Homemade Dinner Rolls

5 from 164 votes

Simple and easy to make, for non bakers, these classic homemade dinner rolls are made from scratch and come out perfectly light and fluffy!

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So easy to make, these are seriously the best homemade dinner rolls! Made from scratch with a few simple ingredients, they are slightly sweet and wonderfully soft and fluffy. They make a great addition to any meal and are great to serve up for Thanksgiving and the holidays.

Homemade dinner rollers
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Ingredients to make dinner rolls

  • Flour: I used all purpose flour which helps to create the super fluffy texture. You can use whole wheat flour for half the amount if you’d like.
  • Instant yeast: Although you still need to allow time for the dough to rest and rise, using instant yeast quickens this process.
  • Salt: For seasoning. I used sea salt.
  • Milk: I used almond milk, but you can use dairy if you prefer. The milk should be slightly warm and it helps to activate the yeast.
  • Oil: I used olive oil, it’s a great way to add moistness to the dinner rolls. You can also use vegetable or canola.
  • Egg: To bind the ingredients together and add incredibly moisture.
  • Honey: To naturally sweeten the rolls.
Ingredients to make the recipe all laid out on white board

RECIPE VIDEO TUTORIAL

How to make homemade rolls

  1. Whisk together the flour, salt and yeast.
  2. Combine milk, oil, egg and honey in another bowl and stir them into the dry ingredients. Cover and let rest.
  3. Place the dough onto a floured surface.
  4. Knead for 10 minutes.
  5. Place in an oiled bowl and cover.
  6. Allow to rise for about an an hour and 30 minutes.
6 image collage showing the steps to make the dough from mixing the flour to kneading dough and letting it rise
  • Cut the dough into 15 even pieces.
Cutting the dough into 15 equal parts on floured cutting board
  • Roll the dough into balls and place on a prepared baking sheet, cover and let rise.
  • Bake your homemade dinner rolls until golden brown and brush with olive oil as soon as they come out of the oven. It will stick on the buns and give them a golden glow.
2 image collage showing the rolls before and after baking

Tips for making rolls from scratch

  1. Don’t skip the resting time after mixing the wet and dry ingredients together.  This will make the bread easier to knead and give the flour time to absorb the liquid.
  2. Use any kind of plant-based milk or regular whole milk will work. However, I recommend against coconut milk or rice milk. Make sure the milk is not too hot (above 115°F) or it will kill the yeast.
  3. Use a stand mixer if you have one. You can mix and knead the dough in that with a dough hook. You may have to add an additional tbsp of flour and work the dough for up to 15 minutes to get the right consistency with a dough hook.
  4. Pay attention to the temperature of your kitchen. It will drastically impact the rising time of your dough. When it is warmer, the dough rises faster.

Frequently asked questions

Can you freeze them?

Yes, these rolls freeze well and will keep for up to three months. Let the rolls cool completely and then wrap them individually in foil before placing in a freezer bag. Wrapping them securely like this will prevent freezer burn.

Can I use active dry yeast instead of instant yeast?

Just mix with the milk and honey to activate the yeast for 10 minutes and then add in all the other ingredients.

How do you reheat frozen dinner rolls?

Frozen dinner rolls can be thawed at room temperature, but if you need them in a hurry, you can reheat them in the oven. Loosen the foil around each roll and then place in an oven at 300F until hot to the touch and warmed all the way through.

Why are my dinner rolls hard?

There a few main reasons why your homemade dinner rolls come out of the oven hard instead of light and fluffy:
If your yeast is old or expired, the dough won’t rise. If you are in doubt, buy some new.

The dough isn’t given enough time to rise. This is essential for a light textured bread. Once the dough has proofed, poke it with your finger, if the indentation remains the dough is ready.

Don’t overcook the rolls, they should come out of the oven once they are a light golden brown.

