Soft, fluffy, and golden, The BEST Dinner Rolls are a timeless classic that complete any meal with irresistible buttery goodness. They’re quick to make and taste like pure comfort.
These dinner rolls have the perfect balance of pillowy texture and a golden, tender crust. Made from scratch with simple ingredients, they’ll become your go-to side for weeknights or holidays.
What You’ll Need for These Irresistible Dinner Rolls
- All-purpose flour – The base of the dough, providing structure while staying light enough for a soft crumb.
- Rapid-rise yeast – Speeds up the rising process and ensures the rolls stay airy and soft.
- Granulated sugar – Adds a subtle sweetness and helps activate the yeast.
- Salt – Enhances the overall flavor and balances the sweetness.
- Warm milk – Creates a rich, tender dough and activates the yeast.
- Butter (softened and melted) – Brings rich, buttery flavor throughout, and finishes the rolls with a glossy, delicious top.
- Egg – Adds richness, color, and helps bind the dough for that perfect soft texture.
Quick Steps to Soft, Golden Perfection
Start by mixing the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, milk, butter, and egg into a soft dough using a stand mixer. After kneading, let the dough rise until puffed and airy.
Once risen, punch it down and shape into 24 rolls. Let them rest again to rise until light and fluffy. Bake until golden, brush with melted butter, and serve warm.
Pro Tips for the BEST Dinner Rolls Every Time
For perfectly fluffy rolls, make sure your milk is just warm (around 110°F) to activate the yeast without killing it. Using rapid-rise yeast speeds things up, but let the dough rise fully during each step to develop that signature softness.
Weighing your dough portions ensures evenly baked rolls—aim for about 2 ounces each. If they start browning too fast, tent with foil to prevent over-baking while they finish cooking through. Brush them right out of the oven with melted butter for irresistible flavor and shine.
You can add herbs like rosemary or garlic butter before baking for a savory twist, or swap half the flour for whole wheat for a nuttier bite.
Keep ‘Em Fresh: Storage Tips for Dinner Rolls
Store leftover rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to four days—they reheat beautifully in the microwave wrapped in a damp paper towel.
To freeze, wrap fully cooled rolls in plastic wrap and then foil, or place in a freezer-safe bag for up to three months. Thaw at room temperature and warm them in the oven for that fresh-baked feel.
If prepping ahead, form the rolls and let them rise in the fridge overnight. Just take them out an hour before baking and proceed as usual—they’ll taste just as fresh as day-of.
The BEST Dinner Rolls
Ingredients
- 1 egg at room temperature
- ⅓ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons rapid rise or instant yeast
- 1½ cups warm milk approximately 110°F
- 4 to 5 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons melted butter
- 5 tablespoons softened butter
Instructions
- Place 3 cups of the flour into the bowl of a stand mixer along with the yeast, sugar, salt, warm milk, softened butter, and egg. Using the dough hook, set the mixer to its lowest setting and mix just until the flour is moistened, pausing to scrape the bowl as needed.
- Increase the speed to medium and beat the mixture for 2 minutes. Gradually add another ½ cup of flour, mix until integrated, then repeat with an additional ½ cup. Continue mixing at medium speed until the dough begins to form a cohesive ball.
- Incorporate more flour, a small amount at a time, until the dough is supple, slightly tacky, and begins to pull cleanly from the sides of the bowl.
- Lightly grease a bowl and transfer the dough into it. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let it rise at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- Once risen, gently press down the dough to release air. Divide into 24 equal portions, shaping each piece into a smooth ball. For consistency, rolls can be weighed—approximately 2 ounces each.
- Arrange the rolls evenly on a greased quarter-sheet pan or a 9×13-inch baking dish. Cover again and allow them to rise for an additional 30 minutes at room temperature.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375°F. Bake the rolls for 12 to 15 minutes until the tops are golden brown and the interiors are thoroughly cooked. If needed, cover loosely with foil to prevent over-browning.
- Remove from the oven and brush the hot rolls with melted butter. Serve immediately, or let cool and store in an airtight bag for up to three days.
Notes
Store leftover rolls in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze up to 3 months—wrap tightly in plastic followed by foil, or use a freezer-safe zip-top bag. Make Ahead
Prepare up to the second rise and refrigerate overnight, covered. Let rolls sit at room temperature for one hour before baking as usual. Tips
If rolls darken too quickly while baking, loosely tent with foil to control browning.