An easy dinner roll recipe needs to be in everyone’s repertoire. These dinner rolls are perfect. Like, truly perfect. Soft and fluffy, my dinner roll recipe is going to blow you away with it’s pillowy texture and buttery flavor. They are extremely versatile and a welcome addition to essentially every meal.
Light, fluffy, buttery dinner rolls are impossible to resist. Homemade with just a handful of simple ingredients, the BEST Dinner Rolls can you be on your table in a jiffy.
Tips for Making Perfect Homemade Dinner Rolls
- This recipe comes together super fast so it’s nice to be prepared. Measure out all the ingredients before you get started so you can just dump them in the bowl of the mixer and get started.
- The milk is what activates the yeast so be diligent about checking for the right temperature. You’re looking for somewhere between 100-110F. I warm mine in the microwave in a glass measuring cup and then check the temperature. If it gets too hot, let it sit until it reaches the right temperature.
- The first and second rise are both 1 hour. Keep your rolls in a draft free location and cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap.
- Making the rolls the same size ensures an even baking time. I’m pretty good at eyeballing it but to be extra sure, pat the dough into a rectangle about 8 x 12 inches. Cut into 4 strips and then cut those strips into 3 squares for a total of 12 rolls. You can also use a kitchen scale to weigh them.
- When rolling the dough into balls, I like to make them nice and smooth on top by pulling the “seams” down to the bottom and giving it a twist. That’s the side I place on to the baking sheet so the top is perfectly rounded. The video below will show you more of what I mean if that is unclear.
- Check the rolls at 20 minutes. If they are starting to darken beyond what you prefer, put a piece of foil over the top. I like my rolls a nice golden brown and once it hits that color, I know the rolls are done. Always check a center roll for doneness and then tent with foil if they need a few more minutes.
- Don’t forget to brush with butter! This is what gives the top of the dinner rolls that irresistible golden sheen. It’s super important
Dinner Rolls
Dinner rolls are soft, fluffy, and buttery bread rolls that make a perfect accompaniment to any meal, offering a tender texture and rich flavor that enhances both savory and sweet dishes. They are often made from simple ingredients and can be prepared ahead of time, making them ideal for holidays, family dinners, or weeknight meals.
Ingredients
- 4 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 oz. active dry yeast 1 package, See Notes
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tsp fine sea salt
- 1 cup milk slightly warm
- 1/3 cup unsalted butter softened
- 3 egg yolks
- 3 TB unsalted butter melted
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, add the milk and butter and warm it just enough until the butter melts (use a candy thermometer to make sure the mixture reaches 120 degrees.) In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook, add the warm butter and milk mixture and sprinkle the yeast over the top. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
- To the yeast mixture, add the flour, sugar, egg yolks and salt and mix with the speed on low just until the flour is incorporated.
- Increase the speed to medium high and knead the dough for about 5 to 7 minutes or until it is nice and smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Lightly grease a bowl with some olive oil and set aside.
- Once the dough is nice and smooth, form into a ball and place it seam side down in the oiled bowl and grease the top and sides of the dough with a little oil as well. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it somewhere warm for about an hour or until it has almost doubled in size.
- Dump the dough onto your work surface, (flour it a little if necessary) and deflate it. Cut the dough into 12 equal pieces. Cover the dough pieces with a kitchen towel as you work with one piece at a time. Lightly grease a 9X13” baking dish with either butter or cooking spray and set aside.
- Take each piece of dough and roll it in a smooth ball, place the ball seam side down in the greased baking dish, cover the baking dish with a kitchen towel so that the formed buns won’t dry out.
- Once you have all the rolls in the baking dish, cover them with plastic wrap and allow them to sit in a nice warm place for about an hour or until they are about one and half times bigger than the original size.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees and position one of the oven racks into the center of the oven.
- Once the rolls have risen, bake them for about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Brush them with melted butter immediately when they come out of the oven and enjoy!
Notes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmshQZCtJ9I
Makes 12 rolls
approx. 3oz ea
instant yeast version: mix everything and skip the initial rise.
Great with Texas Roadhouse honey butter
