Grandma’s Homemade Dinner Rolls are soft, fluffy, buttery rolls that have been a family favorite for decades. They are always one of the first side dishes gone at Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, and just about every family gathering.
The soft dough rises until doubled, then gets rolled into our family’s signature crescent shape and brushed with melted butter before baking. Another brush of butter while the rolls are warm keeps the tops soft and gives them even more buttery flavor.
Grandma has been making these rolls for decades, and all the grandkids still come running when they are on the table. For more homemade bread favorites, try our Homemade Bread, Texas Roadhouse Rolls, Crescent Rolls, and Garlic Knots .
Why You’ll Love It + Why It Works:
- A Family Favorite. Grandma has made these rolls for decades, and they are still one of the first things gone at our holiday dinners.
- Soft + Buttery. Milk, eggs, oil, and butter create tender rolls with soft centers and plenty of buttery flavor.
- Soft Dough Makes Fluffy Rolls. Stopping the flour while the dough is still soft and slightly sticky helps keep the finished rolls light instead of dense.
- Two Rises Make a Difference. Letting the dough double before shaping and again before baking gives the rolls time to become light and fluffy.
- Great for Holidays. One batch makes 24 rolls, so there is plenty for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, or a big family dinner.
Dinner Rolls Ingredients
- Rapid rise yeast (1 tablespoon): Helps the dough rise quickly while creating soft, fluffy rolls. Instant yeast also works well.
- Sugar (½ cup + ½ teaspoon sugar, divided): Feeds the yeast and adds just a touch of sweetness that makes these rolls so delicious.
- Warm water (¼ cup (110-115 degrees F)): Activates the yeast. Water that is too hot can kill the yeast, so using the right temperature is important.
- Warm milk (1 cup (110-115 degrees F)): Makes the rolls soft and tender while adding richness. Whole milk gives the best texture, but 2% also works.
- Vegetable oil (½ cup): Keeps the dough moist and helps the rolls stay soft for days. Canola oil is another good option.
- Salt (1 teaspoon): Enhances the flavor and strengthens the dough.
- All-purpose flour (4½-5 cups, divided): Gives the rolls structure while keeping them soft. Add just enough flour so the dough stays soft and slightly sticky.
- Large eggs (2): Add richness, color, and structure for tender homemade rolls.
- Unsalted butter (½ cup, melted): Creates buttery layers and extra flavor when brushed onto the dough before rolling.
- Salted butter (melted, for brushing): Adds the perfect buttery finish while keeping the tops soft and delicious.
How to Make Homemade Dinner Rolls
YEAST. In a small bowl, stir 1 tablespoon yeast with ¼ cup warm water and ½ teaspoon sugar. Let stand until bubbly (about 10 minutes). The mixture should look foamy or bubbly before you continue. If it does not, the yeast may be inactive and it is best to start again.
DOUGH. In a large bowl, stir together 1 cup warm milk, ½ cup oil, ½ cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt with a wooden spoon.
Add 1 cup flour and mix well. Add 2 eggs and mix vigorously until smooth, then stir in the yeast mixture.
Gradually add the remaining flour, mixing just until the dough is smooth, soft, and slightly sticky. You may not need the full 5 cups, so stop adding flour once the dough reaches the right consistency.
FIRST RISE. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased large bowl. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let rise for a few hours, until it has doubled in size.
Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size. Depending on the temperature of your kitchen, this may take a few hours.
ROLL. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and divide it in half. On a lightly floured surface, roll each piece out into a 12-inch circle. The dough circles should be about ⅜ inch thick.
SHAPE. Brush the dough with melted butter, then cut each circle into 12 even wedges, like a pizza. Starting at the wide end of each triangle, roll the dough toward the pointed tip to form a crescent. Place each roll seam-side down in the greased baking pan so it stays rolled while baking (we use an 11×15 metal pan and do 3 across and 8 rows down).
SECOND RISE. Cover again with a tea towel and let rise, until the shaped rolls look puffy and have doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours.
BAKE + ENJOY! Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, until the rolls are lightly golden brown. Check one of the center rolls for doneness by gently pressing the top. It should spring back when touched. If the tops are browning too quickly before the centers are done, loosely tent the pan with foil and continue baking. Brush the warm rolls with melted salted butter and serve.
Serve these rolls with Homemade Strawberry Jam, Honey Butter or Cinnamon Butter.
Kristyn’s Recipe Tips
- Check the Yeast. The yeast mixture should become bubbly or foamy before you add it to the dough. If it does not, start again with fresh yeast.
- Watch the Temperature. Keep the milk and water between 110 and 115°F so the yeast activates without getting too hot.
