The best Homemade Dinner Rolls are soft, fluffy, and absolutely irresistible. They're surprisingly easy to make, using basic pantry ingredients.

If you love bread and roll recipes, try Garlic Knots, Cinnamon Rolls, Homemade Breadsticks, or Buttermilk Biscuits!

A basket of the best homemade dinner rolls with butter gleaming on top, ready to enjoy.

Foolproof Homemade Dinner Rolls

Loud shrieks are guaranteed to fill our house every time my kids see me making homemade dinner rolls. They give that cozy, home-y vibe that nothing else can match. And, why bother with mediocre store-bought rolls when these are so easy to make? They freeze great for future meals, or “roll sandwiches, which happen to be everyone's favorite school lunch. Do yourself a favor and make a double batch!

How to make Homemade Rolls:

Dough: Proof yeast by mixing warm water, yeast, and a pinch of sugar and rest for 5-10 minutes, until it's foamy on top. Add remaining sugar, warm milk, butter, egg, and salt and mix to combine. Slowly add flour while it mixes on low speed. Knead in mixer for about 5-6 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Be careful to not add too much flour. The sides of the dough will start pulling away. It will be soft and slightly sticky when touched with a clean finger.

Two images showing yeast when it's bubbly and activated in water and sugar then after the other ingredients are added to make a dough for a soft bread rolls recipe.

First Rise: Spray a large bowl with cooking spray then place dough in the bowl, turning over once to coat the dough. Cover with a clean kitchen towel allow to rise for 1 to 1.5 hours in a warm place.

Roll and shape: Divide the dough in half and roll each dough ball into a rectangle about 1/4″ thick. Cut the dough lengthwise into two pieces with a pizza cutter or sharp knife. Slice the dough again into six strips across to equal 12 rectangles. Roll each small rectangle up and place seam-side down on a lined baking sheet.

Two images showing yeast dough after it has risen, then after it's punched down, rolled out into a rectangle and cut into 12 sections for easy homemade rolls.

Second Rise: Cover rolls with a thin kitchen towel and rise again for 1 to 1.5 hours, until doubled.

Bake: uncover and bake 375°F for 12-14 minutes, until golden brown. Remove from oven and brush the tops with butter. Enjoy with instant pot strawberry jam, chia seed jam, or peach jam.

Two images showing a sweet dinner rolls recipe after they are shaped and placed on a baking sheet, then after they are baked, brushed with butter, and cooling on a wire rack.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:

To Make Ahead: Make the dough and place in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 1 day, before rolling out and shaping.

To Freeze Baked Rolls: Store baked rolls in an air-tight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, or rewarm briefly in the oven or microwave.

To Freeze Dough: Place dough (before first rise) in an air-tight container in freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the fridge or at room temperature before rolling and shaping. To freeze roll dough after the rolls have been shaped, place them on a baking sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes to “flash freeze”, then transfer to a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. When you're ready to bake, arrange them on a baking tray and let them rise for several house, covered with a towel, at room temperature until double in size. Bake as instructed.

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Recipe

A basket of the best homemade dinner rolls with butter gleaming on top, ready to enjoy.
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 15 minutes
Rise time 2 hours
Total 2 hours 30 minutes
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Ingredients
 
 

Instructions
 

  • Proof Yeast: Combine warm water, yeast, and ¼ tsp sugar. Allow to rest for 5-10 minutes until foamy. (If it doesn't get foamy, you need newer yeast).
  • Mix Dough: Pour yeast mixture into the bowl of an electric stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl if kneading by hand). Add warm milk, ⅓ cup sugar, butter, egg, salt and one cup of flour and mix until combined.
  • Knead: While mixing on low speed, slowly add additional flour, mixing until the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Mix or knead by hand until dough is smooth and elastic, about 5-6 minutes. You may not use all of the flour called for. The dough should pulll away from the sides and bottom of the bowl, be soft, and just slightly sticky when touched with a clean finger.
  • First Rise: Grease a large bowl with cooking spray or a tiny bit of oil. Place the dough in the bottom of the bowl and turn it once to coat all sides. Cover bowl with a dry kitchen towel and allow to rise in a warm place until double in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours.
  • Roll Out: Divide dough into two equal portion and roll each dough ball out on a lightly floured surface into a large rectangle, about 1/4’’ thick.
  • Shape Rolls: Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut the dough, lengthwise, into two pieces. Then slice the dough into six strips across so you end up with 12 equal-sized rectangles. Roll each small rectangle up and place, seam-side down, on a lightly greased or lined baking sheet.
  • Second Rise: Cover rolls with a dry kitchen towel and allow to rise again until double in size, about 1 to 1 ½ hours.
  • Bake: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Uncover rolls and bake for 12 – 15 minutes, until cooked and very lightly golden brown. Remove from oven and brush tops with butter.
  • Store leftover dinner rolls in an airtight container or bag at room temperature for about 1-2 days, or I recommend freezing them, for best quality (see notes).

