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Homemade Yeast Dinner Rolls Recipe are delicious, soft and fluffy. They’re a delicious side dish to any meal!

Rolls that are homemade cannot be beat!! We love to serve them when making Roast, Brown Sugar Ham and more. If you love these rolls, you’ll also love our famous heavenly rolls!

Yeast rolls on white plate


soft + Fluffy Homemade Yeast Rolls

Yesterday I shared my mom’s recipe for Heavenly Rolls – our favorite.

Today, I’m sharing another great recipe from my mom… Yeast Rolls! She’s only made these a few times compared to the Heavenly Rolls, but we loved them too and wanted to make sure we shared so you had more than one option for Thanksgiving coming up.

I know it’s sometimes easier to go to the store and just pick up a big bag of rolls from Sams or Costco, but they do not taste the same. Yeah, they’re good, but this dinner rolls recipe is amazing… so soft and so delicious!

If you have the time and are wanting to go homemade, I definitely recommend giving these a try. :)These are perfect with butter or jam, and would be perfect for your Thanksgiving Meal!

How to Make Yeast Rolls

Like many recipes that call for yeast, they require a little more time and patience – but they’re worth it! Here is how you make these yeast rolls:

In a large bowl, mix water and sugar. Sprinkle yeast over the top and let set for 10 minutes until yeast is foamy.

Mix milk, eggs and salt into yeast mixture using a whisk.

In a separate bowl mix flour and sugar. Crumble shortening in and mix until it is barely noticeable. Mix flour mixture into yeast mixture with a wooden spoon. Using your spoon, mix until dough pulls away from the spoon and ball forms around the spoon. Towards the end, I like to use my hands to get in there and make sure it’s mixed and still soft but not too sticky.

Cover bowl with a tea towel and let rise in a warm spot (we put ours under the oven lights on the stove). Cover until dough is doubled in size (about an hour).

When dough has risen pour butter over it and knead with hands for 2 minutes. Let dough rest for a few minutes.

Roll dough out onto a floured surface to a 1″ thickness. Using a pizza cutter, cut into 2″ squares.

Roll squares into balls smoothing out on top and tucking seams below and place into TWO greased 11×15 pans about 1″ apart from each other (we did 5 rows of 4). Cover with a tea towel and let rise again until dough as doubled in size (45 minutes to an hour).

Bake at 375 for about 12-15 minutes. Butter the tops when they come out.

NOTE: You can refrigerate if not making them right away. Let rise over nigh for the next day.

Can you halve the recipe? Of course. Here are the halved ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups warm water
  • 1/2 tbsp salt
  • 1/2 tbsp sugar
  • 3.5 tsp active dry yeast
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 egg
  • 4.5 – 5 cups flour
  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 1/8 cup shortening
  • 1/8 cup butter

And then you’ll just roll out and cut into 20 balls and place in your greased 11×15 pan.

Yeast rolls recipe in baking dish

Yeast Dinner Roll FAQ

Can you substitute dry yeast in place of rapid rise yeast? Yes! Just adjust the amount by 25%. For example, If the recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of instant yeast, use 1 1/4 teaspoons of active dry yeast. Remember if you use dry yeast you will need to activate it in warm water with a pinch of sugar before adding it to the dry ingredients. You will also need to proof it twice. Once after you have mixed it, then again after it has been shaped into rolls. 

How to Store? Baked yeast rolls can be stored at room temperature for 3-5 days or in the freezer for about 3 months. Be sure that the rolls have completely cooled before storing them in an air-tight container or bag.

How to Freeze? You can also freeze the dough balls to be baked later. Do not let the dough rise. Once the dough has been shaped place them on a baking sheet. Freeze until solid, then transfer to a freezer safe container. Freeze for 2-3 weeks. 

What to pair with? Plain rolls with butter is a heavenly taste, but you can also top your rolls with honey or jam.

Homemade yeast rolls

Make these recipes with yeast rolls:

5 from 19 votes

Yeast Rolls Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
Homemade Dinner Rolls Recipe that are delicious and perfect for any meal. They’re soft, delicious and a hit at every meal!
Servings: 40 Rolls
Prep: 2 hours
Cook: 12 minutes
Total: 2 hours 12 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 3 cups Warm Water
  • 1 tbsp Salt
  • 1 tbsp Sugar
  • .75 oz Active Dry Yeast (3 envelopes)
  • 1/2 cup Milk
  • 2 Eggs
  • 9-10 cups all-purpose flour We use about 9.5
  • 2/3 cup Sugar
  • 1/4 cup Shortening
  • 1/4 cup Butter Melted

Instructions 

  • In a large bowl, mix water and sugar. Sprinkle yeast over the top and let set for 10 minutes until yeast is foamy.
  • Mix milk, eggs and salt into yeast mixture using a whisk.
  • In a separate bowl mix flour and sugar. Crumble shortening in and mix until it is barely noticeable.
  • Mix flour mixture into yeast mixture with a wooden spoon. Using your spoon, mix until dough pulls away from the spoon and ball forms around the spoon. Towards the end, we like to use our hands and mix by hand until dough is soft and just a little sticky.
  • Cover bowl with a tea towel and let rise in a warm spot (we put ours under the oven lights on the stove). Cover until dough is doubled in size (about an hour).
  • When dough has risen pour butter over it and knead with hands for 2 minutes. Let dough rest for a few minutes.
  • Roll dough out onto a floured surface to a 1″ thickness. Using a pizza cutter, cute into 2″ squares.
  • Roll squares into balls, smoothing out on top and tucking seams under and place into a TWO greased 11×15 pans about 1" apart from each other (we did 5 rows of 4). Cover with a tea towel and let rise again until dough as doubled in size (45 minutes to an hour).
  • Bake at 375 for about 12-15 minutes. Butter the tops when they come out.

Notes

NOTE: You can refrigerate if not making them right away. Let rise over nigh for the next day.

Nutrition

Calories: 145kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 3g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 12mg, Sodium: 191mg, Potassium: 42mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 52IU, Calcium: 10mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
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About Kristyn

My name is Kristyn and I’m the mom of SIX stinkin’ cute kids and the wife to my smokin’ hot hubby, Lo. My mom’s maiden name is Luna, and I’m one of the many crafty “Lil’ Lunas” in the fam. On this site I like to share all things creative - from recipes to home decor to gifts and home decor ideas. Welcome!

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Recipe Rating




41 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    These are incredible! Super easy to make…we halved the recipe and made 15 nice sized rolls in our 9×13 pan. So light and fluffy, everyone was raving about them! Perfect addition to our Easter dinner. Another keeper from your site! Thank you!

  2. 5 stars
    We love making these soft and fluffy yeast dinner rolls all the time! We follow along to this recipe and its so easy to follow along to!

  3. 5 stars
    These remind me of the rolls I get at the steak house! I haven’t been there in ages and I’ve been longing for their delicious rolls! These are super delish! YUM!

  4. 5 stars
    This is the only recipe I use to make dinner rolls! It’s so easy and they come out perfect every time!

  5. 5 stars
    This is a classic roll recipe. So easy to follow and they turn out great!! Definitely a Sunday dinner staple!