- Do Not Add Too Much Flour. Add the flour gradually and stop when the dough is soft and slightly sticky. Too much flour can make the rolls dense.
- Let the Dough Double. Use the size of the dough as your guide for both rises rather than relying only on the clock.
- Shape Evenly. Cut each dough circle into 12 even wedges so the rolls are similar in size and bake at the same rate.
- Check the Center Rolls. Bake until lightly golden and a center roll springs back when gently touched. Tent loosely with foil if the tops brown too quickly.
- Butter Them While Warm. Brush the rolls with melted salted butter right after baking to keep the tops soft and add extra flavor.
Dinner Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon rapid rise yeast
- ½ cup + ½ teaspoon sugar, divided
- ¼ cup warm water (110-115 degrees F)
- 1 cup warm milk (110-115 degrees F)
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 4½-5 cups all-purpose flour, divided
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
- salted butter, melted, for brushing
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix yeast and ½ teaspoon sugar with warm water. Let stand until bubbly (about 10 minutes). The mixture should look foamy or bubbly before you continue. If it does not, the yeast may be inactive and it is best to start again.
- In a large bowl, stir together 1 cup warm milk, ½ cup oil, ½ cup sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt with a wooden spoon.
- Add 1 cup flour and mix well. Add 2 eggs and mix vigorously until smooth, then stir in the yeast mixture.
- Gradually add the remaining flour, mixing just until the dough is smooth, soft, and slightly sticky. You may not need the full 5 cups, so stop adding flour once the dough reaches the right consistency.
- Transfer the dough to a lightly greased large bowl. Cover the bowl with a tea towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until doubled in size. Depending on the temperature of your kitchen, this may take a few hours.
- Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it 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 the dough with melted butter, then cut each circle into 12 even wedges, like a pizza. Starting at the wide end of each triangle, roll the dough toward the pointed tip to form a crescent. Place each roll seam-side down in the greased baking pan so it stays rolled while baking (we use an 11×15 metal pan and do 3 across and 8 rows down).
- Cover again with a tea towel and let rise until the shaped rolls look puffy and have doubled in size, about 1 to 2 hours.
- When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
- Bake for 16 to 20 minutes, until the rolls are lightly golden brown. Check one of the center rolls for doneness by gently pressing the top. It should spring back when touched. If the tops are browning too quickly before the centers are done, loosely tent the pan with foil and continue baking. Brush the warm rolls with melted salted butter and serve.
Notes
- Measure the flour carefully and stop adding flour as soon as the dough is soft and slightly sticky to keep the rolls tender.
- Use a thermometer to make sure the water and milk are between 110 and 115 degrees F so the yeast activates properly.
- Let the rolls complete both rises so they bake up light and fluffy.
- Brush generously with melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven for the softest tops and extra flavor.
Nutrition
Recipe FAQ
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.
Shape the rolls as directed, then place them on a baking sheet and freeze until solid. Transfer the frozen rolls to a freezer-safe bag or container and freeze for up to 3 months.
When ready to bake, arrange the frozen rolls in the baking pan and loosely cover with greased plastic wrap. Let them thaw and rise at room temperature until doubled in size. Remove the plastic wrap, then bake as directed.
To maximize the shelf life of dinner rolls, place them in a freezer 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.
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This recipe was first shared November 2013.
Super easy and absolutely the most delicious bread item I have ever baked. Will definitely be making again!
Loved it
I’m happy you loved the dinner rolls, thanks so much for trying them!
Would olive oil be ok in this recipe
Yes, you can use olive oil instead of vegetable oil in this dinner rolls recipe. Be sure the olive oil is labeled suitable for baking and keep in mind that olive oil can have a mild flavor, so the rolls might taste a bit different, but they’ll still be soft and delicious!
This is the only recipe I use. I had made these using my Grandmothers’ recipe and lost it . So I was happy to find this as it is almost hers ! Thanks Kristyn for sharing all your recipes.
That is one of the best comments! I love how food/recipes can tie generations of families together.
really good, but I only baked them for 16 min and they definitely burned on the bottom–they were on the center rack. Maybe start with 13 min
I’m sorry to hear the bottom burned. Hopefully they were tasty enough to try making again and checking at the 13 minutes mark.
So I just made these… delish! I have been baking for decades and I have to say, this is the softest dough💖… the texture is incredible! Next time, I am going to make ones with raspberry jam filling, cinnamon & sugar etc…. Mmmmmm….😍
Great easy bread recipe. Perfect for beginners. The eggs make the dough a bit sweeter without adding any extra sugar. I did only use 2 1/4 t vs the 1T of yeast, but still had proficient rising of the dough.