These homemade dinner rolls are soft, fluffy, buttery and quite simply irresistible. The best part? This homemade dinner roll recipe is truly ready in around 30 minutes, start to finish.
I used to think homemade dinner rolls were a complicated process that no mom could ever complete for a regular weeknight dinner!
Now I know better… and I promise with just seven ingredients, these will be the star of any dinner you make.
I’m still of the belief that the best dishes are made from scratch, with quality, fresh ingredients. There’s no need to water down recipes when milk adds a delicious, rich flavor and makes them sooooo soft!
These dinner rolls would make Grandma proud. There is the perfect hint of sweetness, but not too much.
Yes, I’m the girl that judges a restaurant on the bread they serve before a meal. Your guests might, too. 😉 The good news is that you can make these easy yeast rolls in less than an hour (with little hands on time) that will have your guests so excited for the next course.
I’ve been working on a variety of classic comfort foods for Thanksgiving and beyond, and these easy yeast rolls truly fit the bill. You can find my free Ultimate Guide to Hosting Thanksgiving and 30+ of the best Thanksgiving Appetizers for more delicious inspiration!
Homemade Dinner Rolls
They make Baking with Yeast look so easy! Seriously… click through for a complete guide to baking with yeast. It’s so much easier than you’d think!
Why You’ll Love It
They are simple enough for a weeknight but elegant enough for Thanksgiving.
Ingredients and Substitutions
See printable recipe card for complete ingredients and instructions.
- Flour – All purpose flour is best.
- Milk – You can use any kind of milk you have on hand.
- Butter – These dinner rolls are all about the butter! You can use salted or unsalted butter, but I generally have salted on hand so that’s what I use. You can learn how to soften butter quickly, too – these tips will change your life!
- Sugar – They need just a tiny touch of sweet, but not much. Sugar also helps activate the yeast when it combines with the milk.
- Salt – a little goes a long way, especially if you’re using salted butter!
- Yeast packet – Active dry yeast is best here.
- Eggs – Large size please.
- Butter – yes, more butter. This time it’s melted to brush over the top of the rolls.
How to Make
- In a mixing bowl, add flour as directed to create a well.
- In a separate bowl, add the milk, butter, sugar and salt. Microwave until the butter is just melted. Stir and allow to cool 2 minutes.
- Pour half of the milk mixture into the flour well. Scatter the yeast over it.
- Start mixing on low speed, slowly pouring the remaining milk mixture and add eggs.
- Mix until the dough comes together and starts pulling from the sides. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and divide it into 12 pieces.
- Place all the rolls into a baking pan and cover with a clean tea towel, let rest while the oven is pre-heating.
- Heat the oven as directed and bake the rolls until golden brown. Just before serving, brush them with melted butter.
Tips
- Be careful with the temperature of your milk. It’s what activates the yeast – so you want it not too hot, not too cold. 100-110F is ideal.
- Use a baking thermometer if you want to make sure you’ve got the temperature just right.
- To keep the size consistent, I part the dough into halves, halve it again and then break it down into three rolls each.
- Check the tops of the rolls at 11-12 minutes bake time. Every oven is different. If the tops are starting to darken, simply cover with aluminum foil for remainder of bake time.
- Be sure to check out my Baking Substitutions Guide for ideas on any last minute substitutions.
Serving Suggestions
- Try a flavored butter for melting over the top! Sweet Butter is the perfect addition. Serve with Honey Butter for sweeter option, too.
- Browned Butter is another great option to add a nutty, rich flavor to your rolls.
- Top with Cinnamon Sugar for a sweet, breakfast inspired touch.
- Doing dinner with more of an Italian vibe? Brush with a little garlic butter instead. Serve with my famous Italian Salad and you’re golden!
Shortcuts
- Pre-measure! These rolls come together fast but I like to have all my ingredients laid out and ready to add to the mixing bowl as needed.
