Dinner Rolls Recipe

Homemade Dinner rolls baked and buttered in baking sheet.

5 from 271 votes

Dinner Rolls Recipe

Our soft and fluffy dinner rolls recipe delivers an impossible to resist, best loved recipe, perfect for holidays or any occasion.

Prep Time20

Cook Time20

Dough rising time2

Total Time2 40

Course: Bread

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Author: Kristyn Merkley

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 11x15 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.

Video

Notes

Recipe Tips.

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.

Freeze unbaked rolls. 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 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. 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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