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This soft, buttery dinner rolls recipe is one of our best-loved recipes. Perfect for holidays, or anytime, it’s so hard to eat just one!

We love to make this dinner rolls recipe with soup, but especially for holidays, with other sides like Creamed Corn, Green Bean Casserole, and Roasted Brussel Sprouts.

A plate filled with dinner rolls recipe.


favorite homemade rolls!

Nothing can beat the smell of Homemade Bread or dinner rolls being made. This recipe is one my mom has made since I was a kid, and one we all love. Here’s why:

  • HOLIDAY MUST HAVE. These homemade dinner rolls are perfect for Thanksgiving or Christmas and are a holiday dinner MUST!
  • ON HAND INGREDIENTS. This recipe uses pantry staples, which mean they can be made any time (and my kids are grateful for that!)
  • SIMPLE. Surprisingly, this recipe is easy. We’ve made it fail proof so even biggers can easily master this roll recipe.

BOTTOM LINE – they are amazing, and we know you’ll love them too!

Dinner Roll Ingredients

  • Rapid Rise Yeast – Even though we activate it in water we always use the RapidRise yeast for these rolls, but active dry yeast works too.
  • Sugar – It’s in the yeast and the wet ingredients.
  • Warm Water
  • Warm Milk
  • Vegetable Oil
  • Sugar
  • Salt
  • All-Purpose Flour – We use all-purpose flour but you can also use bread flour.
  • Eggs
  • Unsalted Butter
  • Salted Butter (for brushing on tops).

How to make Dinner Rolls

Yes, these dinner rolls require several steps, but they are all simple.

  1. YEAST. Stir 1 tablespoon yeast with ¼ cup warm water and ½ teaspoon sugar. Let stand until bubbly.
  2. WET INGREDIENTS. In a large bowl, mix 1 cup warm milk, ½ cup oil, ½ cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt with a wooden spoon.
  3. COMBINE. Add 1 cup of flour to the mixture, and mix well. Add 2 eggs and beat until smooth (mix vigorously by hand). Pour in yeast mixture, and mix vigorously until smooth.
  4. RISE. Add 3-4 cups flour to the yeast mixture. The dough should be very sticky. Pour the dough into a large bowl. Let rise for a few hours in a covered bowl (cover with a tea towel), until it has doubled in size. 
  5. ROLL. Once the dough has doubled in size punch down, and divide in half. Roll dough onto a lightly floured surface making TWO 12-inch circles. Dough should be about ⅜ inches thick.
  6. SHAPE. Brush dough with melted butter. Cut circles with a pizza cutter into 12 pieces (like a pizza). Roll from the rounded edge to the point, to make a crescent roll. Place into a greased baking pan (we use an 11 x16 metal pan and do 3 across and 8 rows down).
  7. RISE. Cover dough with a tea towel and let rise for a few hours, until it doubles.
  8. BAKE + ENJOY! Bake at 375°F until light lightly golden brown, which is about 15-20 minutes.

pro tip

Note: Touch rolls to see if they bounce back – if they do not, bake a little longer. Brush with melted butter while warm.

Rolled crescent rolls on a baking sheet.

Recipe Tips

Homemade rolls require kneading, follow these tips for perfect rolls!

  • Kneading. Many yeast bread recipes must be kneaded before shaping. However, this dough doesn’t. Because of how sticky the dough is, gently kneading in a little flour when rolling and shaping it may be required.
  • Kitchen-Aid mixer. Make this recipe in the Kitchen-Aid or stand mixer, with a dough hook attachment. Be careful not to over-mix the dough, because it will make it tougher, and not as soft.
  • Variations. We like to place the rolled crescents close together on the pan so that they rise, with the sides touching. If you want them to rise separately, be sure to spread them further apart.
Crescent rolls on a prepared baking sheet.

Use a bread machine

Here is one reader’s experience using the bread machine to make these rolls:

  1. Add all the “wet” ingredients first (Add the warm milk, oil, sugar, and eggs first, then the salt).
  2. Use 4 cups flour, and the yeast, but skip adding the 1st ¼ cup water with sugar, as you don’t have to dissolve the yeast when using the bread machine.
  3. Use dough cycle, which is 1½ hours for my machine. The dough turned out great and was easy to work with.
  4. After shaping the rolls, let them rise (covered) in my “barely warmed” oven for 1½ hours, then bake for 15 minutes in the oven. We love them!

Serving Suggestions

Serve up this best dinner roll recipe with some of our favorite main dishes:

Slather this dinner roll recipe with these favorites: Honey Butter, Cinnamon Butter, Pumpkin Butter.

Close up of browned crescent rolls on a baking sheet.

storing info

  • Freeze unbaked rolls. If you plan to freeze these unbaked, increase the amount of yeast used by 50%. We suggest freezing the rolls right after they are formed. Line them up on a cookie sheet and freeze until solid, then transfer them to a freezer Ziploc. They are best stored between 4-6 weeks, but can last for up to 3 months.
    • To bake: Line the frozen rolls up on a baking sheet, spray a piece of plastic wrap with cooking spray, and place it oil-side down, over the rolls. They will need several hours to thaw and rise to double in size. Remove the plastic before baking.
  • Store baked dinner rolls. To maximize the shelf life of dinner rolls, place them in a Ziploc bag, or wrap them in foil. Store in an airtight container on the counter at room temperature for 2-3 days. Baked rolls can also be frozen for up to 3 months.
Baked dinner rolls recipe on a prepared baking sheet.

