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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.
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.
- YEAST. Stir 1 tablespoon yeast with ¼ cup warm water and ½ teaspoon sugar. Let stand until bubbly.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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).
- RISE. Cover dough with a tea towel and let rise for a few hours, until it doubles.
- 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.
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.
Use a bread machine
Here is one reader’s experience using the bread machine to make these rolls:
- Add all the “wet” ingredients first (Add the warm milk, oil, sugar, and eggs first, then the salt).
- 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.
- Use dough cycle, which is 1½ hours for my machine. The dough turned out great and was easy to work with.
- 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.
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.
Recipe FAQ
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.
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.
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:
Dinner Rolls Recipe
Ingredients
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
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
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Can you give me the measurements for half half the amount please.
Thank you
You just need to divide everything by 2 to give you half the amounts 🙂
hey girl- these rolls look amazing!
Thanks so much Shawnna!!
what type of flour are you using, All purpose or Self rising?
I used all purpose 🙂 Hope you like them as much as we do!
I have been baking for over 40 years and these by far are the best rolls ever ! Thank you for the recipe 😉
Woohoo!! You made my day! Thank you so much for letting me know 🙂
What kind of flour do you use for Heavenly rolls? I have bread flour,self rising, and all purpose.
I use all purpose flour 🙂 These are so good! Let me know what you think 🙂
I love your pastries. Tried making the bread rolls and home made bread. It came out excellently well. Very soft and yummy. You are the best Kristen! Keep up your good work..
Awe, thank you so much! So glad they turned out 🙂
You are a wonderful cooker and the best photographer… congratulations!!!
Thanks so much!! You are so nice!
My rolls were okay. They were dry in the inside. Any tips on how to fix this issue? How much butter should I spread onto the dough?
I also added 4 cups of flour. Could this have been the issue? Next time i will try 3 cups.
I am sorry they were. I would start with the 3 cups of flour. And, it’s just enough butter to coat the tops. I like to dip my pastry brush in the butter & just brush it on. I’m not quite sure what else would cause that. Too much flour can make them more dense & also humidity. Hope they turn out the second time 🙂
I started making these too late in the day. Can I put the dough in the fridge overnight and resume tomorrow without ruining it? Keith
I personally haven’t tried that, so I’m not sure how that might change anything. Did they turn out?
These rolls look amazing…..they don’t seem to be too difficult to make???? I am going to make them soon! Thanks for the recipe ❤️
They are not difficult at all 🙂 You are so welcome! Hope you like them!
Absolutely delicious!!
Thank you!! They really are!