way to reheat dinner rolls?
The easiest way to reheat soft dinner rolls is with the microwave. Place the rolls in a bowl and cover with moist paper towels. Microwave for 20-30 seconds until the rolls are warmed.
You can also reheat them on a baking sheet in the oven. Wrap the rolls in foil and heat in a 350º oven for 10 minutes or until the rolls are warm.
Can you freeze the rolls?
Yes. Freeze the baked soft dinner rolls for up to 4 weeks in the freezer. Wrap the rolls plastic wrap, then place them in another airtight container or freezer bag
Allow the rolls to thaw before removing them from the packaging.
Other Bread Recipes
These soft dinner rolls are excellent with turkey, green bean casserole and garlic mashed potatoes.
Soft Dinner Rolls
The BEST soft dinner rolls ever. They're buttery soft and perfect with any soup, salad or main dish.
Servings 12 people
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Rise Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Ingredients
For the rolls:
- 1 cup warm milk 115ªF, 8 ounces
- 2 1/4 teaspoons instant yeast 1 package, 7 grams
- 1/2 cup salted butter softened, 4 ounces
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar 50 grams
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 4 cups bread flour 520 grams
- 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 grams
For the egg wash:
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon water
Instructions
- Put the milk (115º Fahrenheit) in the bowl of a stand mixer. Sprinkle the yeast over the milk. Allow the yeast to activate for 3-4 minutes. 1 cup warm milk, 2 ¼ teaspoons instant yeast
- Add the butter, sugar and eggs. Use the beater blade on low speed to mix this just until combined. About 30 seconds. ½ cup salted butter, ¼ cup granulated sugar, 2 large eggs
- Add in 2 cups of flour and the salt. Mix about 30 seconds until combined. Then add in the remaining 2 cups of flour. Mix just until combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as needed. Allow the mixture to rest for 5 minutes. 4 cups bread flour, ½ teaspoon salt
- Remove the beater blade and place the dough hook on the stand mixer. Knead the dough for 5-7 minutes on low speed. Add more flour a tablespoon at a time as needed during kneading. The dough should still feel sticky and tacky to the touch, but it should not be so wet that it sticks all over your hands. As the dough turns in the stand mixer bowl, it will pull away from the sides, but may stick to the bottom slightly. This is ok and shows the dough is not too dry.
- Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap or a towel. Allow the dough to rise in a warm place until it has almost doubled, about 30 minutes.
- Divide and roll dough into 12 balls. Place in a greased 9×13" glass pan. Cover and rise for 15-20 minutes while the oven is heating. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
- For shiny, golden brown tops: In a small bowl, whisk together 1 egg and 1 tablespoon of water. Brush the egg mixture lightly on top of the unbaked rolls. 1 large egg, 1 tablespoon water
- Bake for 18-22 minutes. The exact baking time will depend on your oven, the type of pan you use (we generally use a glass pan pan) and the size of the rolls you made. The internal temperature of the rolls should be 190ºF.
- If desired, brush melted butter over tops of the warm rolls.
Video
Notes
- You can make this bread without a stand mixer. Simply mix and knead by hand. Be sure not to add extra flour when kneading by hand. The dough should be sticky.
- You can also use a bread machine. Simply add the ingredients to the bread machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. Use the dough setting, then prepare the dough as indicated above.
Nutrition
Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 179mg | Potassium: 108mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 315IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 39mg | Iron: 1mg
I wonder if you could substitute 1/2 the milk with a 1/2 cup of sourdough starter. Might be an interesting twist
i miss soft rolls with butter! gah… but maybe my new GF flour would work with years, yes? praying! YUM!
Hey! These sound and look delicious! My question is, can these be made ahead of time, and placed in the fridge until I’m ready to bake them? Thank you!
I just made these delicious looking dinner rolls. They were delicious, however, mine seemed a bit denser then the ones in your picture. Any ideas what I did wrong?
I’d been searching for a nice recipe for buttery rolls. After trying a few out that didn’t appeal to me, I found this little gem. They are the best rolls I’ve ever made….I made two batches in three days! This recipe will be a permanent part of my special collection. Thank you for sharing this! Yummy!!!!
I am making them right now! Can I put an egg wash on them before baking? I am going to try on half and I will let you know how it works out. I can’t wait to eat them.
I made these today and they were wonderful!!! My question is about the shaping. The dough was sticky so it was hard to roll. Should I have used a little flour or oiled my hands before? I put them in a muffin pan and they were beautiful, just a tad lumpy. Thank you for the recipe!
Fantastic! They just came out of the oven…. the whole family thanks you for sharing this recipe.
Oh my gosh! So simple and sooo good!
These looked so tasty on Pinterest so I tried them tonight. WOW! Amazing! Thank you SO much for posting them! YUM!
If I use instant yeast ,do I still have to proof it,or can I just add it to the dry ingredients?
This recipe is awesome! This is the first thing I’ve ever made with yeast and I was nervous but they turned out great. My dad can’t stop raving about them. Thanks!
What type of yeast are you using, instant or regular, because when I made them they smell just a little yeasty, I’m not sure if that’s the issue or not. I also made 12 rolls as apposed to 15 would that make a difference and cooked for 16 minutes.
Reply please
What a great recipe! I made these for Thanksgiving today and everyone loved them, especially my roll loving hubby. I didn’t change a thing and they came out perfectly. Thank you!
Is there a way to make these without all the fancy attachments???