Hand opening one dinner roll to show the texture on the inside

These fresh dinner rolls are seriously so moist, fluffy and delicious. They are perfect to enjoy warm when they come out of the oven, and can be easily reheated, stored and frozen. Make a big batch for a special dinner or just to have around and enjoy with butter!

More bread recipes:

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Homemade Dinner Rolls

Simple and easy to make, for non bakers, these classic homemade dinner rolls are made from scratch and come out perfectly light and fluffy!
5 from 164 votes
Servings 15 rolls
Course Side Dish
Calories 172
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes

Video

Ingredients
  

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, combine flour, salt and instant yeast. Whisk to evenly distribute everything.
  • In a small bowl, combine the milk, olive oil, egg and honey.
  • Add wet ingredients to the dry. Stir with a spoon until all of the flour is incorporated. Cover and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes.
  • Scrape dough onto a smooth, lightly floured surface. Knead for 8-10 minutes or until smooth and stretchy using a folding motion. The dough is a bit wet so constant motion will help prevent it from sticking.
  • Place dough in an oiled bowl or container. Cover with plastic wrap or a tight cover and allow to rise in a warm area until 2.5 times the size, about 90 minutes.
  • Line a baking sheet with parchment.
  • Scrape dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Cut into 15 even pieces.
  • Taking one piece at a time, fold the edges in to the center, pinch them closed, and then roll the ball in your hands. Place the dough seam side down on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining pieces. Position the dough balls in a rectangle about ½” apart.
  • Cover the dough balls loosely with plastic wrap. Allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
  • While dough is rising the second time, preheat oven to 375° F. Once doubled in size, uncover the dough and place in the oven on a middle rack.
  • Bake for 13-18 minutes until golden brown.
  • Remove from the oven and while still hot, brush with olive oil, if desired. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes before enjoying.

Notes

Storage: Store the rolls in an airtight container at room temperature and they will keep well for 4 to 5 days.
Substitutes: For best results, follow the recipe as is. However here are some common substitutes that would work well in this recipe.
  • Instead of almond milk, any other kind of plant-based milk or regular whole milk will work. I recommend against coconut milk or rice milk.

Nutrition

Calories: 172kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 6g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 11mg, Sodium: 182mg, Potassium: 38mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 16IU, Calcium: 26mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate. It will vary based on cooking method and specific ingredients used.

Cuisine American
Course: Side Dish

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Comments

  1. Delar Yumna !
    I Would love to make These dinner rolls but unfortunately the measurements are in CUPS.
    I live in Uk and have ben trynig to convert the cup to mg and ml but there are so Many variation. Andy suggestion ??
    Please advise
    Regards
    Frida

    1. Hi Frida, I am so sorry! I know it can get confusing and since I don’t bake in mg and ml I don’t give out the measurement conversions, because they are so many variations I don’t want to give out the wrong ones. Thank you for understanding!

    2. Holy moly!

      I am from the UK and followed your recipe using the cup scoops we have available here and they came out stunning.

      A firm hit and will be on repeat in my house!

      To all other brits they taste almost like iced finger buns! Yumna if you haven’t tried them like that i highly suggest it lol

  2. These rolls are so easy and so delicious! I was such a fan and very impressed with them! I made some small adjustments, active yeast instead of instant, and dairy milk instead of almond milk. Yum!

  3. This looks great, but I’m a big fan of weighing the ingredients, preferably using the metric system (grams). It is much more accurate than the rather hit and miss cups. Cup measurements actually are not the same size in all countries too!

    1. Thank you for your feedback! I would love to find a way to have both the metric and standard system on my website.

  4. When I mixed wet ingredients with the dry, it didn’t mix well, in fact, the mix only pebbled into small pebbles, not the well mixed version that I viewed ~ what went wrong?

    1. I’ve actually found that you just have to trust it will work! Trust me, I know that kneading crumbly dough is frustrating, but if you let it sit like it says and then work it, you have the BEST recipe for any occasion – I got my grandmother’s approval to make our Thanksgiving rolls!!!

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