Notes

Make Ahead Instructions: Make the dough and place in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 1 day, before rolling out and shaping.
To Freeze Baked Rolls: Store baked rolls in an air-tight container for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature, or rewarm briefly in the oven or microwave.
To Freeze Dough: Place dough (before first rise) in an air-tight container in freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the fridge or at room temperature before rolling and shaping. To freeze roll dough after the rolls have been shaped, place them on a baking sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes to “flash freeze”, then transfer to a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months. When you're ready to bake, arrange them on a baking tray and let them rise for several house, covered with a towel, at room temperature until double in size. Bake as instructed.
Gluten-free Adaptations: replace regular flour with gluten-free 1:1 bread flour.

Nutrition

Calories: 131kcalCarbohydrates: 22gProtein: 3gFat: 3gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.2gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 173mgPotassium: 52mgFiber: 1gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 107IUVitamin C: 0.001mgCalcium: 22mgIron: 1mg

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Recipe originally adapted from Cooking Classy.

I originally shared this recipe August 2017. November 2019 and October 2024.

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About The Author

Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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4.98 from 277 votes (202 ratings without comment)
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sarah
9 months ago

My target only had fast rising yeast, would you just do one rise and bake?

Kate
9 months ago

My Dough is so sticky,!! What am I doing wrong?

Admin
9 months ago
Reply to  Kate

Sticky dough is common! Add flour 1 tablespoon at a time while kneading until it’s soft and slightly sticky. Flour your hands and surface to prevent sticking, and let the dough rest for 5-10 minutes if needed. You’ve got this!
-Stacy

Kate
9 months ago
Reply to  Stacy Popham

Do you think it matters if I use regular flour or bread flour

lov2teach@comcast.net
9 months ago

How much yeast comes in one package? Is that enough for the recipe?
I’m excited to have these rolls for Thanksgiving dinner.

ktreichenbach@gmail.com
9 months ago

5 stars
These look wonderful. I’m making them for the first time this Thanksgiving. The recipe says 24 servings but I was curious, how many rolls this came out to be?

I don’t want to run out of rolls, lol!

Also, can I make them on Wednesday to be served on Thursday? Will they still taste fresh and be soft and yummy?

Thanks!

ktreichenbach@gmail.com
9 months ago
Reply to  Lauren Allen

Thank you so much! With my eaters and bread-lovers, I may have to make a triple batch. I can’t wait 🙂

Emma
9 months ago

Can you use honey instead of sugar?

Kristi
9 months ago

Suggestions on where to rise when your house is cold and the weather won’t be overly cool out yet. Kansas weather is wierd.

Admin
9 months ago
Reply to  Kristi

I like to put mine in the oven (turned off) with the oven light on! I’m in Missouri!
-Stacy

ljwalter513@gmail.com
9 months ago

The dough was very sticky – so I added a bit of flour before the first rise. After the first rise, it was still so sticky – had to add more flour when rolling out the dough…any ideas why it was so sticky? Trying these out today as a dry run for Thanksgiving!

Susan
9 months ago

Has anyone made the dough in a bread machine? I am assuming you would follow the igrediant order according to your bread machine?

Odette Kay
9 months ago

4 stars
I loved this rolls and they are easy to make. The only thing I didn’t like was the amount of sugar, they taste too sweet. Next time I will add less sugar.

r.steele2@hotmail.com
10 months ago

5 stars
I made these today and they are delicious. I wanted to try the recipe before Thanksgiving day. They will definitely be on my table on Thanksgiving. Thank You! They were so easy.