Easy Dinner Rolls

These Easy Dinner Rolls are soft and fluffy, buttery and so simple to make. These homemade rolls turn out beautiful every time and are a perfect addition to any meal.

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This post was originally posted on 12/16/2020 and updated on 11/1/2024.

Easy Dinner Rolls Recipe Ingredients

• Quick Rise Yeast (Instant Yeast)
• White Sugar
• Salt
• Warm Milk
• Salted Butter
• Egg
• Unbleached All Purpose Flour
• Olive Oil

How to Make Easy Dinner Rolls

1. First, make the dough: add the warm milk (110°F-115°F), half of the granulated sugar, and instant yeast to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook. Let it stand for 5 minutes so the yeast can bloom.
2. Then add in remaining sugar, melted butter, egg, salt, and 4 cups of the flour. Mix on low until it is all combined.

3. Add more flour ¼ cup at a time while mixing on low speed, until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowls and clings to the dough hook. The bottom of the dough will still be stuck to the bottom of the bowl and that is totally normal.

Expert Tip*** A good way to test if you have enough flour is to pinch the dough with your fingers, the dough should be smooth and a tad tacky, but it should not stick to your fingers when pinched.

4. Once there is enough flour, increase the speed on the mixer to medium-low (level 2) and knead the dough for 2 minutes.
5. Then add the dough to a bowl sprayed or brushed with olive oil, spray or brush the top of the dough and cover the bowl with a clean towel or plastic wrap.

6. Let the dough rise in a warm, draft free area for at least 30 minutes or until doubled in size. I like to use my oven with the light on if I'm not using it.
7. After the dough has doubled, punch it down and spread it into a log on a lightly floured surface. Using a dough cutter, cut the log into 24 evenly sized pieces.

8. Shape the dough pieces into rolls and place into a greased 9x13 rimmed baking sheet or baking dish. Cover again and let rise for 15-30 minutes until doubled in size.
9. While the rolls are rising, preheat the oven to 375°F.

10. Bake the risen rolls for 12-15 minutes until the tops are golden brown and the rolls sound hollow when tapped.
11. Brush the tops of the rolls with melted butter and serve. Best when served warm!

How to Shape Dinner Rolls

There are few different ways to shape the rolls.

• Take each piece and lay it over your thumb and then gather the edges at the bottom of your thumb, pull the roll off your thumb and push the seam into the bottom of the roll. Place the roll seam side down. (This is the easiest and fastest way for me.)
• Roll each piece in a circular motion with your hand against a board until it is smooth all around.
• Flatten each piece of dough into a small rectangle, then look at the rectangle as if you were to divide it into thirds, fold the sides down and under the middle third and pinch the seam. Place the roll seam side down.

Make Easy Dinner Rolls Without a Stand Mixer

If you don't have a stand mixer, no worries! You can also make these easy rolls with a food processor or with a bowl and wooden spoon or spatula.

Use the food processor with the plastic blade just as the directions state above, pulsing to mix everything, then leaving on to knead it until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl.

These rolls can simply be made with a bowl and spoon too. When it's time to mix, use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. Once it gets too hard to mix with the spoon, add the dough to a floured surface and knead the remaining flour in with your hands, keep kneading until the dough is smooth. This will take about 5 minutes or so.

What to Serve with these Easy Dinner Rolls

I personally love bread with soup and pasta dishes. However, they make a great addition to any meal. Here are some of our favorites:

• Chicken Wild Rice Soup
• BBQ Meatloaf
• Crock Pot Beef Stew
• Oven Baked Chicken Legs
• Easy Instant Pot Pot Roast
• Easy Clam Chowder

If you are looking for an even easier dinner roll recipe try these No Knead Dinner Rolls. There really is no kneading! Or if you want a sweet roll my Homemade Cinnamon Rolls are absolutely divine.

Storing Homemade Dinner Rolls

Keep the rolls tightly wrapped, in a zip top bag or in an airtight container. They'll last up to 3 days at room temperature.

Tips for Making the Best Dinner Rolls

• Milk should be lukewarm around 110-115°F, any warmer than that and the heat will kill the yeast. Any cooler and the yeast won't bloom enough. I warm the milk up in the microwave for about 45 seconds (yours may vary on time) and test it on my wrist. If the milk feels warm on your wrist, then it is just right for the yeast.
• Use fresh yeast, old yeast that is near expiring will not rise properly. To keep your yeast fresh, keep it in the freezer. I keep all my yeast in the freezer.
• Fluff your flour, then spoon it into your measuring cup and level it off. Accidently adding too much flour to bread dough is what can make it heavy and dense instead of soft and fluffy.
• For an even quicker rise you can preheat your oven to 170°F and then turn it off. Place the covered dough in the oven. It will cut off 5-10 minutes of the rise time.

More Delicious Bread Recipes:

• Homemade French Bread
• Easy Peasy Garlic Bread
• Homemade Garlic Breadsticks
• Garlic Cheese Drop Biscuits
• Garlic Parmesan Focaccia Bread
• Easy Drop Biscuits
• Easy Homemade Bagels