- Need more rolls? This recipe makes 12 easy yeast rolls, but it’s easy to double or even triple, using the yield tab feature in the printable recipe card.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Make this dough as directed, allow rolls to rise, and instead of baking, simply refrigerate. You can hold them (covered) in the fridge for 10-12 hours. Simply remove from the refrigerator for two hours before you’re ready to throw them in the oven.
It sounds like your yeast might have died! This could happen for several reasons – you might not have allowed the dough to rise for long enough, you could have added too much salt, and the yeast could have died from your milk mixture being too hot!
How to Store
- At Room Temperature – These rolls can be stored at room temperature for up to three days. Wrap tightly to store.
- Refrigerate – for best results, wrap each roll individually in plastic wrap before refrigerating. This seals in moisture and helps them retain their soft texture. Allow to come to room temperature for an hour before eating.
- Freeze – Properly stored, these homemade dinner rolls will maintain best freshness and quality for about three months, but are safe beyond that time. I like to bag them individually in a ziplock before freezing.
Leftover Ideas
- Serve for the next day’s brunch slathered with butter and Cinnamon Sugar.
- Make these incredible Hot Ham and Cheese Sliders
- Juicy Burger Sliders
Dietary Considerations
- Vegetarian
- Nut Free
More Quick Bread Recipes
30 Minute Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 6 cups all-purpose flour all purpose
- 2 cups milk Whole is best but any kind will work
- 6 tablespoons butter salted or unsalted, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons white granulated sugar white granulated
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 yeast packet active dry
- 2 eggs large
- 2 Tablespoons butter melted, for topping
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl add flour and make a well using your measuring cup in the middle and fit the mixer with the dough hook attachment
- In a bowl, add the milk, butter, sugar and salt. Microwave in 30 second increments decreasing time as needed until the butter is just melted. Stir and allow to cool 2 minutes.
- Pour half of the milk mixture into the flour well. Scatter the yeast over it.
- Start mixing on low speed, slowly pouring the remaining milk mixture and add eggs.
- Mix until the dough comes together and starts pulling from the sides, if it doesn’t, dust with a touch more flour. Remove the dough from the mixing bowl and divide it into 12 pieces.
- Place all the rolls into an 11-inch round baking pan or a 13X9-inch baking pan.
- Cover the rolls with a clean tea towel and let rest while the oven is pre-heating.
- Heat the oven to 375°F.
- Bake the rolls for 14 minutes or until golden brown.
- Just before serving, brush them with melted butter.
Julie’s Tips
Tips
- Be careful with the temperature of your milk. It’s what activates the yeast – so you want it not too hot, not too cold. 100-110F is ideal.
- Use a baking thermometer if you want to make sure you’ve got the temperature just right.
- To keep the size consistent, I part the dough into halves, halve it again and then break it down into three rolls each.
- Check the tops of the rolls at 11-12 minutes bake time. Every oven is different. If the tops are starting to darken, simply cover with aluminum foil for remainder of bake time.
How to Store
- At Room Temperature – These rolls can be stored at room temperature for up to three days. Wrap tightly to store.
- Refrigerate – for best results, wrap each roll individually in plastic wrap before refrigerating. This seals in moisture and helps them retain their soft texture. Allow to come to room temperature for an hour before eating.
- Freeze – Properly stored, these homemade dinner rolls will maintain best freshness and quality for about three months, but are safe beyond that time. I like to bag them individually in a ziplock before freezing.
Estimated nutrition information is provided as a courtesy and is not guaranteed.
Yummy. Perfect
These look Super Yummy! Thank you for sharing. I’m going to go try these RIGHT NOW!!!
Enjoy!
These look amazing. My daughter could live off of dinner rolls!
Wow! I have a 1-hour breadstick recipe that I love because of the minimal time needed for rising/baking, but this is even better. Thanks!
Is there a mistake in quanity? For 6 cups of flour you get more that 12 rolls – right? Thanks for clarification.
No, it’s right…no judgement, right? Enjoy!