This classic homemade dinner rolls recipe yields soft, fluffy, light, and buttery rolls—the perfect bread for any meal or holiday feast.
There’s nothing like fresh bread straight from the oven. I adapted my favorite whole wheat roll technique to create these classic white dinner rolls. They’re tender, tender-crusted, and richly flavored from butter and eggs.
How to Make Soft and Fluffy Dinner Rolls
Three key enrichments—eggs, milk, and butter—give these rolls their tender crumb and delicate texture.
- Eggs contribute lift and structure. The yolks add fat, which tenderizes the crumb and lightens the texture.
- Milk enriches the dough, creating a smoother, more velvety interior and a softer, faster-browning crust. It also helps the rolls stay fresh a little longer.
- Butter provides flavor and a tender, fine crumb while improving keeping quality.
Commercial breads often include conditioners and preservatives to remain soft for longer. Homemade rolls won’t contain those additives, but using eggs, milk, and butter prevents the dough from becoming dense or heavy while delivering a satisfying, homemade flavor.
How to Knead Dough
Hand-kneading enriched dough can feel sticky and tempting to over-flour. To avoid a heavy result, start by mixing half the flour into the wet ingredients until the mixture thickens. Then turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and finish kneading with the remaining flour.
- Pull the dough from the far side, fold it toward you, and press away with the heels of your hands. Rotate a quarter turn and repeat.
- Use a bench scraper to lift sticky dough from the counter. Add only a light dusting of flour as needed.
- Knead until the dough feels smooth, silky, and elastic—about 10 minutes by hand. It should remain slightly tacky.
Using a mixer with a dough hook speeds up the process and reduces effort. A powerful mixer keeps the dough moving and evenly kneads it in about five minutes.
How to Make Dough Rise Faster
Baking rolls takes time, but a few simple tricks speed up proofing without sacrificing texture.
- Use rapid-rise (instant) yeast. The smaller granules activate quickly and shorten rising time.
- Create a warm, moist proofing environment. Place the dough near a source of gentle heat:
- Microwave method: Heat a glass of water on high for about 2 minutes and leave it inside the microwave. Place the covered bowl of dough beside it for 30–45 minutes.
- Oven method: Warm a large oven-safe bowl of water at the lowest oven temperature for a couple of minutes, turn the oven off, then place the covered bowl of dough in the oven with the water for 30–45 minutes.
- Proof shaped rolls near a preheating oven. Once rolls are formed, place them near — but not on — the oven while it preheats. A kitchen towel or lightly greased plastic wrap over the rolls keeps them from drying out. Position them closest to the oven’s heat vent to speed rising.
How to Shape Dinner Rolls
For uniform rolls, weighing portions is ideal—about 2–2.25 oz each. If you don’t weigh, flatten the risen dough and divide it as evenly as possible. This recipe yields 24 rolls.
Rolling each piece can be time-consuming and still produce imperfect rounds. My preferred technique is simple: cup your hand and pass the dough through your thumb and forefinger, pinching the ends to seal. Place each roll seam-side down on a greased baking sheet about an inch apart.
Bake the rolls for 15–20 minutes at 350°F (175°C) until golden brown. Because of the milk and butter, they brown relatively quickly—brush them with melted butter right after they come out of the oven for a glossy, flavorful finish. These rolls are ideal for holiday tables and family dinners.
Dinner Rolls
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Ingredients
- ½ cup (118 ml) warm water, (110˚F)
- 2 Tbsp yeast, (quick rise or instant dry yeast)
- 6 Tbsp (85 g) butter, softened
- ⅓ cup (68 g) granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (237 ml) warm milk, (110˚F)
- 2 tsp salt
- 5 – 5 ½ cups (600 – 660 g) all-purpose flour, (stir, spoon & level)
- 2 Tbsp (28 g) melted butter, for brushing rolls
Equipment
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Mini Rolling Pin
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Stainless Steel Scraper/Chopper
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Aluminum Half Sheet Tray (or similar baking pans)
Instructions
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Stir the yeast into warm water to dissolve and set aside.
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In a stand mixer bowl with the paddle attachment, cream together softened butter and sugar. Add the eggs and mix well, scraping the bowl. Add warm milk, salt, and the yeast mixture; mix to combine.
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Stir in 5 cups of flour (measured by stir, spoon & level). Switch to a dough hook and knead about 5 minutes until a soft dough forms. Add additional flour, 1 Tbsp at a time, if needed. The dough will be slightly sticky but should pull away from the sides of the bowl.
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Grease a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the greased bowl, lightly spray the top with cooking spray, and cover. Let rise in a warm place for 30–45 minutes.
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Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, flatten it, and cut into 24 even pieces with a dough cutter or bench scraper.
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Shape each piece by cupping your hand and guiding the dough through your thumb and pointer finger, pinching the ends to seal. Place seam-side down on a greased baking sheet about an inch apart.
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Cover the shaped rolls with greased plastic wrap and let them rise another 30–45 minutes in a warm spot.
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Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Bake the rolls for 15–20 minutes until golden and fully baked. Remove from the oven and brush with 2 Tbsp melted butter. Serve warm.
Notes
*To reheat: wrap rolls in foil and warm in a 350°F oven for 5–7 minutes.
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