Recipe FAQ

Why are my homemade dinner rolls dense?

A light fluffy roll is the goal. Overmixing the dough, adding too much flour, and not letting the dough rise and proof properly are the main reasons that cause dense rolls.

How do I keep homemade dinner rolls warm?

There are a few ways that you can keep dinner rolls warm. My top choices are to place them in a warm crock pot and another is to use a warm bread basket.

Why do I let the homemade dinner rolls rise twice?

During the first rise, the yeast emits gasses that create air bubbles and the rising dough will produce a chewy, light, and flavorful roll. However, as the dough rises the yeast slows down, thus a second rise is recommended. Punch the dough down, shape it, and give the yeast one more chance to create chewy, flavorful, and fluffy dinner rolls.

For more Rolls:

5 from 263 votes

Dinner Rolls Recipe

By: Lil’ Luna
This soft, buttery homemade dinner rolls recipe is best-loved. Perfect for holidays, or anytime, it's so hard to eat just one!
Servings: 24
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Dough rising time: 2 hours
Total: 2 hours 40 minutes

Ingredients 

  • 1 tablespoon rapid rise yeast
  • ½ teaspoon sugar
  • ¼ cup warm water
  • 1 cup warm milk
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4½-5 cups all-purpose flour divided
  • 2 large eggs
  • ½ cup unsalted butter melted
  • salted butter for brushing

Instructions 

  • In a small bowl, mix yeast and sugar with warm water. Let stand until bubbly.
  • In a large bowl, mix warm milk, oil, sugar, and salt with a wooden spoon.
  • Add 1 cup of flour to the mixture and mix well. Add eggs and mix vigorously until smooth. Add yeast mixture and continue to mix until smooth.
  • Add remaining flour to the yeast mixture 1 cup at a time and continue to mix with a wooden spoon until the dough is combined. The dough should be soft and sticky.
  • Pour the dough into a large bowl, cover with a tea towel, and let rise until it has doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  • Once the dough has doubled in size, punch down and divide it in half. On a floured surface, roll each piece out into a 12-inch circle. The dough circles should be about ⅜ inch thick.
  • Brush both dough circles with melted unsalted butter. Cut each circle with a pizza cutter into 12 pieces (like a pizza). Roll each piece from the rounded edge to the point to make a crescent roll.
  • Place rolls on a greased baking sheet with the pointed tips down (we use an 11-x-16-inch metal pan and do 3 rows across and 8 rows down).
  • Cover rolls with a tea towel and let rise until they have doubled in size, about 1 hour.
  • When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F.
  • Bake for 16–20 minutes, until lightly browned. (Touch rolls to see if they bounce back—if they do not, bake a little longer). Brush with melted salted butter while warm. Serve warm.

Video

Notes

Make ahead of time. Unbaked rolls can be frozen right after they are formed in Step 7. Place unbaked rolls on a baking sheet and freeze immediately. Once frozen, place in resealable plastic freezer bags, seal and place in the freezer. Take them out a couple hours before baking to let them rise to about double the size, which will take longer since the dough is frozen.
Use a stand mixer. You can mix this dough in a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook; just be careful not to overmix the dough because it will make it tougher and not as soft.

Nutrition

Serving: 1roll, Calories: 63kcal, Carbohydrates: 5g, Protein: 1g, Fat: 5g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 0.2g, Cholesterol: 25mg, Sodium: 107mg, Potassium: 23mg, Fiber: 0.1g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 154IU, Calcium: 16mg, Iron: 0.1mg

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

Additional Info

Course: Bread
Cuisine: American
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Share it with us on Instagram using the hashtag #lilluna, so we can see what you’re creating in the kitchen!


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




662 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Your the best chef ever and I am so happy your alive. Without you this recipe was going to be a horrible. But I just did it at home and it was so perfect and I eat it together and it’s just so tasty and good.THANK YOU KRISTYN!!!!!!!!

  2. Making these now. Confused at what the rise time is after they’re rolled. It’s written 1 hour and 3 hours to rise. I watched the video and the video is just showing with no instruction on voice. I’m hoping it’s just the hour rise. I’ll see what happens.
    Thank you.

  3. 4 stars
    We’ve made a lot of recipes from Lil Lina’s site. We love the yeast rolls recipe. I decided to try this one for Thanksgiving this year instead, against my daughter’s warnings of doing a recipe that contained oil instead of butter. Now I know why. The texture is a bit different than what we like in a roll…not bad, just not like when using butter. Also the flavor just isn’t fabulous due to the oil and not butter. The ease of making this recipe, though, is great! It’s almost fail proof. Everything rose well and baked lovely. We will just stick with the recipes with butter 🙁